Beinn a' Bheithir via Schoolhouse Ridge Hike Guide
A majestical non-technical mountain ridge walk which summits in two Munros. From the summits you’ll be greeted by sensational 360-degree panoramic views of the Scottish Highlands including mountain, sea, and loch. The ascent involves some easy scrambling up Schoolhouse Ridge.
Key Information
Type: Loop
Distance: 15.2km 9.5 miles
Duration: 6-10 hours
Ascent: 1,356m
Difficulty: Hard
Technical aspects: None
Car park & Start Point: Ballachulish village car park
Munros: Sgòrr Dhearg, Sgòrr Dhònuill
Where to Park
Parking is available in Ballachulish village car park. Here you will also find a Co-op supermarket and toilets.
My experience of the route
I was joined by long time friend and Scottish adventure guide Matt Waterston. We tackled the hike in Mid-January, meaning sunrise was shortly before 9am.
As the snow was not too deep and the weather forecast looked clear, I wore fleece lined soft shell trousers, a long sleeved base layer, hard shell jacket, alongside carrying a synthetic mid-layer and a down jacket in my bag.
For footwear I wore adidas Terrex Free Hiker 2.0 Gore-Tex boots, they are my go to walking boots for spring, autumn, and winter and are very comfortable, lightweight, and offer great grip.
We set off just before 7:30am and after getting clear of the village, got stuck into the brutal ascent up to Sgòrr Bhan. In total, it climbs 870m in just under 3km.
Matt set a relentless pace, which coupled with the iced over paths made things rather arduous. Fortunately, we had beautiful conditions and epic views back over Loch Leven and towards Ben Nevis on the way up. I used this as an excuse to why I kept having to stop.
Schoolhouse Ridge
Constantly stopping to capture the insane views, it dawned on me that I wasn’t going to reach the summit of Sgòrr Bhan before sunrise. Not wanting to miss the sun creeping up over the mountains, I got the drone out and captured what I could as I climbed the final flat section of the snow-capped ridge.
Sgòrr Bhan
Reaching Sgòrr Bhan shortly after sunrise, myself and Matt soaked in the views before taking the sweeping, snow-capped ridgeline up to the first munro of the day.
As I had forgot to put the memory card back in my drone, I had quickly used up all of the storage of my DJI Mini 4. Because of this slight mishap, I went up the ridge first, letting Matt film me on his drone, before I returned the favour and captured him on my camera from the summit.
Sgorr Dhearg
The view from Sgorr Dhearg was magnificent. The 1,024m munro offers sensational 360-degree panoramic views of the Scottish Highlands including mountain, sea, and loch.
Visibility was perfect and there wasn’t a cloud in the sky, in fact it was so good we could almost see over to Northern Ireland. The refraction of the light combined with the ice crystals also made it look like the Cuillin ridge was melting upwards into the sky.
Sgòrr Dhònuill
After a quick snack we jogged and bum slid our way down the other side of the peak to the bealach before making the short punch ascent up to the second munro of the day .
Although it looks tricky and technical, the gnarly ridge was actually very straightforward. It starts off steep and grassy, before becoming increasingly more rocky. The ascent does involve is minimal amount of non-exposed scrambling towards the top.
The views from the second munro of the day, Sgòrr Dhònuill, were equally as good if not better than the first.
The flat topped plateau of the 1,001m summit have a more distinct view out over Loch Linnhe towards the islands of Lismore and Mull. It was clear enough to clearly see the Paps of Jura and could just about pick out Northern Ireland in the distance.
Descent to the road
After soaking in the views, we made the descent back down to the Bealach before starting the rather boggy and tedious descent back down towards the A82. We arrived down on the roadside just over 6 hours after setting off.
Final Thoughts
This is now one of my favourite hikes in Scotland.
The incredible 360 panoramic views of mountain, sea, and loch combined with the non-technical and exposed ridge walking made it one special day out.
