The Big Hill dwarfed by giants delivers.....Meall Mor Glencoe

 Hill: Meall Mor (Glencoe) (Big Hill)

Type: Graham

Height: 676m

View from visitor centre

There are so many times when I driven north through Glencoe and at the far end looked at this hill and thought the views should be good. Not just good they were great. How incongruous to call a hill 'Big Hill' when it is surrounded by giants. Our ancestors certainly had a sense of humour or just knew what they were talking about. 

Black trail

There are many ways to tackle the hill and/or depending on whether you are also including the other Graham of Sgorr a' Choise (it looks a spectacular hill which I have added to my to do list). There is an option to go directly up from the visitor centre but unless you are super fit, forget it.

Pap of Glencoe

Speckled Wood

Solo hit for me today so I parked at the Glencoe visitor centre watching hordes of tourists descend from their buses heading into the centre. This caused me to mentally debate whether I should pay the £4 parking fee when all these people were here for free. Being a good citizen I reluctantly paid up so under a dark cloud I headed for the appropriately named black forest trail which after a short ascent through woods becomes the blue trail. This is now a major highway, a wide stone forestry road (I presume) and in reality a bit of a zig zag trudge through the trees. Plenty of butterflies. On the lower section they were all Speckled Woods sunning themselves on the road. Higher up it became all Scotch Argus never staying still but numerous. The odd Large White appeared. 

I turned off forestry road here

Heading for corner of trees

I had noticed on the map a track which seemed to cut the road so I exited right onto a boggy, grassy, but evident track. It was now humid and the beasties were rising from the grasses en masse not a good idea. But some nice plants.

Marsh Grass of Parnassus

I re-joined the road but almost immediately left it by crossing over and heading for the corner of the trees not too far away. Mistake number two. The terrain was deforested and was a death trap. What should have been 5 minutes was a good uncomfortable 15 minutes. Every step had to be evaluated as plenty of hidden holes and boggy traps. The wood lying was now dried out and in danger of snapping plunging me down and potentially lacerating my leg. Was I glad to get over to find a boggy but open ATV track. If I had kept on the road for another couple of minutes!!

Found grass highway. Summit dark line top left

I followed the ATV track to a deer fence where the track became a faint line, god only knows where the ATV track had gone. It was steeply up the fence to reach a metal gate. The consolation was great views over Sgorr Dhearg which brought back memories and glad I wasn't doing that again.

Steep climb. Mast below with Grey Corries beyond

Sgorr a' Choise left and Sgorr Dearg right

Through the gate and now the faint track had disappeared. A steep never ending rough grassy slope was next. One of those angles you always thought you were getting there but seemingly never did. Finally a couple of large boulders was the plateau. Stunning views over Sgorr a' Choise looks a mightily impressive ridge. It was an immediate 'must do'.

A track!!

Top is on the ridge

The next section had a faint path but my eyes were not on it but instead on the huge mountains of Glencoe which filled my close vision.

A curve round to the ridge and the cairn and more very special views. The full 360 degrees did not disappoint.

Aoneach Eogach left and Bidean nam Bian

Dominated by Bidean nam Bian, that brought back good memories but also sad thoughts for the guy from Killie who died on it earlier this year. Across from it the Pap and the Aonach Eogach ridge in full profile.

Beyond the Pap the Grey Corries live up to their name but the top of The Ben is not unsurprisingly in cloud.

Another turn, looking back and over to Ardgour via the Ballachulish bridge and Loch Leven.

Finally back down to Loch Etive and the nearby hills. Yip quite a viewpoint.

Ardgour Corbetts in the distance

Green highway to the track this time

Stunning view for the walk out

Back down the same way, avoiding the deforested section, back to the car. Visited the café to find the tourist hordes had devoured all the home baking.

The hill was right in front of me so it was the long way round for my ramble but very glad I visited it, but that ridge on Sgorr looks worth an add on!!

Ascent: 726m

Distance: 13.2km

Time: 4.13

Wildlife: Chaffinch; Meadow Pipit; Speckled Wood; Scotch Argus; Large White; Gold Ringed Dragonfly; Common Blue Damselfly