ABOUT SCOTTISH ROCK If you have an ambition to do all the climbs in these two THE BEST MOUNTAIN, CRAG, SEA CLIFF & SPORT CLIMBING IN SCOTLAND Scottish Rock guides I think you’d better schedule time off in your next life. This labour of Gary’s has been of gargantuan proportions. Somewhere along the way he encountered a time warp and an initial target of 1,000 climbs over a period of two years stretched to 4,500 in over a decade. Those of you who use the guides will benefit by this dedication and the sheer choice offered; if you divide the retail price of these by the number of good routes you’ll realise you’ve got a bargain. Volume 1 covers a proliferation of Scottish crags up to the natural demarcation of the Great Glen. They are easier of access than most in Volume 2 and present infinite variety. Inevitably, with the march of time, progress and technique the freeing of many aid routes has come to pass and also the somewhat tedious task of cleaning on abseil has resulted in some way-out excursions being revealed. Creag an Dubh-loch is a typical example. I have been a long-time advocate of selected climbs and the use of photographs to illustrate both climbs and action. I’m glad that this principle has been used throughout these two volumes. It gives you a push to get up and do things. Obviously Gary has had considerable time to think about layout, area intros, etc; this has been achieved with commendable clarity and lack of waffle. The Outer Hebrides receives due attention, such as the idyllic rock playground of the Barra isles; summer sun, surf and VOLUME 2 NORTH delectable Lewisian gneiss. Just a wee way north, in North Harris, some of the intimidating routes at Sron Ulladale have, 2ND EDITION like Prometheus of legend, been freed of rock attachments. 12 ISLE OF SKYE Further north, beyond the magic of Skye, in the Northern Isles 13 APPLECROSS even more crags are revealed such as Berry Head and St 14 TORRIDON John’s Head. Here at this latitude in the simmer dim you can 15 GAIRLOCH really rock around the clock! The list seems endless and if you 16 COIGACH & ASSYNT succeed in doing half of them you’ll be a much better climber 17 SUTHERLAND and know a lot more about Scotland – have a good decade! 18 CAITHNESS HAMISH MACINNES 19 LEWIS & HARRIS 20 PABBAY & MINGULAY 21 ORKNEY UIAA PARTICIPATION STATEMENT “Climbing and mountaineering are activities with a danger of personal injury or death. Participants in these activities Gary Latter should be aware of and accept these risks and be responsible for their own actions and involvement.” Lerwick OVERVIEW MAP Stromness INTERNATIONAL Kirkwall GRADE COMPARISON CHART VOLUME 1 SOUTH 21 01 IsLE OF ARRAN Scrabster Kinlochbervie 02 THE ARROCHAR ALPS 17 Wick 03 IsLE OF MULL RALIAN * Stornoway 18 T Lochinver 04 GLEN COE & GLEN ETIVE MERICAN US IAA UK ADJECTIVE UK TECHNICAL FRENCH A A U 05 ARDGOUR Tarbert 19 16 Ullapool 06 ARDNAMURCHAN Easy 07 GLEN NEVIS Moderate F1 5.1 4 I 15 Difficult F2 5.2 6 II Uig GREAT GLEN FAULT 08 BEN NEVIS 14 09 CENTRAL HIGHLANDS Very F2+ 5.3 III 13 8 12 11 INVERNESS 10 CAIRNGORMS Difficult F3− 5.4 III+ ABERDEEN IV Aviemore 11 EASTER ROSS Severe 4a F3 5.5 10 10 IV+ Newtonmore HS 4b F3+ 5.6 12 08 Ballater Castlebay Mallaig V− 07 Braemar HIGHLAND VOLUME 2 NORTH 20 BOUNDARY Fort William VS 4c F4 5.7 14 V 06 05 09 FAULT 12 ISLE OF SKYE 5.8 V+ 13 APPLECROSS 16 04 Aberfeldy HVS 5a F5 5.9 VI− Craignure Crianlarich 14 TORRIDON F5+ 5.10a 18 VI Oban Callander DUNDEE 03 Perth 15 GAIRLOCH Arrochar E1 5b F6a 16 COIGACH & ASSYNT Stirling E2 5c F6a+ 5.10b VI+ 02 Rosyth 17 SUTHERLAND 19 5.10c VII− 18 CAITHNESS 20 19 LEWIS & HARRIS EDINBURGH F6b 5.10d VII 01 Ardrossan GLASGOW E3 F6b+ 5.11a 21 20 PABBAY & MINGULAY Brodick VII+ Prestwick 21 ORKNEY F6c 5.11b 22 0 50km VIII− E4 6a F6c+ 5.11c 0 30 miles 23 BENCHMARK GRADES F7a 5.11d VIII E5 24 Below is a table of ‘benchmark routes’ typifying the F7a+ 5.12a VIII+ classic route of any particular grade, with routes 6b F7b 5.12b 25 considered mild, standard and hard within that grade. IX− E6 F7b+ 5.12c 26 F7c 5.12d 27 IX MILD STANDARD HARD MILD STANDARD HARD M Curved Ridge Collie’s Route Afterthought Arête E2 The Pillar Steeple Shibboleth & True Finish F7c+ 5.13a 28 IX+ A’Chir Ridge Dubhs Ridge Pygmy Ridge Torro Club Crack The Bat E7 6c F8a 5.13b 29 Broad Buttress East