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Name:Ben Loyal - An Caisteal
Hill number:1132
Height:764.2m / 2507ft
RHB Section:16B: Durness to Loch Shin
County/UA:Highland
Catchment:Borgie, Catchment Boundaries, Tongue
Class:Marilyn, Hump, Simm, Corbett, Yeaman
(Ma,Hu,Tu,Sim,C,Y,P600,P500)
Grid ref:NC 57812 48848
Summit feature:rock slab 7m E of trig point
Drop:609m
Col:155m  NC518443  
OS map sheet(s):(1:50k) 10
(1:25k) 447S
Observations:rock 30m E at NC 57805 48830 is lower
Survey:Leica Disto D510/Leica RX1250
Comments:Col not surveyed - would need to be 154.6m or lower to retain P2000ft status
Change log:show changes for this hill entry
GPS data:show GPS entries for this hill

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N.B. Some hill summits are on private property or on land where there is no public right of way.  Permission should be sought from the landowner where access to a hill summit is through private land(*).
*For information about access rights in Scotland see the ScotWays website.
Please report via the contact page any logs you see below which describe or encourage acts of trespass.  Please quote the hill number and hill name.

Logged Descriptions  (logged by 392 users, only the latest 50 shown - Show all)ByDate of Ascent
2 of 5: From Sgor Chaonasaid. My final Corbett. Weather better than the forecast: which was ok. Good views. With Sam and Tim.ChrisR23/09/2023
From north - (abandoned farm) south of Ribigill - NC 5828 5386, about half mile south of CP. Track not bike-able - waterlogged, soon becoming path, which is very boggy and intermittent to summit. At NC 5808 5157 - wide, shallow ford (path leads to ford, yet FB shown on map to NE - not seen but then was not looking for it). Top easily accessed from NC 5778 4886 (west side) over easy angled slabs.carole engel07/09/2023
Left path at 583494 for Sgor Chaonasaid. After An Caisteal, went N side of Creag Riabhach & to Ben Hiel.duchally08/06/2023
By the usual route from the north, parked at Ribigil. Bogs not too bad compared to some descriptions, and wended our own steep way up from the Bealach Clas Nan Ceap. Found a bit of the undercarriage of the wrecked WW2 plane being reclaimed by bog high up. Views great to the west and nor5, but dull and flat to the east. Returned by outwards route, 15.5km 4h30Rockdoctor21/05/2023
Path all the way from car park. Interesting summit.jef14/05/2023
From Lettermore ruin. ATV track round the bog at the start, splits around 320m, took right fork up hill to small lochan around 590490. Deer track west over wee summit to north side of Loch na Riabhaich, then usual route. Track wet but at least firm unlike surrounding terrain - worth the slightly longer route.iangalbraith12/11/2022
Ben Loyal from Ribigil with John. Dry on the walk-in but after a week of wild weather, the ford across the Allt Lon Malmsgaig was not really doable. We walked quite a bit upstream to find a section when we were able to get across with minimal water-in-boots. Ascent up was boggy and wet, and above 600m was in the clag. We decided just to get the corbett summit done and skip the further top, so we could get back down and back across the river as quickly as possible (not very quickly on this terrain). Total time was 5h 22min (including time spent finding river crossings) - one of my least favourite hill days so far this year.mproudfoot28/09/2022
With J during a week in Sutherland on a bright day. Usual route from Ribigill where there is plenty of space to park. Ground dry-ish. Followed path towards Sgor Chaonasaid & then flogged up the steep grassy slope next to it. Wandered to An Caisteal, back to bealach & dropped NE to join path not marked on map leading back to Ribigill.NotReallyABagger15/05/2022
Solo. Cycled from Ribigill to Cunside. Steep ascent to Sgor Chaonasaid on foot up NE flank. Descent to SE and up An Caisteal. Descent direct to Cunside in high wind.John Lee06/09/2021
4 peaks climbedAjm031018/07/2021
Parked at Ribigill for a 7h30 circuit of the Ben Loyal tops: Creag Riabhach, Sgor Chaonasaid, Ben Loyal, Beinn Bheag, Carn an Tionail, Sgor a' Chleirich, Sgor Fhionnaich.PGCE05/05/2021
Butty time in the sunshine, soaking up the fine views. Great mountain. Stayed up here for an hour until more folk arrived. Company: Soloiandesbottes27/09/2020
CK SheilaS18/09/2020
Standard route from Ribigill and along the ridge as far as Beinn Bheagdavidpettit8420/08/2020
