Beinn Alligin
| Beinn Alligin | |
|---|---|
| Sgùrr Mhor | |
Beinn Alligin | |
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 986 m (3,235 ft) |
| Prominence | c. 601 m |
| Parent peak | Beinn Eighe |
| Listing | Munro, Marilyn |
| Naming | |
| Native name | Beinn Àilleagan (Scottish Gaelic) |
| English translation | Big Peak |
| Pronunciation | English: /ˌbeɪn ˈælɪɡɪn/ bayn AL-ig-in Scottish Gaelic: [peɲ ˈaːʎakən] |
| Geography | |
| OS grid | NG865613 |
| Topo map | OS Landranger 19, 24 |
| Name | Grid ref | Height | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sgùrr Mhòr | NG865686 | 986 m (3,235 ft) | Munro, Marilyn |
| Tom na Gruagaich | NG859601 | 922 m (3,025 ft) | Munro, Marilyn |
| Na Rathanan | NG873613 | 866 m (2,841 ft) | Corbett Top |
Beinn Alligin (Scottish Gaelic: Beinn Àilleagan) is one of the classic mountains of the Torridon region of Scotland, lying to the north of Loch Torridon, in the Highlands. The name Beinn Alligin is from the Scottish Gaelic, meaning Jewelled Hill. The mountain has two peaks of Munro status: Tom na Gruagaich (922 m or 3,025 ft) to the south, and Sgùrr Mhòr at 986 metres (3,235 ft) to the north.
One of the most prominent features of Beinn Alligin is a great cleft known as Eag Dhubh na h-Eigheachd (black gash of the wailing) or Leum na Caillich, which cuts into the ridge south of the summit. It is the scar of the most spectacular rockslide or rock avalanche in Britain, which runs out into the corrie of Toll a' Mhadaidh Mor. It occurred around 3750 years ago and is around 3.5 million cubic metres in volume. According to local folklore shepherds on the mountain would hear cries from the gash; those who investigated the source of these cries would inevitably fall to their deaths.
Beinn Alligin lies on the National Trust for Scotland's Torridon Estate, which has been owned by the charity since 1967, and forms part of both a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and a Special Area of Conservation (SAC).