A striking, remote hill in Assynt that asks for a long day out rather than any real climbing skill
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Suilven doesn’t look like it belongs with its neighbours. Most Scottish hills sit in ranges, shoulder to shoulder; this one stands almost alone above the moor, a long sandstone ridge with two distinct tops, Assynt’s answer to a landmark you can spot from a very long way off. At 731 metres it isn’t the tallest hill in the area, that honour going to nearby Canisp, but the shape is what people come for, and it’s the sort of summit that photographs well from practically any direction.
Be honest with anyone planning a trip here about the approach: there’s no quick way in. The paths from Lochinver or Elphin cross a good stretch of open moorland before the hill itself is even reached, so this is a full day out rather than an afternoon add-on, and it’s worth starting early and telling someone the plan. The reward for that walk-in is the sense of having the place properly to yourself — traffic on Suilven is a fraction of what busier hills see.
The final pull to the ridge has some steeper, rockier ground, and while it doesn’t call for ropes, sure footing and a head for a bit of exposure make the day easier. Plenty of families and less experienced hillwalkers do get up it, just not as a first outing — it suits people who’ve already got a few decent hill days under their belt and fancy something a bit further from the road.
Good boots, food and water for a long day, and a proper look at the forecast beforehand all count for more here than on a hill with a shorter walk-in, simply because turning back partway through costs time too. On a clear day, though, this is one of the best views Assynt has to offer.
More at hill-bagging.co.uk
