The Five Sisters from Mam Ratagan

The Five Sisters of Kintail is an unbroken ridge of mountains north-west of Glen Shiel and overlooking Loch Duich and the villages of Morvich and Ratagan. The view of the Five Sisters is one of the most iconic images of the Scottish Highlands, the mountains dominating the skyline when seen from the south shore of Loch Duich near the village of Ratagan.

The view is especially impressive during the months of winter or early spring when the summits and westerly facing slopes of the mountains are covered in snow. If that is not enough to satisfy the appetite of the keenest photographer then an equally, if not even more impressive view can be obtained from the Mam Ratagan, the highest point on the road to Glenelg and Arnisdale. From this point an even wider vista opens up to include the neighbouring peak of Beinn Fhada separated from the Five Sisters from the beautiful Gleann Lichd which stretches deep into this great mountain wilderness towards Glen Affric.

The five distinctly pointed summits, Sgurr na Ciste Duibhe, Sgurr na Carnach, the highest Sgurr Fhuaran 1,067 metres (3,501 ft), Sgurr nan Saighead and Sgurr na Moraich are a well-known landmark and a popular hillwalking expedition. Three of the Five Sisters, which are all over 3,000 feet, are classified as full Munros, with the other two being subsidiary Munro tops. The ridge is usually traversed from east to west with views extending as far as Skye, Ben Nevis, Torridon and Knoydart.