Beinn Ceitlein

Rising steeply from the floor of Glen Etive, this rugged Tump offers a quieter alternative to the more famous peaks nearby. Its granite-scarred slopes demand a stiff climb, but the reward is a front-row seat to the dramatic ridges of the Buachaille Etive Mòr and the winding River Etive far below.

• •The name is Gaelic, most likely meaning 'Hill of the Little Glade', referring to the patches of fertile ground found along the banks of the Allt Ceitlein, the stream that drains its southern slopes.
• •The summit provides an exceptional vantage point for viewing the 'stob' peaks of the Buachaille Etive Mòr, particularly the sheer cliffs of the Great Face of Stob Dearg and the long Aonach Eagach ridge.
• •It is frequently climbed in tandem with its higher neighbour, Meall nan Eustan, as part of a high-level circuit that avoids the more congested paths of the nearby Glencoe pass.
• •The hill is located on the Dalness Estate, a landscape historically connected to the MacColl family and the legendary Gaelic figure Deirdre of the Sorrows.
• •The initial approach from the glen floor involves navigating a sponge-like apron of moorland that effectively tests the waterproof rating of any boot before the real climbing begins.