Sgùrr a' Mhàim

Sgùrr a' Mhàim
Sgùrr a' Mhàim with its quartzite cap seen from the Devil’s Ridge
Highest point
Elevation	1,099 m (3,606 ft)
Prominence	316 m (1,037 ft)
Parent peak	Binnein Mòr
Listing	Munro, Marilyn
Coordinates	56°45′21″N 5°00′14″W / 56.7559°N 5.0038°W / 56.7559; -5.0038Coordinates: 56°45′21″N 5°00′14″W / 56.7559°N 5.0038°W / 56.7559; -5.0038
Naming
Translation	Peak of the large rounded hill (Gaelic)
Pronunciation	Scottish Gaelic: [ˈs̪kuːrˠ ə ˈvajm] English approx: skuer uh vime
Geography
Location	Highland, Scotland
Parent range	Mamores
OS grid	NN164667
Topo map	OS Landranger 41, OS Explorer 392

Sgùrr a' Mhàim, (pronounced sgur-a-vam), is a Scottish mountain situated five and a half kilometres north north-west of Kinlochleven in the Lochaber region of the Highland area.

With a height of 1099 metres (3605 feet) Sgùrr a' Mhàim is a Munro and the second highest peak in the Mamores. It is a distinctive mountain being well seen up Glen Nevis from Fort William with its capping of quartzite stones catching the eye and giving it a light grey appearance which can be mistaken for a covering of snow. Surprisingly its Gaelic name gives no mention of these distinctive white rocks, being translated as "Peak of the large rounded hill". When viewed from Glen Nevis it looks like a great breast although the name can also be translated as "Peak of the Pass"

Sgùrr a' Mhàim is probably best known as the first or last peak of the “Ring of Steall”, a popular ridge walk taking in the other Munros of An Gearanach, Stob Coire a' Chàirn and Am Bodach. It is linked to the main spine of the Mamore group on its southern side by its most striking feature, The Devil’s Ridge, which is a one kilometre undulating ridge with a few exposed sections which require care. The most difficult part is (an avoidable rock gap) known as "The Bad Step" with well-known Scottish hill walker Hamish Brown commenting,

The Devil's Ridge has its own peak at the midpoint called Stob Choire a' Mhàil (990 metres) and then carries on to link to Sgor an Iubhair (Peak of the Yew; sometimes spelt Sgùrr an Iubhair), a 1001 m peak that briefly gained Munro status in 1981 only to lose it again in 1997. When viewed from the ridge Sgor an Iubhair looks every inch a separate distinctive mountain (see picture below). Both the above peaks are listed as "tops" of Sgùrr a' Mhàim in the Munro Tables. Sgùrr a' Mhàim's northern side contrasts to its southern flank (where the Devil’s Ridge is). Caution is needed around the northern slopes as they drop steeply to Glen Nevis, here there are two fine corries which end abruptly in cliffs which fall steeply into the Nevis gorge.