Buachaille Etive Beag - Stob Coire Raineach

About Buachaille Etive Beag - Stob Coire Raineach

Often overshadowed by its 'Big' brother across the glen, this Munro offers a steep but efficient ascent on well-engineered stone stairs. The rocky summit of Stob Coire Raineach provides an unparalleled grandstand view of the Crowberry Tower on Buachaille Etive Mòr and the vast, desolate expanse of Rannoch Moor.

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• •From the Scottish Gaelic Buachaille Èite Beag, the name translates as the ‘Little Herdsman of Etive’. The specific peak name, Stob Coire Raineach, means ‘Peak of the Ferny Corrie’, referring to the bracken-covered lower slopes that drop toward the River Coupall.
• •Although often bagged as a pair with the second Munro on the ridge, Stob Dubh, this peak is a worthy destination in its own right for the perspective it offers. From the summit cairn, the verticality of Stob Dearg’s famous cliffs is far more apparent than when you are actually standing on them.
• •The ascent is significantly aided by a high-quality stone staircase built by the National Trust for Scotland. This path was designed to manage heavy foot traffic and prevent erosion in the popular Lairig Eilde pass, which separates this hill from the Bidean nam Bian massif.
• •Looking west across the deep trench of the Lairig Eilde, the summit offers a clear, unobstructed view into the 'Hidden Valley' (Coire Gabhail), which is tucked away between the Great Buttress and Gearr Aonach.
• •Calling this the ‘Little’ Herdsman is a relative term; while it lacks the legendary status of its neighbour, the 750-metre climb from the glen floor remains a stern test for the legs on the descent.