Sgurr Dearg, Sgurr Mhic Choinnich and Coire Lagan

This is a serious Black Cuillin mountain day rather than a straightforward hillwalk: about 11 km / 6.8 miles with roughly 1,200 m / 3,940 ft of ascent, steep scree, rough boulder terrain, exposed scrambling, and complex route-finding once you leave the lower path into Coire Lagan. The usual start is at Glen Brittle, near the Glen Brittle Memorial Hut and campsite at the end of the Glen Brittle road on the Isle of Skye, which is the best-known landmark and practical trailhead for approaches into Coire Lagan and toward Sgùrr Dearg. The path to Sgùrr Dearg begins from the hut area, and parking for Coire Lagan is typically just before the campsite. (thebmc.co.uk)

Expect the day to begin on a well-built pitched path across the lower moor, where the walking is comparatively fast and the gradient feels manageable. That easier opening can be deceptive. As the route climbs, the terrain becomes rougher, the line less obvious, and the mountain architecture of the Cuillin starts to dominate: dark gabbro walls, loose chutes, broken ledges, and steep corrie sides enclosing Coire Lagan. The route is usually tackled from Glen Brittle into Coire Lagan, then up toward the bealach between Sgùrr Dearg and Sgùrr Mhic Chòinnich, with the hardest ground concentrated high above the lochan. (walkhighlands.co.uk)

What the route feels like on the ground

The first section from Glen Brittle is the most forgiving underfoot. You follow the prominent path inland from the campsite and hut area, gaining height steadily above the glen. Views open behind you toward Loch Brittle and, in clear weather, out to the Small Isles. This lower approach is where many parties make good time, but it is worth pacing carefully because the upper mountain demands far more energy and concentration than the map distance suggests. (walkhighlands.co.uk)

Higher up, the route into Coire Lagan becomes stonier and more broken. The corrie itself is one of the great natural landmarks of Skye: a dramatic basin of slabs, cliffs, screes, and a small blue lochan set beneath some of the most severe-looking peaks in Britain. Around the loch, the scale of the terrain becomes obvious. Sgùrr Dearg rises above with the Inaccessible Pinnacle on its crest, while Sgùrr Mhic Chòinnich stands to the right above steep scree and crag. Walkhighlands notes that the screes beside the loch rise toward the ridge below Sgùrr Mhic Chòinnich, and that the peak is named after local guide John Mackenzie. (walkhighlands.co.uk)

From here, the outing becomes extra difficult in the truest sense. The ascent toward the bealach and the linking ground between Sgùrr Dearg and Sgùrr Mhic Chòinnich involves steep, loose, tiring terrain where progress can be slow. Even when the scrambling is technically moderate, the exposure, rock polish, and looseness can make it feel much more serious. In mist, the upper corrie and ridge approaches are especially confusing, with multiple worn lines, scree runs, and broken rock terraces that can pull walkers off route. HiiKER is the navigation tool to have loaded in advance, but it should back up strong mountain judgment rather than replace it.

The crux and key hazards

The biggest planning point is Sgùrr Dearg itself. Its famous summit feature, the Inaccessible Pinnacle, is widely regarded as the most difficult Munro. Reaching the true top normally requires rock-climbing ability and, for many parties, a rope and the skills to manage both the ascent and descent safely. Sources describing the mountain note that the Inaccessible Pinnacle is Scotland’s or the UK’s most difficult mountain summit, and that the climbing on the pinnacle is beyond normal hillwalking. (outdooractive.com)

That means hikers need to decide in advance what “success” looks like. For some, the objective is the high bealach and a circuit through Coire Lagan. For others, it is Sgùrr Mhic Chòinnich only. For experienced scramblers and climbers, it may include S