Five Sisters of Kintail

The Five Sisters of Kintail

High above Loch Duich, the Five Sisters of Kintail stand in a proud line, their jagged summits etched against the western sky. This iconic ridge is not only a climber’s dream but also the setting for one of the Highlands’ most enduring legends.

 The Legend
Long ago, seven sisters lived in Kintail. Two were taken as brides by Irish princes, who promised to return with their brothers for the remaining five. The promise was never fulfilled. To preserve their beauty while they waited, a druid transformed them into mountains — guardians of the glen, eternal and unyielding. Thus the Five Sisters of Kintail were born, their peaks watching over the Highlands in timeless vigil.

The Peaks
The ridge includes three Munros and two Munro Tops, each carrying a Gaelic name that echoes both land and lore:

Sgùrr na Ciste Duibhe  — “Peak of the Black Chest.” Dark and brooding, its shadowed corries feel like hidden chambers, keeping the sisters’ secret pact alive in stone.

Sgùrr na Càrnach  — “Peak of the Stony Place.” Rugged and strewn with rock, it embodies resilience — a reminder of Highland hardships and strength forged in the land itself.

Sgùrr Fhuaran  — “Peak of the Springs.” The highest of the sisters, rising gracefully above the ridge. Its name recalls flowing waters, symbolising renewal and purity.

Sgùrr nan Saighead  — “Peak of the Arrows.” A sharp, striking top, said to pierce the sky like the sisters’ unbroken resolve.

Sgùrr na Moraich  — “Peak of the Large Rounded Hill.” The westernmost sister, gentler in form, marking the end of the proud line above Loch Duich.

 History in the Glen
The Battle of Glenshiel, fought on 10 June 1719, unfolded across this very glen. Much of the action took place on the slopes of Sgurr na Ciste Duibhe and along the ridge beside it. Nearby Sgurr nan Spainteach—the Peak of the Spaniards—recalls the 300 Spanish marines who helped the Jacobite force and built the stone breastworks that still cling to the hillside today. Highland clans held these heights against the advancing government troops until the battle’s defeat brought the brief Jacobite rising of 1719 to an end. Yet the land remembers: Gaelic names like Bealach Dheirg, the “Red Pass,” preserve echoes of struggle, turning the Northern Ridge into a living monument where stone, story, and history intertwine.

 Folklore Note
The Five Sisters legend is one of Scotland’s most famous mountain tales, blending myth with geography. The Gaelic names preserve fragments of cultural memory — the black chest, the stony place, the springs, the arrows, the rounded hill — each summit a chapter in the sisters’ eternal vigil.

To climb them is to step into a story where landscape, legend, and history are inseparable, where the sisters still watch over the Highlands, eternal in their beauty.

Route details with map, 3D model and GPX download of the route to the summit of these mountains in Scotland.

Munro – Sgùrr na Ciste Duibhe – Altitude: 1027 metres

Munro – Sgùrr na Càrnach – Altitude: 1002 metres

Munro – Sgùrr Fhuaran – Altitude: 1067 metres

Route Length: 8.2 miles    Total Ascent: 4100 ft    Surface: Grass/Rocky/Paths/Pathless

Difficulty: Hard. Some Scrambling involved, see virtual tour below for details.
Average Walking Time: 6:30 h

Route starts at Glen Shiel Car Park.
Google maps directions to the route start can be found HERE