Beinn Eighe

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(Redirected from Spidean Coire nan Clach)

Beinn Eighe - Ruadh-stac Mor
Sgurr an Fhir Duibhe, one of the peaks of Beinn Eighe
Elevation	1010 m
Location	Torridon, Scotland
Prominence	c. 635 m
Parent peak	Liathach
Topo map	OS Landranger 19
OS grid reference	NG951611
Listing	Munro, Marilyn
Translation	Big Red Stack (Gaelic)
Pronunciation	[beɪn eɪ ruː stæk mɒr]

Name	Grid ref	Height	Status
Listed summits of Beinn Eighe
Spidean Coire nan Clach	NG966597	993 m (3,273 ft)	Munro, Marilyn

Beinn Eighe is one of the mountains of the Torridon area of the Highlands of Scotland. It forms a long ridge with many spurs and summits, two of which are classified as Munros. The name Beinn Eighe is pronounced /beɪn eɪ/, and comes from the Scottish Gaelic meaning File Mountain.

One of the most famous features of Beinn Eighe is the corrie of Coire Mhic Fearchair, often simply known as the “triple buttress corrie” in view of the three large rock features the dominate the view. There are many rock climbs to be had on the buttresses, though walking routes also allow one to ascend to their tops from the head of the corrie.

The full traverse of Beinn Eighe would rightly include a crossing of a series of pinnacles known as the Black Carls, which provide good scrambling. However the most common route is simply to cross the central section of the ridge, thus bagging the two Munros.

The Northern side of Beinn Eighe is a National Nature Reserve, and has marked trails and a visitor centre. The reserve covers a mixture of open moorland, woodland and bogs, and is home to many creatures, including red deer, golden eagles and pine martens. Many rare plants are also to be found on the reserve.

Geologically, Beinn Eighe is unusual amongst the Torridon mountains in that its summit is not composed of Precambrian Torridonian Sandstone, but Cambrian basal quartzite. This gives it its familiar light coloured summit, which is a notable contrast to the other peaks in the area.