When people think of Scottish winter climbing, Ben Nevis, Glencoe and the Cairngorms usually spring to mind first. But ask almost any serious Scottish winter climber where they dream of being when conditions are perfect and the answer is increasingly the same: Torridon and the North West Highlands.
This is Scotland’s third great winter arena – and for many, the finest of them all.
From legends like Andy Nisbet and Martin Moran to modern pioneers Dave MacLeod, Greg Boswell, Murdoch Jamieson and Piolet d’Or winner Tim Miller – the hardest and most dedicated Scottish winter climbers all return year after year to the towering sandstone and quartzite giants of Torridon, An Teallach, Beinn Eighe, Liathach and the Fisherfield wilderness.
… the best hard, mixed climbing is in Torridon.
The North West Highlands is simply the finest winter climbing arena in Scotland when it’s on — and it’s on more often than people think.
Books such as Cold Climbs, Chasing the Ephemeral and Scottish Winter Climbs repeatedly showcase the region as delivering the most dramatic, atmospheric and highest-quality winter routes in the country.
While the Central Belt honeypots can have queues on popular routes, in Torridon you’ll frequently have entire corries and even whole mountains to yourself – even on a perfect weekend. No waiting at the bottom of routes. No worrying about stonefall or crowding. Just you, your partner, and some of the most spectacular winter scenery on earth.
For many, it’s so easy to fall back on the convenient honey pots… This marked the beginning of an unshakable enthusiasm [I have] for the North West Highlands.
If there is one mountain that encapsulates the drama of the North West, it is An Teallach (The Forge). Often cited as Britain’s finest mountain, it transforms in winter into an alpinist’s dream.
While the summer traverse is a classic scramble, the winter traverse is a full-value mountaineering expedition. The jagged skyline of the Corrag Bhuidhe pinnacles, plastered in rime ice and silhouetted against the Atlantic ocean, provides a setting that feels more like the Alps or the ranges of Norway than the UK.
Whether it’s the exposure of Lord Berkeley’s Seat or the technical intricacies of the main ridge, a winter day on An Teallach is widely considered one of the most coveted prizes in Scottish mountaineering. It is a “must-do” that justifies the trip north all on its own.
Torridon and the North West Highlands aren’t just for elite climbers. The area genuinely offers world-class climbing and mountaineering from beginner winter days right up to the hardest modern test-pieces in Scotland.
| Grade | Type of Route | Classic Examples |
|---|---|---|
| 0–I | Winter skills & easy ridges | Beinn Damh, Beinn Alligin Horns, Meall a’ Ghiubhais |
| II–III | Atmospheric ridges & mountain days | An Teallach traverse, Liathach Northern Pinnacles |
| III–IV | Sustained Scottish mixed classics | George IV,4 Gully (Liathach) · East Buttress (Beinn Eighe) IV,5 |
| V–VII | Serious historic test-pieces | Poachers Fall V,5 · Salmon Leap VI,6 |
| VII–XI | Cutting-edge modern mixed | Sundance VIII,8 · Blood, Sweat and Frozen Tears VIII,8 · Wailing Wall IX,9 |
The combination of steep Torridon sandstone walls capped with bullet-hard quartzite creates turf, ice and mixed lines found nowhere else in the UK. Add rapid condition formation after Atlantic snowfalls on a north-westerly airflow and you have an area that often comes into great condition.
Conditions change rapidly everywhere in the Highlands. Routes that have little snow one day can be in perfect condition the next. Nowhere is this more true than in the North West Highlands where the variety of climates, from coastal hills to high arctic plateaus, give a great range of options. This range of options means the right route can be selected whatever the conditions.
Check the dedicated MWIS Northwest Highlands and SAIS Torridon forecasts daily. The micro-climate differences between coastal and inland hills here are huge. If you’re into modern technology as well then check out winter climbing forecasts – this uses AI to predict which routes are in condition.
Unlike many Scottish areas where almost everything has been climbed, the North West still sees significant new routes at the very highest standards every single winter. If you love adventure and the unknown, this is one of the last true frontiers of British winter climbing.
Whether you want your first taste of Scottish winter on a Grade I ridge, a guided ascent of Poachers Fall, or to push yourself on the latest cutting-edge test-piece, Torridon and the North West Highlands has it all – usually in complete solitude.
Winter 2025/26 dates are already filling fast.
Stop queuing on the Ben this winter. Come and find out why the pros keep coming back to Torridon.
Thank you for reading,
Ollie
Winter Mountaineering and Climbing Instructor (WMCI) and Lead Guide @ Climb Torridon