The name of a mountainous area in northwest Scotland, lying between Lochs Maree and Torridon. One of Scotland's finest scenic areas and an excellent centre for climbing, it contains the nine peaks of Ben Eighe which rise to over 1000m (3300 feet), the seven peaks of the Liathach ridge and, to the west, Ben Alligin (985m / 3232 feet). White quartzite (600 million years old) caps the peaks of some of these Bens, overlying Torridonian sandstone some 150 million years older. Geologists have identified a 'fossilised' land-surface between these two rock units.
Much of the area is included within the Torridon Estate, 5708 ha (14,100 acres) of which were passed to the National Trust for Scotland in May 1967 via the National Land Fund, the Inland Revenue having accepted the estate in lieu of estate duty following the death of the 4th Earl of Lovelace.
In 1968, the Trust received a further 809 ha (2000 acres) at Wester Alligin, as a gift in memory of Sir Charles and Lady Blair Gordon.
A National Trust for Scotland Countryside Centre, with an audio-visual presentation on wildlife, is situated at the junction of the A896 and the Diabaig road. There is also a Deer Park and Deer Museum nearby.
