Locaiton: Lochaber
Map: OS Landranger 41
Distance: About 9 miles (15km)
Time: 4-6 hours
Terrain: easy hill walk The crumbling
remains of the old aluminium smelter have not done it any favours but
Kinlochleven has one of the scenically finest positions in the land.
Tucked away at the head of Loch Leven, the
village nestles at the foot of the Mamore Forest and is dominated by
high peaks and soaring ridges. Few villages are so naturally blessed
with such a magnificent situation. Indeed one well-known mountaineer
once suggested it was a “deplorable town in a delectable setting”. The
delectable setting is well worth exploring. Follow the signposted
footpath which starts behind the church. The route offers a good
mid-level circular walk that provides extensive views down the length
of Loch Leven and across to the
high tops of the Mamores and the northern
corries of Glen Coe’s Aonach
Eagach Ridge.
Using footpaths and stalkers’ tracks it climbs the western slopes of
Meall na Doire Dharaich before meeting up with a track that runs west,
following the curves of the southern slopes of Na Gruagaichean into
Coire na Ba where it crosses the Allt Coire na Ba by a footbridge and
turns back on itself, descending south then west, to
Mamore Lodge Hotel, once used as a shooting lodge by King Edward VII.
You can descend from the hotel by a tarmac road but it’s much better to
continue past the buildings and out of the trees with a wonderful view
down the length of Loch
Leven,
with the twin portals of the Pap of Glencoe on the left and Beinn
na Caillich on the right. From
this point look out for the amazing zig-zag footpath running up the
north-east slopes of Beinn
na Caillich.
Such marvellous old stalkers’ paths are a feature of this area. Soon
you’ll see a wooden marker post on your left beside a small cairn. This
post, with its white thistle emblem, indicates the West Highland
Way.
The section from here, through the Lairigmore to Fort William, is one of the finest,
but turn your backs on it and drop down to the left where the path
enters the trees for the long descent to the B863 and Kinlochleven.
