In the shadow of its big brother stands a little wonder
Mountain provides rewarding challenge
The summit of Stob Coire Raineach is the smaller of two Munros on mighty Buachaille Etive Mor’s little brother – Buachaille Etive Beag, or the “Wee Bookle”.
The mountain runs parallel with its larger neighbour, and there are similarities between the two from certain angles on the A82. From down Glen Etive’s single-track road, however, the mountains look like twins – the wee Buachaille’s Munro of Stob Dubh mirroring its counterpart on the big Buachaille, Stob na Broige.
They form the incredibly steep, even sides to a perfect U-shaped glaciated valley, through which runs the Lairig Gartain. Stob Coire Raineach is the summit lying closest to the A82. As well as being smaller than its neighbour, it lacks the drama and grandeur, and ascents are nowhere near as tough. Although, it is a rocky little peak and there are a couple of good scrambling routes up its nose.
Like all the Munros in Glencoe, it’s an incredibly popular hill. Most often, it is climbed from the large car park across from the massive “beehive” cairn just off the main road. From there, it is a short haul (0.6 miles) up the Lairig Eilde before a sharp climb south-east to the bealach, from where both summits can be picked off in turn.
Tackling it from the Glen Etive side, however, gives a much more pleasing ascent – even if it does mean starting a couple of hundred metres lower down. It’s a very steep pull up Stob Dubh, but then you have a marvellous ridge walk to Stob Coire Raineach.
The summit of this second Munro is a superb viewpoint for the serrated ridge of the infamous Aonach Eagach across Glen Coe, its jagged pinnacles cut into the skyline like the teeth of a saw.