Stob na Doire

Occupying the heart of the Buachaille Etive Mòr ridge, this steep, conical peak often feels like a mountain in its own right. It demands a significant re-ascent from either direction, rewarding the effort with a peerless perspective of Stob Dearg’s craggy interior and the parallel spine of Buachaille Etive Beag.

• •The name is Scottish Gaelic for 'Peak of the Grove'. While its upper slopes are now a landscape of rock and scree, the name likely refers to the ancient woodland that once flourished in the sheltered glens of Etive and Coupall at its feet.
• •Despite its impressive height and a profile that looks more 'mountainous' than the ridge's two official Munros, it is classified as a Munro Top because it lacks the necessary topographical separation from the rest of the massif.
• •The summit offers one of the best vantage points for looking directly down the steep-sided trough of Glen Etive towards the peaks of the Black Mount forest and the distant hills of Mull on a clear day.
• •Geologically, the peak is part of the Glencoe Cauldera, formed by a massive volcanic collapse hundreds of millions of years ago; the tough rhyolite and andesite lavas are what give the ridge its enduring, rugged character.
• •It provides the most frequent site for the 'false summit' sigh; many walkers reaching the ridge via Coire na Tulaich expect an easy stroll, only to find this massive, uncompromising pyramid blocking their path to the rest of the mountain.