Creag a' Chaorainn

Situated on the high, stony ridge northeast of A' Chràlaig, this Munro Top offers a rugged extension to one of the North West Highlands' most imposing massifs. The terrain is characteristic of the Glen Shiel peaks—steep, grass-and-rock slopes providing commanding views over Loch Cluanie towards the South Shiel Ridge.

• •The name translates from Scottish Gaelic as 'the crag of the rowan tree.' While rowans are now scarce at this elevation, the name likely refers to a time when the treeline reached further up the sheltered crags or a specific, hardy tree noted by early inhabitants.
• •Most walkers reach this summit as a detour from the main Munro, A' Chràlaig. The ridge connecting the two is broad and stony, requiring a drop into a shallow col before rising to this airy viewpoint overlooking the wild hinterland of the Mullardoch forest.
• •From the summit, the view south is dominated by the long, serrated spine of the South Shiel Ridge, while to the east, the sprawling plateau of Sgùrr nan Conbhairean fills the horizon across the deep trough of Gleann na Cìche.
• •Despite standing at a respectable 997 metres—just three metres shy of the 1,000-metre mark—it remains forever in the shadow of its parent peak, serving mainly as a turnaround point for walkers with completionist tendencies.