Beinn a' Chrulaiste

Beinn a’ Chrulaiste is a steep-sided mountain in the Scottish Highlands, rising north of the A82 road and the Old Military Road opposite Stob Dearg in Glen Coe. Its roughly triangular shape reaches 857 metres and has a prominence of 464 metres, making it a Corbett. The mountain sits among the dramatic ridges and glens of the region. The climb is worth the effort for the fine views down Glen Coe and across the valley to Stob Dearg. Walkers usually start from the Kings House Hotel to the south-east or from Altnafeadh to the south-west. The Kings House route follows the Allt a’ Bhalaich for 1.5 kilometres before turning west-north-west up a broad ridge to the summit. The Altnafeadh route passes the subsidiary summit of Stob Beinn a’ Chrulaiste at 639 metres. On the summit ridge the air is clear and the stone is rough underfoot. The broad ridge offers steady progress, while the south-west ridge rewards the walker with wide views. Glen Coe stretches below, its dark slopes framed by distant peaks. The climb is quiet, with only the wind and occasional ptarmigan to be heard.