Buachaille Etive Beag facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Buachaille Etive Beag |
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|---|---|
| Stob Dubh | |
Stob Dubh from Stob Coire Raineach
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| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 958 m (3,143 ft) |
| Prominence | c. 468 m |
| Parent peak | Buachaille Etive Mor |
| Listing | Munro, Marilyn |
| Naming | |
| English translation | Little shepherd of Etive (Black peak) |
| Language of name | Gaelic |
| Geography | |
| Location | Glen Etive/Glen Coe, Scotland |
| OS grid | NN179535 |
| Topo map | OS Landranger 41 |
Buachaille Etive Beag, which means 'Little Shepherd of Etive' in Scottish Gaelic, is a cool mountain in the Scottish Highlands. It sits between two famous valleys, Glen Coe and Glen Etive. This mountain is right on the edge of a wild, open area called Rannoch Moor.
If you look at it from Glen Etive in the south, Buachaille Etive Beag looks like a smaller twin to its bigger neighbour, Buachaille Etive Mòr. A low mountain pass, called a bealach, separates the two mountains. This pass is about 480 metres high.
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Discover Buachaille Etive Beag
Buachaille Etive Beag is a long ridge, about 3 kilometres (almost 2 miles) long. It runs from southwest to northeast. This mountain has two main peaks that are both known as Munros. A Munro is a Scottish mountain that is over 3,000 feet (914.4 metres) tall.
Meet the Peaks: Stob Dubh and Stob Coire Raineach
The two Munro peaks on Buachaille Etive Beag are Stob Dubh and Stob Coire Raineach. Stob Dubh is the higher of the two, standing at 958 metres (3,143 feet). Stob Coire Raineach is 925 metres (3,035 feet) tall. Both offer amazing views of the surrounding Scottish landscape.
Hiking Up the Mountain
Many people enjoy hiking up Buachaille Etive Beag. It's a popular climb for those who love exploring the Scottish hills.
Starting Your Climb from Glen Coe
The most common way to start your hike is from the A82 road at the top of Glen Coe. You'll see a small pile of stones, called a cairn, and a sign. This marks a special path, known as a right-of-way, that leads towards Glen Etive.
This path goes through a valley called the Lairig Eilde. This valley separates Buachaille Etive Beag from another big mountain, Bidean nam Bian. You follow this path for about 1.5 kilometres (about a mile).
Reaching the Bealach and Summits
After a short walk, most hillwalkers leave the main path. They head straight up the hillside to reach the bealach (mountain pass) between the two main peaks. This pass is about 750 metres high.
From this central pass, you can choose which peak to visit first. Stob Coire Raineach is about 0.5 kilometres (a third of a mile) to the northeast. Stob Dubh is further, about 2 kilometres (1.2 miles) to the southwest. Many hikers try to reach both peaks on the same trip.
After enjoying the views from both summits, most people simply walk back down the same way they came up. You can also reach or leave the bealach using another path called the Lairig Gartain. This path separates Buachaille Etive Beag from its larger neighbour, Buachaille Etive Mor.
Exploring from Glen Etive
There's another way to climb the mountain, starting from Glen Etive. This route lets you walk along the entire ridge, which is called a traverse. However, the path from Glen Etive is very steep. If you choose this route, you might need to arrange a ride back to Glen Etive. Otherwise, you'll have to walk an extra 4 kilometres (2.5 miles) to return via the Lairig Eilde or Lairig Gartain paths.