Save this hike for a good day and you will be blown away by the views.
The only downsides are the savagely steep start to the hike, alongside the rather dull and boggy hike out.
As we had two cars we left one in a layby on the roadside of the A82 to remove around 2km of road walking.
the best way to travel around Scotland
Due to the vastness and expansive road network of the Highlands, having a vehicle is essential to travelling around Scotland.
Although Scotland has a reliable public transport system that connects major towns and attractions, they aren’t the most frequent, take a lot longer than driving, and do not reach remote locations.
By having a vehicle it allows you freedom to visit the locations you want, whenever you want, in the shortest time possible. Meaning you can take advantage of the many incredible locations located around the Scottish highlands, alongside being able to visit around sunrise and sunset.
Travelling the Scottish Highlands by car
If you are visiting the highlands for longer than 5 days I would recommend getting a campervan (outlined below). However If you wanted to save on costs the the best option would be a car rental and then to camp or wildcamp.
I would recommend booking your car rental through discovercars.com. They are based in Edinburgh and they search both international and local operators for the best deal.
Scotland’s freedom to roam rules are some of the most progressive in the world, thanks to the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003, which gives the public extensive rights to access most land and inland water for recreational purposes.
Wild camping is legal in Scotland on most unenclosed land, Meaning you can pitch your tent in remote areas like moorlands, forests, hillsides, and coastal regions for free provided it’s done responsibly, you are respectful, and leave no trace.
Scotland’s wild camping freedom is a privilege, and maintaining it depends on everyone playing their part. It’s one of the things that makes exploring the Highlands, islands, and remote glens so magical.
Travelling by campervan
In my opinion the best way to travel around Scotland is by would be in a motorhome or campervan.
Scotland is incredibly van friendly and it will allow for the greatest flexibility alongside being cheaper and easier than booking accommodation. Every time I have been Scotland I have travelled in a campervan. Alongside using my own VW T6 I have also used Roadsurfer who are absolutely faultless.
They have a large deport located in Edinburgh (Alongside London, Bristol and Manchester), offer unlimited mileage and have of different vehicles to choose from.
When renting a campervan or motorhome, I would look to get one which is relatively compact. Scotland has some narrow single track roads, so the smaller the vehicle the easier and more comfortable it will be to drive.
On the two occasions I have travelled Scotland in a Roadsurfer vehicle, I have rented a Couple Cottage.
It was incredibly spacious, slept two people, and was a reasonable size, meaning it wasn’t a hassle to drive and I could actually park it in normal sized space. It also came with the following
Cruise control, Reversing Camera, Bluetooth, and Apple and Android CarPlay
Kitchen area with a sink, two stove gas hobs, fridge, oven, and lots of storage
Wet room with hot water shower, sink and toilet
Air conditioning & off grid stationary heating (powered gas or electricity)
Two up front swivel seats
Spacious living/dining room area with two fixed seats and big table
Large fixed double bed (L 1,92 m x W 1,42 m)
Midge nets and black out blinds for all windows
Awning, camping chairs, table, and kitchen utility box.
230 v Power connection and supply-battery
Pick up in Edinburgh was incredibly easy, the depot is located close to the airport and is short bus ride from the city centre. They even have a help yourself selection of items (including food and kitchen equipment) which other users have left and you can take with you.
You can get a 10 % discount off your Roadsurfer booking if you use the code: KNIGHT10 (Valid until 31/12/2025)
I do not get any commission on this booking, I just genuinely rate and recommend their vans.
So there we have it, My hike guide to Schoolhouse Ridge, in the Scottish Highlands.
Did you find the blog useful? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.
If you did find the blog helpful, I’d appreciate you giving it a share or giving me a follow on social media, every bit of support goes a long way.
For more hiking inspiration check out my other guides below
Isle of Skye blogs
Glencoe Blogs
Alternatively check out my hiking related guides;
Find me on Instagram
