[RWD version 1 ] Much of the Creag Meagaidh massif is owned and managed by NatureScot, an agency of the Scottish Government responsible for Scotland's natural heritage, and has been a National Nature Reserve since 1986. This has created several advantages for hillwalkers. The large carpark, just off the A86, entrance at NN483 872, signposted Creag Meagaidh Nature Reserve, permits overnight parking for vehicles, including campervans and there are also toilets at Aberarder, about 500m from the carpark. There are no hiking restrictions due to deer stalking issues.
The links below may be of interest.
https://www.nature.scot/sites/default/files/2022-06/Map%201.png
https://www.nature.scot/enjoying-outdoors/visit-our-nature-reserves/creag-meagaidh-nnr/creag-meagaidh-nnr-visiting-reserve#Facilities%C2%A0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3n7R7vEpeOA
while fans of Muriel Grey will enjoy a video, from around 1990, of a visit she made to Creag Meagaidh at
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bNweB6NsC7A .
This track records a visit to the three Munros, Càrn Liath, Stob Poite Coire Ardair and Creag Meagaidh and all their tops. It starts from the Creag Meagaidh Nature Reserve car park. Several camper vans had parked there overnight. One camper van occupant offered the gloomy advice that it was forecast to be raining heavily by 14.00 and that anyone with any sense would go home. With good quality waterproofs in the rucksack, this advice was easily ignored. In the event, the rain didn’t start until 18.00 by which time the route had been completed.
The plan was to head for Càrn Liath and its eastern top, Stob Coire Dubh first, then to return to Càrn Liath and visit the second Munro Stob Poite Coire Ardair, visiting Meall an t-Snaim and Sròn Coire a’Chriochairein on the way. If fatigue or harsh weather was a factor at that stage, then a descent could be made from The Window, leaving Creag Meagaidh and its tops be visited some other time.



Coire Ardair from Sròn Coire a’Chriochairein
The day was claggy to begin with but dry. There is a clear path leaving the car park towards Coire Ardair. This was left at NN473 882 to ascend the path to the first hill, Càrn Liath. There is a well-built path for quite a good way up the hill, some of it fairly recently constructed using huge boulders. The path becomes boggy then before improving. The summit cairn, 1006m, at NN4723 9032, was reached after approximately 90 minutes walking.



The eastern flank of Càrn Liath & the redundant gate at NN 478 906
The claggy summit area of Càrn Liath was bleak and stoney. On its eastern flank among the stones, at NN473 904, was a wrought iron gate, a relic of a long-vanished fence, a monument to human foolishness. There is a similar gate at NN 478 906. Out along the northeast ridge then via A’Bhuidheanach, to Stob Coire Dubh, a Munro Top, at 916m, NN4963 9167. This was a very pleasant walk, grassy and easy on the old bones. There was a snack stop on the way out in an area that was a little sheltered, as looking over to the hills next on the agenda, there didn’t seem to be much in the way of shelter from a brisk westerly wind. Back to Càrn Liath then and around to Stob Poite Coire Ardair, visiting the two tops on the way, Meall an t-Snaim, 970m at NN4590 9048 and Sròn Coire a’Chriochairein, 993m at NN4479 8991.



Looking across Coire Ardair from the Window towards Càrn Liath
The clag was lifting, and visibility was improving as the day progressed. Arriving at The Window, Uinneag Coire Ardair, approximately 940m, NN4248 8854, four and a half hours after leaving the car park, there was plenty of time to visit Creag Meagaidh and its tops. Bonnie Prince Charlie passed through The Window while escaping from the Hanoverian forces after the Battle of Colloden. Despite a reward of £30,000 for his capture, worth over £8 million in 2024, no Highlander betrayed him.
On then to Creag Meagaidh, 1128m, NN4184 8754, visiting Meg’s Cairn on the way. Next, the four tops. The two to the southwest were visited first, starting with the one nearest, Meall Coire Choille-rais, 1028m, NN4327 8826.



Meall Coire Choille-rais from An Cearrcallach



South face of Creag Meagaidh from An Cearrcalach
Next was An Cearcallach, 993m, NN4225 8537. This was easy walking on firm, grassy / mossy slopes. Visibility was excellent at this stage. Around then to Puist Coire Ardair, 1071m, NN4371 8726, which was nearly missed due to lack of attention to the map and initially heading for what seemed like a more prominent high point. On then to the final top, Sròn a’Choire, 1001m, NN4484 8776, and the descent to the car park. While ascending Càrn Liath that morning, and all the way round to Stob Poite Coire Ardair, the slopes of Sròn a’Choire had been studied, searching for the best way down. The Allt Coire Ardair, which becomes the Allt Dubh lower down, would have to be crossed to return to the car park, so a burn crossing point also had to be considered.
The directions given in the 4th edition, 2021, of the Scottish Mountaineering Club’s guide to the Munros were loosely followed, descending east at first, then tending southeast. It would be better to start the descent to the southeast a little sooner than was done when this track was recorded as the ground becomes quite steep if you go too far east. Eventually an ATV track could be seen heading southeast towards Aberarder and it was joined at NN 466 880. This ATV track was followed to a footbridge across the Allt Coire Ardair at NN 4756 8746 and then good paths were followed back to the car park. This footbridge is indicated on the OS map 1:25000 for Loch Laggan and Creag Meagaidh (OL55) but the ATV track is not shown. The GPS recorded a total route time of 9 hours and 7 minutes with a moving time of 7 hours 53 minutes.
TYM