Mullach nan Coirean
Encyclopedia
Mullach nan Coirean is a Scottish
mountain situated in the Mamores
group of hills. It reaches a height of 939 metres (3081 feet) and is located eight kilometres north-west of Kinlochleven
. It is the most westerly of the ten Munro
s in the Mamores and it is connected to the adjoining mountain of Stob Bàn
by a col
with a height of 846 metres; these two Munros are often climbed together from Glen Nevis
. The mountain's name translates from the Gaelic as "Summit of the Corries" or Top of the Corries and this is quite fitting as Mullach nan Coirean has four corrie
s on its slopes. Mullach can also mean a "roof" http://www.smo.uhi.ac.uk/gaidhlig/faclair/sbg/lorg.php?facal=mullach&seorsa=Gaidhlig&tairg=Lorg&eis_saor=on. However it is unusual that the name does not include reference to the mountains distinct red tinge cause by its red granite
rock.
Mullach nan Coirean stands in stark contrast to the adjoining Stob Bàn, which is a pointed and light coloured peak, owing to its crown of quartzite
. Mullach nan Coirean differs, being a large sprawling mountain of ridges and corries with its granite rock giving the mountain a definite red shade (see picture). The mountain has three north facing corries: the finest of these is Coire Dearg (Red Corrie) which is drained by the Allt a' Choire Dheirg into Glen Nevis and is overlooked by Mullach nan Coirean’s South East Top (917 metres) which is listed as a "top" in the Munro Tables. The South East Top was previously called "Coire Dearg Top" but was changed to avoid confusion as the main summit also overlooks Coire Dearg. The other two northern corries are smaller: Coire Riabhach also drains to Glen Nevis while Coire a’ Mhuillinn empties further west into the River Kiachnish which delineates the mountain's western boundary. A fourth corrie, Coire Carach stands on the mountain's southern slopes.
Mullach nan Coirean has four ridges radiating from its summit. The eastern ridge links to the adjoining Munro of Stob Bàn which is three kilometres away, whilst the south western ridge links to the subsidiary top of Meall a' Chaorainn (910 metres) before descending steeply to the valley of the River Kiachnish. The northern ridge is four kilometres long and has the vitrified fort of Dùn Deardail ("Fort of the Red Eye") near its terminus just before it joins Glen Nevis. The fort is probably named after Deirdre
, the princess of Ulster
, it is one in a line of vitrified forts that stretches from Craig Phàdraig outside Inverness to the west coast. The north east ridge also descends to Glen Nevis but is much shorter. The mountain's lower northern slopes are covered by the coniferous woodland of the Nevis Forest.
As already mentioned, Mullach nan Coirean is often ascended in conjunction with the neighbouring Stob Bàn; this walk starts at Achriabhach and climbs Coire a' Mhusgain before crossing Stob Bàn to reach Mullach nan Coirean. A direct ascent of the mountain starts at the same place and goes through the Nevis Forest to reach Mullach nan Coirean’s north east ridge which is ascended to the summit. The top of the mountain is an excellent place to view Loch Linnhe
.
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
mountain situated in the Mamores
Mamores
The Mamores are a group of mountains in the Lochaber area of the Grampian Mountains in the Scottish Highlands. They form an east-west ridge approximately fifteen kilometres in length lying between Glen Nevis to the north and Loch Leven to the south....
group of hills. It reaches a height of 939 metres (3081 feet) and is located eight kilometres north-west of Kinlochleven
Kinlochleven
Kinlochleven is a village in Lochaber, in the Scottish Highlands and lies at the eastern end of Loch Leven, a sea loch cutting into the western Scottish Highlands. To the north lie the Mamores ridge; to the south lie the mountains flanking Glen Coe...
. It is the most westerly of the ten Munro
Munro
A Munro is a mountain in Scotland with a height over . They are named after Sir Hugh Munro, 4th Baronet , who produced the first list of such hills, known as Munros Tables, in 1891. A Munro top is a summit over 3,000 ft which is not regarded as a separate mountain...
s in the Mamores and it is connected to the adjoining mountain of Stob Bàn
Stob Bàn (Mamores)
Stob Bàn is a Scottish mountain situated at the western end of the Mamores ridge, five and a half kilometres north-west of Kinlochleven. With a height of 999 metres it qualifies as a Munro...
by a col
Mountain pass
A mountain pass is a route through a mountain range or over a ridge. If following the lowest possible route, a pass is locally the highest point on that route...
with a height of 846 metres; these two Munros are often climbed together from Glen Nevis
Glen Nevis
Glen Nevis is a glen in Lochaber, Highland, Scotland, with Fort William at its foot. It is bordered to the south by the Mamore range, and to the north by the highest mountains in the British Isles: Ben Nevis, Càrn Mor Dearg, Aonach Mòr, and Aonach Beag...
