Sgurr Thormaid, Sgur a' Ghreadaidh and Sgurr a' Mhadaidh Loop

This is a serious Black Cuillin mountain day rather than a straightforward hillwalk: about 10 km / 6.2 miles with roughly 1,000 m / 3,280 ft of ascent, but the numbers understate the effort. The ground is steep, rough, and often slow, with loose scree, polished rock, narrow ridge sections, hands-on scrambling, and route-finding that becomes much more consequential once you leave the approach path. An “Extra Difficult” rating is well deserved here, especially in mist, wind, or wet rock, when the Cuillin can feel far more technical than the distance suggests. Sgùrr a’ Ghreadaidh is the highest summit on the northern half of the Black Cuillin at 973 m / 3,192 ft, while Sgùrr a’ Mhadaidh reaches 918 m / 3,012 ft; Sgùrr Thormaid is the lower but very rugged top on the south ridge of Ghreadaidh. (en.wikipedia.org)

The usual start for this loop is near the Glen Brittle Memorial Hut, Glenbrittle, Isle of Skye, IV47 8TA, on the single-track Glen Brittle road below the Cuillin. Limited parking is commonly used opposite or near the hut, with additional roadside or rough parking areas sometimes used nearby, but space is limited and informal verge parking can create problems on this narrow road. By car, most walkers approach from Carbost via the Glen Brittle road. By public transport, access is awkward: Glen Brittle itself has very limited service, and current journey planning is best checked directly with Stagecoach before travel; some sources note only seasonal or limited buses toward Glen Brittle, while the Memorial Hut information points out that the more regular long-distance stop is near Sligachan, still a long way from the start. (stevenfallon.co.uk)

The route normally begins on a clear path heading into Coire a’ Ghreadaidh, gaining height gradually at first beside the burn before the terrain turns stonier and more broken. For roughly the first 2 to 3 km / 1.2 to 1.9 miles, the walking is comparatively simple by Cuillin standards, but it is only an approach. Ahead, the corrie closes in beneath dark volcanic walls, and the character of the day changes from mountain path to steep mountaineering ground. The Black Cuillin are composed largely of hard gabbro, a rock famous for its grip when dry and equally notorious for becoming much more serious in wet conditions. (stevenfallon.co.uk)

On the ascent

A common line climbs toward An Dorus, the dramatic notch between Sgùrr a’ Mhadaidh and Sgùrr a’ Ghreadaidh. This section is usually the first major test: steep scree, unstable stones, and tiring upward progress where every step can slide back. From An Dorus, many parties first take the out-and-back to Sgùrr a’ Mhadaidh, then return to the bealach before tackling Sgùrr a’ Ghreadaidh and continuing toward Sgùrr Thormaid. Even though this is often described as the simplest way onto these summits, “simplest” in the Cuillin does not mean easy. Expect exposed scrambling, short rocky steps, and places where a slip would have serious consequences. (stevenfallon.co.uk)

Sgùrr a’ Mhadaidh is often the more approachable of the two main Munros on this outing, but it still demands care. The summit area gives wide views over the broken spine of the northern Cuillin, with the sea lochs and Atlantic coastline adding to the sense of scale when visibility is good. Back at An Dorus, the ascent of Sgùrr a’ Ghreadaidh is steeper and more sustained, and the south ridge toward Sgùrr Thormaid is especially serious. Reference material on the mountain notes that this ridge is Grade 3 scrambling terrain with few safe descent options for quite some distance, which is exactly why strong route judgment matters here. (en.wikipedia.org)

If the loop includes Sgùrr Thormaid, treat that extension with respect. It is not just an extra bump on the skyline; it is a rugged continuation on complex ridge ground where