Sròn a' Choire Ghairbh facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Sròn a’ Choire Ghairbh |
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The western slopes of Sròn a‘ Choire Ghairbh seen from the head of Gleann Cia-aig. The Cam Beallach is seen on the right hand side.
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| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 937 m (3,074 ft) |
| Prominence | 622 m (2,041 ft) |
| Parent peak | Sgurr na Ciche |
| Listing | Munro, Marilyn |
| Naming | |
| English translation | Nose of the Rough Corrie |
| Language of name | Gaelic |
| Pronunciation | English approximation: STRAWN-ə-KHOR-yə-GHERR-yev |
| Geography | |
| Location | Highland, Scotland |
| Parent range | Northwest Highlands |
| OS grid | NN222946 |
| Topo map | OS Landranger 34, OS Explorer 400 |
Sròn a’ Choire Ghairbh is a mountain in Scotland. It is found on the northern side of Loch Lochy. This mountain is about 13 kilometres (8 miles) north of Spean Bridge. It is located in the Highland area of Scotland.
What is Sròn a’ Choire Ghairbh?
Sròn a’ Choire Ghairbh stands 937 metres (3,074 feet) tall. It is known as a Munro, which is a Scottish mountain over 914.4 metres (3,000 feet) high. It is also a Marilyn, meaning it has a certain height above the land around it.
This mountain is the tallest of the hills near Loch Lochy. People often climb it along with its neighbour, Meall na Teanga. These two mountains are connected by a special low pass called the Cam Bhealach. From the A82 road, you can see their steep slopes.
The name Sròn a’ Choire Ghairbh comes from Gaelic. It means "The Nose of the Rough Corrie." A "corrie" is a bowl-shaped hollow in the mountain, often formed by glaciers. This name refers to the mountain's position next to the rocky Coire Glas.
Exploring the Mountain's Features
One of the most important parts of Sròn a’ Choire Ghairbh is Coire Glas. Inside this corrie, there is a small Loch called Loch a’ Choire Ghlais. The mountain itself is shaped like a horseshoe. It has two long ridges that stretch out from either side of the corrie.
The east ridge is about five kilometres (3 miles) long. It goes over two smaller peaks, Sean Mheall (888 metres) and Meall nan Dearcag (693 metres). This ridge then slopes down to the Kilfinnan Burn, a stream at the north end of Loch Lochy. Another ridge, Meall a’ Choire Ghlais, goes north. It stays high for about two kilometres before dropping steeply. This part connects to another mountain called Ben Tee.
In other directions, the mountain has steep, grassy sides. To the south, you'll find the Cam Bheallach. This is a mountain pass that links Sròn a’ Choire Ghairbh to Meall na Teanga. It looks like a clear dip in the skyline between the two mountains. To the north, there is a small corrie called Coire an Eich. Water from here flows into Glen Garry and eventually reaches the sea on Scotland's east coast.
Sròn a’ Choire Ghairbh is special because it sits on Scotland's main north-south water divide. This means that rain falling on one side of the mountain goes to the east coast. Rain on the other side flows to the west coast through Loch Lochy and Loch Linnhe.
How to Climb Sròn a’ Choire Ghairbh
Most people climb Sròn a’ Choire Ghairbh by starting from the Cam Bheallach. There are two main ways to reach this pass.
One way is to start from the south. You can park your car at the Eas Cia-aig waterfall. From there, you walk up Gleann Cia-aig until you see the Cam Bheallach clearly.
Another way is from the north-east. You can park at Laggan Locks, which is near the A82 road. From here, you follow a path that goes up through the forest on the north side of Loch Lochy. This path also leads to the Cam Bheallach.
Once you are at the Cam Bheallach, a good path leads up the mountain. It zig-zags its way to the very top. From the summit, you get amazing views of the mountains in Lochaber and beyond. This is because the mountain has a high prominence, meaning it rises significantly above the surrounding land.
Sròn a’ Choire Ghairbh is one of the few mountains in Scotland that has a visitor's book at its summit. This book is kept in a coffee jar inside a wooden box. It is looked after by Richard Wood from Invergarry.
Sometimes, people walking the Great Glen Way also climb these two mountains. The Great Glen Way is a long-distance path between Fort William and Inverness. Climbing Sròn a’ Choire Ghairbh and Meall na Teanga adds an exciting mountain adventure to their journey.
