M261 | 926 m. | 3038 ft.
Translation: Hill of the grey corrie
Pronuncation: myowl kora lay

The last day of the 2010 hillwalking holiday saw Frank and me opting for an easy conclusion of the ten days of high-intensity scrambling/walking. Driving south from our house in Invergarry we finally decided to leave the somewhat showery conditions in the West behind us and to head to the Ben Lawers Group. From Edramucky we drove up the road to Lochan na Larige where we parked the car in a lay-by below the cairn makring the beginning of the day’s tour.

Routinely we packed our rucksacks with all the necessary paraphernalia. From a very comfortable 500m+ contour at Meall nan Eun we set out across the moor heading up the rising ground in a southeasterly direction. The going was easy enough over grass interspersed with heather. At an altitude of about 700 metres a few peat hags and some more squishy places needed to be negotiated which in due time caused the writer of these lines to stumble and fall into the mud. Yuck! Shit happens! But luckily the rain-proof trousers kept the dirt away from the body. Soon the inclination of the slope became steeper and we kept trodding up the grassy slope. Shortly before we reached the shoulder/ridge ahead we turned east and headed straight to the final steepening leading to the summit of 1069m Meall Corranaich. On the final 150 metres of the ridge the strong wind made itself felt. So on went fleece jumper and wind-proof jacket. Once at the summit of Munro number one we had a good look around taking in views of Meall nan Tarmachan and of course Ben Lawers and Beinn Ghlas. Without much of a pause we then followed the well-trodden path over and down the north ridge of Meall Corranaich towards the col at about 800m. The views were extensive and the walking was extremely pleasant on this leg of the tour. Then followed by the final climb to the second Munro of the day – Meall a’Choire Leith whose 926m high summit is a rounded dome of grass and stones.

At the cairn Frank and I ate our sandwiches and drank some water or tea while chatting with some other hillwalkers whom we had met on the way. Then after maybe 15 minutes of resting, relaxing and sight-seeking we headed south down the steep side of Meall a’Choire Leith into Choire Gorm, skirted the lower slopes of another arm of Meall Corranaich’s north ridge, crossed the Allt Gleann da Eig, climbed and later dropped a few dozens of metres before reaching the car above Lochan na Larige. A very short but nice and benign final tour of the 2010 Munrobagging holiday over some grassy hills with a character totally different from the Knoydart, Arkaig, Quoich and Glen Shiel mountains that had formed the main course of the menu. Thank you Alba!


Description These two hills are at the west end of the Ben Lawers range. Meall Corranaich overlooks Lochan na Lairige at the watershed between Loch Tay and Glen Lyon, and Meall a' Choire Leith is 3 kilometres to its north along the ridge which extends from Meall Corranaich towards Glen Lyon. Both hills are most easily climbed from the narrow road from Loch Tay to Glen Lyon which goes over the pass at the north end of Lochan na Lairige. A short distance north of the lochan a cairn at the roadside is a good starting point for the traverse of the two hills. To climb Meall Corranaich first, go east for ½ kilometre to a low ridge and follow it to the south-west ridge of Meall Corranaich, which is climbed to the summit. Descend the north ridge to the col above Coire Liath and climb the rounded dome of Meall a' Choire Leith. Return to the day's starting point south-west across the lower part of Coire Gorm and Gleann Da-Eig.