The great pyramid of Scotland
Stob Dearg is iconic part of our climbing heritage
The highest of four summits – two of them Munros – that make up the Buachaille Etive Mor, Stob Dearg is probably Scotland’s most photographed peak.
Buachaille Etive Mor – the Great Herdsman of Etive, or simply “The Bookle” to hill-goers, stands sentinel over the entrances to both Glen Etive and Glen Coe. The iconic image of one of Scotland’s most famous mountains is of a formidable pyramid of rock, riven by gullies, craggy ridges and soaring cliff faces, seen on the approach from the east across Rannoch Moor. This is Stob Dearg. From this angle, the prospect of an ascent will thrill some and intimidate others – and to be told you can simply walk to the top will seem absurd. But, on the north side, the Coire na Tulaich offers a route that allows you to do just that – occasionally on steep, loose scree, but a relatively simple walk nonetheless. Even the craggy face of the Rannoch Wall offers a non-technical – but still serious – route for competent scramblers. Climbers, meanwhile, are spoilt for choice, with routes of all grades. In winter, these multi-pitch routes offer an alpinelike experience. However you get to the top, what awaits is an incredible vista – looking east, it’s a sheer drop to the floor of Rannoch Moor. It feels like you’re floating. West, the narrow ridge twists and turns, rises and falls on its way to Stob na Broige, the Buachaille’s second Munro. Buachaille Etive Mor has a special place in the history of climbing in Scotland. The first rock climb here was by the great mountaineering pioneer Norman Collie in 1894. Following decades saw routes established by legendary climbers like William W Naismith, Harold Raeburn and WH Murray – whose marvellous books, Undiscovered Scotland and Mountaineering In Scotland, give exciting accounts of climbs. The hill’s cultural significance, history, aesthetics and sheer mountaineering versatility make it one of my favourites. I’ve strolled the fantastic ridge that links all four peaks, I’ve scrambled on the rock with its big, deep holds and climbed thrillingly exposed routes on Rannoch Wall. It’s a mountain I return to time and again, in all seasons, and never tire of.