main route summary 
The highlight of this route is the ever-changing view over Coire Ardair and its spectacular cliffs - well famed for their winter climbing. The route initially travels up from the SNH building at Aberarder towards Coire Ardair, with lots of wildlife hiding - but if you can't see any, there's a herd of deer kept near the start and they're not camera-shy. Beinn a'Chaorainn has some good summer scrambling up its east ridge (not covered here), but in winter this munro is well corniced - so take care in snow and mist. The walk is finished with lovely views over the Easains and Loch Treig as Beinn Teallach is gradually descended.

creag meagaidh and laggan area weblinks 
See todays conditions in the area on the Cairngorm webcam
Get the local area weather forecast here
Scottish Natural Heritage owns the area, here is their website
Serious mountain biking at Wolftrax
Laggan Community website is here 
Accomodation at the Roy Bridge Hotel or Station Lodge, Tulloch
Derek's last munro on Beinn a'Chaorainn here

main route outline    
On the A86, halfway along Loch Laggan, there's a good car-par built by SNH. From here, head up to Aberarder, the SNH building, where there's a shelter, a bench and some display boards with lots of interesting information on the terrain and wildlife in the area. Follow the well constructed path around the right of the house (the old railway sleepers are no more), over the bridge, up to and past the wall to just before the birch forest. Look for a faint path heading off right (ne) up over the heather and through the re-generated birch forest. Further up you'll reach the fine vantage point of Na Cnapanan. Nw, drop slightly, then pick up a better path to follow up to Carn Liath's broad summit with its large cairn.

Although the summits can often be in cloud, the ridge between Carn Liath and Stob Poite Coire Ardair is frequently clear. Just as well, as in mist carefully navigation from Carn Liath is needed, since the path is very faint. After a top and another slight rise, fence-posts are picked up on Sron Garbh Choire and followed up and along to Stob Poire Coire Ardair. It's tricky watching your feet on the boulders, since the constant stunning view left over Coire Ardair to the winter climbs is awesome. The first cairn isn't on Stob Poite Coire Ardair's summit, it's ½ km further on.

Continue following the path hugging the posts, the posts turn sharply and you might be tempted in mist to follow them - don't as they come to an abrupt halt above a 20m drop ! Keep to the path down to 'The Window', then turn se, still following the path and start climbing uphill. The path zig-zags up through some scree, then levels out. It's worth heading a bit east to look back down into Coire Ardair. Head sws for ½ km, then w to reach 'Mad Meg's Cairn', this isn't the summit and nobody quite know's why it's here (Muriel Grey suggested Margaret Thatcher's handbag might be buried in it). Creag Meagaidh's not-so-large summit cairn is a further ½ km on, from where the views are wonderful.

Leave the cairn and head sw along Creag Meagaidh's crest. Pick up a line of wooden posts and follow for around 1km to where they turn sharply right. Leave them and continue wsw over pathless, grassy but easy terrain down to Bealach a'Bharnish. Uphill next, sw to aim around Coire na h-Uamha to Beinn a'Chaorainn's North Top. This munro is renouned for its huge ice cornices, so keep well away from the edge in misty winter conditions. From the North Top, the route to the main summit is obvious, following the rim of the coire to the cairn.

Return to the North Top, then head nwn, then nw downhill over grassy, pathless ground to drop 400m. The bealach is a bit wet with a burn to cross. An obvious path path heads up the Beinn Teallach's ne shoulder. Initially very wet, this gives way to a fine dry path to follow to two cairns set 100m apart on the summit. What this munro lacks in height it more than makes up for in views.

From the western cairn, initially head s on a faint path over dry bouldery ground. The ground becomes progressively more heather covered and the path more distinct as height is lost. Further down wet and grassy terrain is crossed to reach an old wire fence. Over this and continue on the now obvious path around the forest. The Allt a'Chaorainn will need crossed - if in spate there is a wire and wooden fence that can be used at NN364826, otherwise head a bit further downstream and cross where the grond levels out. Through the deer-fence next via the stile or gate, then pick up a constructed path at the forest's edge to follow to the forestry track that heads down to Roughburn. Hopefully you've had the fore-thought to have placed car or bike in the car-park here that'll get you back to Aberarder !

alternative 2 : top bagging around coire ardair  
There are 7 tops around Coire
Ardair, 4 can be reached sticking
to around the coire, but 3 others
require sizeable de-tours.

Start from the SNH at Aberarder
and head up Carn Liath as
described on the left. To reach
the top Stob Coire Dubh, follow
a line of fence-posts heading
wnw for just under 3km.

Return to Carn Liath and
continue over two tops and Stob Poite Coire Ardair to Creag Meagaidh as described on the left. South of Creag Meagaidh there are two minor summits, An Cearcallach and Meall Coire Choille-rais, both with easy grass covered approaches. To the east of Creag Meagaidh is Puist Coire Ardair then a ridge leading out to Sron a'Ghoire - this is a fine route with views down into the coire. From Sron a'Ghoire, head w downhill and cross the Allt Coire Ardair on a bridge near Aberarder.

Another fine alternative from Creag Meagaidh is the route out Coire Ardair. From the plateau, return to 'The Window', then head down over a boulderfield to Lochan a'Choire. Pick up the excellent path and follow this back through the birch forest to Aberarder. 

alternative 1 : munro circuit from roughburn 
From the roadside at Roughburn,
head up the forestry track for
just over 1km to a junction. Turn
left, and reach the forest's edge.
Go through a deer-fence, then
cross the Allt a'Chaorainn and
follow a wet path up the e side
of another section of forest to
reach open hillside. Straight up
on a path for 3km, which
becomes ever fainter, to the two
summit cairns of Beinn Teallach.

Follow a path ne and descend 300m to the wet bealach. Cross a burn, head e uphill on wet grassy ground for ½ km. Start to turn se and reach Beinn a'Chaorainn's North Top. Follow a path s around Coire na h-Uamha to the main summit.

Head s to Beinn a'Chaorainn's South Top, then descend s to start following a burn which reaches the forest at a fire-break. Follow the fire-break down to the track where you've two choices. Either turn right (w) and follow the track back to Roughburn. Alternatively turn left (e) and follow the track for 2km, keeping right at a junction. This track finishes abruptly at the Allt na h-Uamha, cross this and follow a faint path on the river's e bank. You'll come across two spectacular waterfalls, the second of which is close to, but hidden well from, the main road. There's just over 2km left to walk back along the road.