Blà Bheinn, Mountain summit in Isle of Skye, Scotland
Blà Bheinn is a mountain on the Isle of Skye in the Scottish Highlands, rising to around 928 meters (3,045 ft) and made largely of dark gabbro rock with steep, exposed faces. It stands apart from the main Cuillin ridge, separated by Loch Slapin, which gives it a freestanding profile that is easy to pick out from a distance.
The first recorded ascent of Blà Bheinn was made in 1857 by an English geologist, making it one of the earlier documented Skye summits to be climbed. The name itself is much older and dates to a period when Norse settlers and Gaelic speakers both lived on the Hebridean islands.
The name Blà Bheinn combines Old Norse and Scottish Gaelic, a pairing that reflects the layered settlement history of Skye. Visitors who pay attention to place names across the island will notice this Norse-Gaelic mixing repeated again and again.
The most common starting point is a small parking area beside Loch Slapin, from which a trail leads up through Coire Uaigneich toward the summit. The ground gets rockier and more exposed the higher you go, so solid boots and some experience on rough terrain are worth having before you set out.
Blà Bheinn is the only Munro on Skye that sits completely outside the main Cuillin ridge, which means it offers one of the few open views of the entire ridge from a single point. This position makes it a popular spot for those who want to see the full shape of the Cuillin without being inside it.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
