Stob Coire a' Chearcaill hillwalk from Loch Eil

By Blaich on Loch Eil

Blaich and Duisky are small settlements on the southern shore of Loch Eil which extends west from the northern end of Loch Linnhe by Forth William and Corpach.

If travelling from the Central Belt, the easier route is to hop over Corran Narrows using the ferry, then continue northwards on the A861, which is single track for most of the way. The cost of taking a car on the ferry is £10 (one-way at tìme of writing, 2024).

If travelling from the east or the north, then when approaching Fort William, take the A830 towards Mallaig and turn south at the western end of Loch Eil.

Parking by the walk start in Blaich is rather limited, but places can be found here and there along the shore of the loch.

The western cairn on Braigh Bhlaich

At Blaich, three tracks head due south by some bins and a line of trees. Head up the middle of these, keeping the fence of a house on your left.

As the track climbs towards some woodland, it passes a house and some barns, turns slightly and approaches a huge green outbuilding. To the left of this, there is a gate across the track.

Through the gate, the track heads into more open land, possibly with livestock. Where the track turns southwards and splits, taking the left fork, a burn is then followed upstream through some woodland. Another gate in a deer fence is met and headed through.

The track twists, then heads southwards uphill. On the skyline ahead, sits a large cairn which the track climbs towards, with several more twists on the way. As the gradient levels, the track ends by a smaller cairn just to the east of the large cairn.

Crossing a burn, head over to the larger cairn (fine viewpoint for a photo opportunity over to Gulvain), then head south-west up the featureless moorland of Bràigh Bhlaich. Around 1km after the leaving the head of the track, the top of the first rise on this broad crest is reach where a small cairn is met beyond which occasional rusty old fence-posts and remnants of an old wall aid navigation if in mist.

In clear conditions, the impressive cliffs above Coire Chearcaill gradually come closer and the views all around just keep improving.

Another minor summit with a small cairn is reached, beyond which a little height is lost before the final pull up Stob Coire a' Chearcaill is made following a faint path over grass and gravel above the rim above the Coire Chearcaill.

Summit buttress of Stob Coire a' Chearcaill

Summit buttress of Stob Coire a' Chearcaill

View to Ben Nevis from the trig on Stob Coire a' Chearcaill

Having parked by Blaich, a return by the route made is recommended.

Alternatively a more direct route to the shore of Loch Eil can be made by heading northwards from Stob Coire a' Chearcaill' summit.

There are no paths to follow on this direct return route but most of the downhill is very runnable through heather with a few patches of boulderfield to avoid.

On the track down to Duisky

On the track down to Duisky