Woke up in cloud but decided to go for it - a great choice, a brilliant temperature inversion, bright sun on ridge with a sea of cloud below, just one or two tops poking through from Morven to the east and to Ben Hope and beyond to the west. From Ribigill, missed the correct line in the cloud and had to double back on the ridge to Sgorr Chaonasaid in the sun. Then great walking along the ridge in the sun over An Caisteal to bein Bheag and out west to the 662m top and Carn an Tionail. Missed the line down through the trees and it finished uo a bit of a hack until clear of them for the walk back.dickscroop13/08/2020
Thick cloud on the ridge, had to use the compass - not my cup of tea! Eventually it cleared so I got Sgor Chaonasaid and this one done.David Bremner17/07/2020
From Sgor Chaonasaid, hiking south over Sgor a'Bhatain to the summit. Return by outward route back to Ribigill, after steep descent to Bealach Clais nan Ceap. With KM, NP and JK.Man of Kernow121/10/2019
Tricky final ascent in the wind, strong and blustery. From Ribigall with NO, JK and MTkenmorti21/10/2019
With K, J and M. Rough and muddy going, very strong cold winds, gale force on steep, slab by summitst (sit mat blew away on summit). Dry, with good views, ample parking, before Ribigill. 8 hrs all told. Out and back to summit, given light and wind but ridge circuit v tempting.niallp21/10/2019
tickchazzyboy1907/07/2019
From parking area on track near Ribigill, then followed track and paths S, continuing up to Loch na Creige Riabhaich and on to summit. With JAS, MvT and RvT.kdbennett21/06/2019
With Sue from Ribgill cycled part way then via Sgor Choansaid, Sgor Bhatan to summit An Caisteal. Return same way, weather cold and wet.Frank05/06/2019
Family members who got to the top: Conrad, Gregor, Garry and Dylan. Remainder got to first peak: Jessie, Adele, Katie G, Nick and Joseph.batrigg28/05/2019
Climbed with Tim. My favourite mountain. Easter Monday. Glorious views.Skerryvore22/04/2019
From Ben Hiel. Steeply down to the bealach, then steeply up to the north Creag Riabhach, picking up a path.Owen B21/04/2019
From Ribigill.Alan29/08/2018
Heathergarbo110320/07/2018
Clockwise round of three marilyns from Lettermore. Castle looked impregnable from the south but is easily accessible from the north west.Topographer5718/07/2018
Ben Loyal walkjustin99917/06/2018
Ben Loyal and top from Car park at end of lane to Ribigill, good tracks and paths most the way.rhalstead17/06/2018
MMC Tongue trip with Noelle Ryan and Jon Moss. followed Donald Irvine's advice about the round to take in two Marilyns. Long mostly dry day in low cloud on Ben Loyal but some views from Marilyns. 8 hours.alexmaclennan21/10/2017
Great. Came up via Ben Hiel.Play2End20/06/2017
Solo neil hutton18/05/2017
Weather fair with moderate wind.MountainMac29/04/2017
Ben Loyal from Ribigill. Sgor Chaonasaid, Ben Loyal, Beinn Bheag, descent NE to take in Creag Riabhach on return. Started bright, excellent views over the tops, weather deteriorated only on the descent.RobertP06/07/2016
With Steve, Rod, JohnOik08/06/2016
From Lettermore following land rover tyracks then cross country to lochan below summit. Then grass slopes and wide ridge to simple ascent on west side. Down by Creag Riabhach which afforded excellent views of the summit. Picked up land rover track on descent which made for easier going.SS08/06/2016
An excellent views all round, assented up the Tourist routeNozzer15/03/2015
Tim and KieraLoz_mck15/03/2015
Veryhappybunny06/06/2014
A revisit to a grand top and with a clear view all round.Martin R27/05/2014
start of a 8 day corbett bagging trip, up from ribigill, 60 mph winds on top.robertphillips04/07/2013
selfdavidsbatty16/08/2012
With Mark. Staying at Laxford Bridge.Grinner06/06/2012
The summit of Ben Loyal, an awesome chunk of rock. We took the less used route up from Loch Loyal (easy parking) east of the mountain so as to take in Ben Hiel first. Picking up the track from Bealach Clais nan Ceap at NC586499 was useful. We headed for Sgor Chaonasaid first, then here. After which we did most of the other peaks on the mountain before heading back to the car via a vast open boggy plain where we saw a herd of some 100-120 red deer - great sight.jonglew23/05/2012
Solo tripInvicta1407/05/2012
Trig revisit. Windy drizzly day but still a great summit. From NW, taking in the southwestern tops this time. Then a late pm visit to its neighbour Hope.RHW28/05/2011
From Ribigil via Cunside. Up to col pt. NC590496, took in Ben Hiel then up to first Loyaltop, and onto summit.nordicstar01/05/2011
From Cunside over very sodden ground. When I arrived at the summit rocks I looked down the other side only to be met by the stare of two golden eagles on a ledge 10 foot below. They didnt hang about and soared off into the distance, but an unforgettable experience.mindlessflogger18/08/2010
with Jamievegibagger08/08/2010