Europe’s hiking list is often dominated by polished paths and crowded lookouts. However, Mullach Coire Mhic Fhearchair in Wester Ross, Scotland, offers something rarer. From the journey to the end, the hike to Mullach Coire Mhic Fhearchair truly is the most beautiful in Europe.
Europe is undoubtedly one of the most scenic and beautiful continents in the world, and it has the world’s best footpath network for walking through its beauty. As such, picking one and crowning it as the most beautiful hike in Europe is no easy task. However, National Geographic recently put Mullach Coire Mhic Fhearchair on top of a list of the most beautiful hikes in Europe, and rightly so.
The silence. The weather. The strange sense that you have wandered somewhere untouched. That’s exactly the feeling you get once you hike through Mullach Coire Mhic Fhearchair in the Scottish Highlands. Away from castles, whiskey bars and postcard villages, this hike showcases the raw beauty of Scotland. From location and setting to backdrop and the incredible view at the end, here’s why it should be on your travel plans this year.
An untouched landscape
Tucked away in Wester Ross, Mullach Coire Mhic Fhearchair has long been loved by hikers, travellers and photographers alike. For starters, there’s something different about the Highlands in this part of Scotland. Unlike other popular, overcrowded hikes, the roads here grow quieter, the mountains rougher, and the scenery starts to feel almost prehistoric.
Nestled within Beinn Eighe National Nature Reserve, walking takes place surrounded by ancient pine forests, rocky slopes, and wide-open wilderness. The Torridon Hills, which frame this landscape, are some of the most rugged and mountainous anywhere in the British Isles.
With no crowded cafes and cable cars cutting through the landscape, this place still feels wild. Just long stretches of trail, the sound of wind, water and birds and the shifting weather, this untouched feeling is a huge part of Mullach Coire Mhic Fhearchair hike’s appeal. It gives travellers a chance to experience Scotland’s true beauty.
The view at the end
Like every other hike in the world, the real reward here comes at the end. Having said that, the journey is not to be underestimated.
After hours of walking through rugged Highland terrain, the trail opens into a dramatic corrie with a dark loch sitting beneath the towering Triple Buttresses of Beinn Eighe. One look at it and you might think it’s not real.
The breathtaking view is framed by cliffs often wrapped in mist or clouds rising above the black water, and the loch reflecting the mountains like black glass. If you’re lucky, you may get to witness the view in other colours too. On some days, the light changes every few minutes and the entire landscape turns silver, blue or deep grey.
This is exactly why it is titled as the most beautiful hike in Europe – the scenery feels enormous and cinematic, unlike anywhere else, and reaching there doesn’t require any technical climbing skills.
Are you planning a trip to Scotland? These articles will help you organise your journey and explore the country:
- In Scotland, this unique castle is the smallest in Europe–and the country’s most unusual coastal landmark
- In Scotland, Queen Elizabeth II’s private apartments open to the public for the very first time
- In Scotland, this scenic hike takes you through the Balmoral Estate – you will pass by a cairn built by Queen Victoria herself