. The mountain's name translates from the Gaelic as "Summit of the Corries" or Top of the Corries and this is quite fitting as Mullach nan Coirean has four corrie
Cirque
Cirque may refer to:* Cirque, a geological formation* Makhtesh, an erosional landform found in the Negev desert of Israel and Sinai of Egypt*Cirque , an album by Biosphere* Cirque Corporation, a company that makes touchpads...
s on its slopes. Mullach can also mean a "roof" http://www.smo.uhi.ac.uk/gaidhlig/faclair/sbg/lorg.php?facal=mullach&seorsa=Gaidhlig&tairg=Lorg&eis_saor=on. However it is unusual that the name does not include reference to the mountains distinct red tinge cause by its red granite
Granite
Granite is a common and widely occurring type of intrusive, felsic, igneous rock. Granite usually has a medium- to coarse-grained texture. Occasionally some individual crystals are larger than the groundmass, in which case the texture is known as porphyritic. A granitic rock with a porphyritic...
rock.
Mullach nan Coirean stands in stark contrast to the adjoining Stob Bàn, which is a pointed and light coloured peak, owing to its crown of quartzite
Quartzite
Quartzite is a hard metamorphic rock which was originally sandstone. Sandstone is converted into quartzite through heating and pressure usually related to tectonic compression within orogenic belts. Pure quartzite is usually white to gray, though quartzites often occur in various shades of pink...
. Mullach nan Coirean differs, being a large sprawling mountain of ridges and corries with its granite rock giving the mountain a definite red shade (see picture). The mountain has three north facing corries: the finest of these is Coire Dearg (Red Corrie) which is drained by the Allt a' Choire Dheirg into Glen Nevis and is overlooked by Mullach nan Coirean’s South East Top (917 metres) which is listed as a "top" in the Munro Tables. The South East Top was previously called "Coire Dearg Top" but was changed to avoid confusion as the main summit also overlooks Coire Dearg. The other two northern corries are smaller: Coire Riabhach also drains to Glen Nevis while Coire a’ Mhuillinn empties further west into the River Kiachnish which delineates the mountain's western boundary. A fourth corrie, Coire Carach stands on the mountain's southern slopes.
Mullach nan Coirean has four ridges radiating from its summit. The eastern ridge links to the adjoining Munro of Stob Bàn which is three kilometres away, whilst the south western ridge links to the subsidiary top of Meall a' Chaorainn (910 metres) before descending steeply to the valley of the River Kiachnish. The northern ridge is four kilometres long and has the vitrified fort of Dùn Deardail ("Fort of the Red Eye") near its terminus just before it joins Glen Nevis. The fort is probably named after Deirdre
Deirdre
Deirdre or Derdriu is the foremost tragic heroine in Irish mythology and probably its best-known figure in modern times. She is often called "Deirdre of the Sorrows." Her story is part of the Ulster Cycle, the best-known stories of pre-Christian Ireland.-Legendary Biography:Deirdre was the...
, the princess of Ulster
Ulster
Ulster is one of the four provinces of Ireland, located in the north of the island. In ancient Ireland, it was one of the fifths ruled by a "king of over-kings" . Following the Norman invasion of Ireland, the ancient kingdoms were shired into a number of counties for administrative and judicial...
, it is one in a line of vitrified forts that stretches from Craig Phàdraig outside Inverness to the west coast. The north east ridge also descends to Glen Nevis but is much shorter. The mountain's lower northern slopes are covered by the coniferous woodland of the Nevis Forest.
As already mentioned, Mullach nan Coirean is often ascended in conjunction with the neighbouring Stob Bàn; this walk starts at Achriabhach and climbs Coire a' Mhusgain before crossing Stob Bàn to reach Mullach nan Coirean. A direct ascent of the mountain starts at the same place and goes through the Nevis Forest to reach Mullach nan Coirean’s north east ridge which is ascended to the summit. The top of the mountain is an excellent place to view Loch Linnhe
Loch Linnhe
Loch Linnhe is a sea loch on the west coast of Scotland....
.