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Buachaille Etive Beag

Buachaille Etive Beag from A82 above Glencoe

Start/Finish

New car park on A82 above “The Study” at the top of Glencoe opposite the old bridge and the round stone cairn.

Distance/Time

10 km Approx 6 hours

Peaks

Stob Coire Raineach, 925 m, NN 191 548.

Stob Dubh/ Buachaille Etive Beag, 958 m, NN 179 535. OS Sheet 41.

Introduction

This is a very straight forward walk, in non-winter conditions, with excellent views of the Bidean massif, Buachaille Etive Mor, the other Glen Etive peaks, Ben Sgulaird, Aonach Eagach, Ben Nevis range, Grey Corries, the Mamores and even as far as Schiehallion, Ben Alder, Ben More and Stob Binnien. A new path has been constructed in recent years which allows one to make speedy progress to the crest of the mountain.

Route

(1) Walk out of the car park on the obvious path which soon meets the other branch coming from the sign post on the road. After about 800 m, the path forks. Take the left fork (straight on crosses the main burn and goes to Glen Etive). Follow this well engineered path to the 750 m bealach at the foot of the SW ridge of Stob Coire Raineach. There is a small cairn on a flattish outcrop in this bealach. Turn left (NE) and follow a reasonably obvious path up easy stony slopes to the large summit cairn of Stob Coire Raineach, 925 m.

(2) Retrace to the bealach then ascend the obvious path SW up steep but easy stony and grassy slopes to a minor top with a cairn. Descend very slightly before climbing steeply again up a well defined ridge to the large summit cairn of Stob Dubh/Buachaille Etive Beag, 958 m. The summit cairn is the first cairn encountered on the level summit ridge. Another cairn, beyond the summit, is slightly lower but has finer views down Glen Etive.

(3) Retrace to the 750 m bealach then descend the ascent path back to the car park.

Notes

(a) This walk took place on 12th October, 2010.

(b) It is also possible to ascend to the 750 m bealach from the Buachaille Etive Mor side but the path is not as good as the one above and is gradually falling into disuse. This route is only practicable if Buachaille Etive Mor is to be ascended first.

(c) It is also possible to ascend Stob Coire Raineach more directly from the road. There is little in the way of paths and there is much rock to be negotiated. However, some decent scrambling can be enjoyed or most of the rock can be avoided by, generally, trending W.

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