Meall a' Bhuiridh and Creise

Blackrock Cottage near the start

Glencoe Mountain Resort sits by the A82 a few miles east of eastern end of Glencoe. Access to the resort is well marked from the A82, from where a narrow road heads southwards past Blackrock Cottage crossing the West Highland Way.

There is ample parking and accommodation can be found on site in the camping-pods, motorhome stations and tent pitch sites. At time of writing (2021), the café had been destroyed by fire and was scheduled to be rebuilt.

Meall a' Bhuiridh's summit and view over Black Mount

From the car-park, head up the road around the right-hand side of the bottom of the chairlift. The road comes to an end by a building where a sign points the start of a footpath uphill.

The footpath initially makes a way through heather, crossing the downhill bike track early on, but then tries to keep away from this. The footpath becomes rougher and loose higher up as it meanders a way under the chairlift. As the footpath approaches the chairlift's top station , it levels out and becomes damp underfoot.

A track is met and this is followed south-west to some small buildings and the foot of the 'Cliffhanger' chairlift .

Keeping this chairlift on your left (east), make a route uphill on grassy ground. Faint traces of path can be found. In mist it can be easy to be lured toward the line of supports or the chairlift, but beware that rocks surround the minor burn coming down from Meall a' Bhuiridh. Higher up some posts aid navigation to the rocky summit of Meall a' Bhuiridh standing to the west of the mast and building at the top of the chairlift. Superb views on clear days all the way over the Black Mount to Schiehallion and beyond.

The summit cairn of Creise looking to Meall a' Bhuiridh

Leaving the bouldery summit of Meall a' Bhuiridh behind, head westwards on a loose but obvious path. The path begins to descend down a ridge, in the main sticking to the crest but occasionally straying slightly off course to pick the easiest line.

The wide bealach between Meall a' Bhuiridh and Creise is reached. Ahead the route continues initially climbing a fairly gentle gradient. The route steepens and a bit of easy rock-scrambling is needed for the last haul up onto the crest halfway between Creise and Clach Leathad, where a cairn sits . It is worth noting that this scramble can be a challenge if snow or ice covered !

Turn north-west and a faint path can be picked up to follow over stone-covered ground. The path gradually turns northwards, crosses some grass-covered ground as it traces the rim of Coire Easain and approached the small cairn on the summit of Creise .

Returning along the ridge between Creise and Meall a' Bhuiridh

From the summit of Creise, about turn and retrace your steps back to the cairn halfway between Creise and Clach Leathad, down the ridge and back up Meall a' Bhuiridh . Descend down to the top of the access chairlift, from where a really enjoyable downhill run on the path returns to Glencoe Ski Resort .

Alternatively, you could head northwards from the summit of Creise and follow the north-east ridge of Sron na Creise down, but expect route-finding on this to be tricky, encountering some rough, rocky terrain on the way (it's been many years since I've been on this route, hence vague description and no GPX !).