Go through a gate and follow the short private road below the house, parallel to the River Kirkaig. The landowner is very partial to signs about fishing and general conduct - you'll see a lot of them in the next few kilometres (it's all a bit OTT). Continue up-river on a well-made footpath through lovely birch woods. As the trees thin out the path passes through gorse, now some way above the river gorge, then more open ground. The Inverpolly peaks, Stac Pollaidh and Culs Mor and Beag, poke teasingly over the horizon, but as yet Suilven can't be seen. Beyond a boggy patch is a cluster of signposts marking the turn-off for the Falls of Kirkaig. This is a detour well worth making, a steep descent with some light scrambling (the nagging signposts are right: keep a close hold of dogs and children).[]

Back above the gorge continue up-glen for a further 1km or so, with Suilven soon looming into view ahead. Before reaching the outflow from Fionn Loch, near a section of rapids, look out for a large cairn marking a turnoff. Go left here, crossing boggy moorland, then continuing north-northeast above the shore of Fionn Loch, to reach stepping stones at its west end.

Still clear to follow, the path now takes a wiggly roundabout route through the knolls to the north of Fionn Loch. In a broad, boggy hollow, cross an old stone footbridge, then trend south to climb to a small col at Creag a' Choire Mhoir - on the ascent the driest line is just to the right of the path marked on the map. At the col a cairn marks a junction.[]

Turning left, follow a narrow path up the steep, rocky hillside, soon bearing right across the slope to reach the knobbly ground above. Here the path tends to fade in and out, but the ground is not too testing and with Suilven rearing ever-larger ahead, the general direction is obvious; you're aiming for a point mid-way below its south flank. Pass the huge western prow of the mountain, then cross a vague hollow below the dark southern crags of Caisteal Liath to join a more well-trodden path.

At first to the right of a prominent boulder rake, and then taking a rising diagonal line rightwards, this trail climbs very steeply towards the Bealach Mor, the central col on Suilven's otherwise-impregnable summit ridge. As eroded ascents go it's not as bad as it looks, except one nasty washout near the top.

From this central point the done thing is to climb the west top and the east top as out-and-backs. Confident scramblers might conclude with a west-to-east traverse off the hill via the sharp little summit of Meall Beag, though this adds considerable distance. Less confident scramblers would be advised to climb just Caisteal Liath, the higher western summit, with some exposure and just a little light scrambling. For this, turn left and follow the ridge. Pass through a gap in an incongruous drystone wall, climb over a grassy fore-summit, cross a narrow neck, and continue up to the domed top. It's worth walking a bit further west from the cairn to get the full edge-of-the-world effect of the seaward view.

For the classic traverse, first return to the Bealach Mor, before continuing east. Follow the crest onto an unnamed summit (691m); it's airy in places, with occasional light scrambling. Descend into a narrow gap and continue steeply towards the forbidding-looking peak of Meall Meadhonach. Towards the top the route is barred by a steep rock step. This is climbed direct up a series of ledges and little walls, quite tricky, very exposed, and with some suspect hollow blocks. []

If returning to the Bealach Mor (customary) rather than continuing east, the crux step now has to be descended. For teams of mixed ability a belay or abseil might not be out of the question here. Reverse the ridge to the central col (it's just as good second time around), then simply retrace your steps all the way to Inverkirkaig.