Ridge, In Pin Castle Ridge Geriatrics Plague of Blazes Swastika X− F8a+ 5.13c 30 D Tower Ridge The Gutter The Great Ridge E3 Cougar Temple of Doom Quality Street X North Buttress Final Selection Quiver Rib Ruff Licks Delayed Attack Dream Ticket E8 F8b 5.13d 31 Clach Glas-Bla Bheinn Crackattack Titan’s Wall Edgehog X+ F8b+ 5.14a 32 VD North-East Buttress Agag’s Groove Cioch Nose E4 Freak-Out Osiris Cupid’s Bow 7a Observatory Ridge Squareface Savage Slit Rat Race Mother’s Pride The Banana Groove E9 F8c 5.14b 33 XI− Tystie Slab Sou’wester Slabs Arrow Route The Fuhrer Sugar Cane Country Voyage of the Beagle E10 F8c+ 5.14c 34 S Great Ridge Direct Start January Jigsaw Integrity E5 Lady Charlotte Thor Cosmopolitan XI 7b Cioch West Archer Ridge Direct Eagle Ridge Rest and be Thankful Ling Dynasty Slartibartfast F9a 5.14d 35 North Face Route Punster's Crack Ardverikie Wall The Risk Business The Raven Agrippa XI+ F9a+ 5.15a 36 VS Butterknife Spartan Slab Whither Wether E6 Edge of Extinction Cannibal Wild Country The Clean Sweep The Long Climb Djibangi The Improbability Drive The Bonxie Kelpie * Union Internationale des Associations d'Alpinisme Rainmaker South Ridge Direct The Chasm Flodden Major-domo The Screaming Abdabs HVS Route Two The Magic Crack The Bullroar E7 Buddha Romantic Reality The Realm of the Senses The Snake Bludger’s Revelation Centurion The Scoop Aphrodite Longhope Route The UK trad grading system gives an adjective and a technical Vulcan Wall Storm A Likely Story Dalriada Arcadia Fascist Groove Thang grade. The adjectival grade gives an idea of the overall E1 Minus One Direct The Big Top Yo-Yo difficulty, a measure of how sustained the climbing and of how Dragon Unicorn The Needle Trophy Crack Grey Panther King Cobra well protected it is. The technical grade is the difficulty of the hardest move or short section on the climb. VOLUME 2 NORTH 2ND EDITION Second Edition 2014 First published in Great Britain 2009 by Pesda Press Tan y Coed Canol, Ceunant, Caernarfon, Gwynedd LL55 4RN Wales Copyright © 2009/2014 Gary Latter ISBN 978-1-906095-46-8 The Author asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the Publisher. Maps by Bute Cartographics. Printed and bound in Poland, www.lfbookservices.co.uk Gary Latter 2 CONTENTS CONTENTS INTRODUCTION 4 Tower Gully Buttress 73 STONE VALLEY CRAGS 135 The Side Wall 186 The Green Lady 73 Atlantic Wall 135 Triangular Slab 187 Poverty Point 74 Rum Doodle Crag 136 Inverianvie Crag 187 ISLE OF SKYE 10 Destitution Point 76 Viking Crag 136 Dog Crag 188 BLA BHEINN 18 An t-Aigeach 78 Red Wall Crag 137 Riverside Slabs 190 The Great Prow 18 Bay 1 79 Stone Valley Crag 138 The Apron 190 CLACH GLAS 20 Bay 2 79 Playtime Walls 140 Lochan Dubh Crag 191 CORUISK 21 Bay 3 80 Flowerdale Wall 140 GRUINARD RIVER CRAGS 193 Mad Burn Buttress 21 Bay 4 82 The Left Dome 141 Goat Crag 194 Coruisk Hut Crag 22 Cumhann Geodha 82 RAVEN’S CRAG 142 Am Fasgadh 195 Conductor Cove 83 Sgurr Dubh Mor 22 AZTEC TOWER 144 CARN GORAIG 197 Coir’-Uisg Buttress 23 Lighthouse Wall 84 Foghorn Cove 84 GRASS CRAG 145 JETTY BUTTRESS 200 STRATHAIRD 24 Eastern Crags The Fin 85 LOCH TOLLAIDH CRAGS 146 MUNGASDALE CRAG 204 Schoolhouse Buttress 24 Raven’s Nest 147 Suidhe Biorach 24 APPLECROSS 86 The Ewe Walls 148 COIGACH & SGURR NAN GILLEAN 27 Gairloch Wall 149 SGURR A’ CHAORACHAIN 88 ASSYNT 206 AM BASTEIR 28 The Curra Wall 150 A’ Chioch 88 Dinosaur Wall 151 ARDMAIR CRAGS 212 SGURR DEARG 29 South Face 91 Fraggle Rock 151 Fish Farm Walls 212 The Inaccessible Pinnacle 29 Summit Buttress 93 Inlet Wall 153 Laggavoulin Buttress 213 SRON NA CICHE 31 The Recessed Wall 153 Monster Buttress 213 Western Buttress 32 TORRIDON 94 Siren Slab 154 Dancing Buttress 214 Cioch Buttress 33 BEINN EIGHE 98 The Cloiche Wall 154 Beast Buttress 215 Cioch & Cioch Slab 35 Coire Mhic Fhearchair 98 Feoir Buttress 154 Edinburgh Rock 216 Cioch Upper Buttress 38 Far East Wall 99 Hidden Crag 155 Airs Rock 217 Eastern Buttress 40 Big Roof Buttress 217 The Eastern Ramparts 103 CREAG MHOR SGURR SGUMAIN 44 The Triple Buttresses 104 THOLLAIDH 156 SGURR AN FHIDLEIR 221 COIR’ A’ GHRUNNDA 46 SEANA MHEALLAN 107 Creag nan Luch 156 STAC POLLAIDH 222 SGURR MHIC CHOINNICH 49 Glac Dhorc 107 Lower Tollie Crag 158 West Buttress 222 Coireachan Ruadha Face 49 Western Sector 110 Upper Tollie Crag 162 Upper No.