Mam na Gualainn & Beinn na Caillich

1. Starting at the Mamore Lodge Hotel saves a 250m ascent from the village, the Hotel used to charge for parking but is currently closed - the access road can be hard to spot as the Hotel sign has been removed. (Alternatively start from the village itself and follow the West Highland Way towards Fort William until it joins the route). Follow the estate track westwards from the hotel, passing outbuildings as it climbs through trees towards the television mast. At this point views down Loch Leven will open out before you. Take a look to your left to see the jagged profile of the Aonach Eagach ridge. There is a convenient bench where you can stop to enjoy the view.

2. The West Highland Way joins the track from the left hand side as it gently undulates up the glen towards Lairigmor (The Big Pass) with the Mamores towering above you on the right and the peak of Beinn na Caillich on your left. The track is part of General Caulfeild's military road to Fort William; Caulfeild was successor to the more famous General Wade. Climb a stile next to a cattle grid and continue past the derelict farmhouses at Tigh-na-sleubhaich, taking note of the 'Please keep out' notices as the structure is extremely unstable.

3. The track drops down to a ford with a footbridge to cross it, after this you need to look for the ruins of Lairigmor on the left where the route leaves the West Highland Way following a fingerpost marked to Callert. Drop down to cross the Allt Nathrach river, which could be difficult in spate, following its southern side for a short while as it meanders through the glen before the path heads south-west under power lines and uphill. This path follows the line of an old 'coffin road' used to carry the dead for burial on Eilean Munde, an island in Loch Leven just offshore from Ballachulish. The island was used for burials for almost 1500 years.

4. As the path levels out to contour round the hillside take a barely distinct left hand fork marked by a small cairn. The path eventually disappears, at this point head steely uphill following a small burn and a narrow boulder field. This boulder field bends round to the right up to a small col, from here head up the ridge line to a deer fence passing through the gate and continue to the summit cairn and trig point. Mam na Gualainn is a Corbett at 796 metres, and has extensive views beyond Loch Linnhe across to Ardgour, Morvern and Ardnamurchan.

5. From the cairn continue along the broad ridge dropping down to a particularly boggy area - keep well to the right to avoid the wettest part. Beyond the bog ascent to the mid-point of the ridge and the final climb to Beinn na Caillich. Pass the first cairn and continue to the second cairn at the end of the ridge for stunning views of the Blackwater reservoir and Rannoch Moor beyond. This is a much finer summit than its higher parent. Return to the col between the two cairns and descend due north to find the path between two prominent rocks. The path descends below crags, zig-zagging down to a broad flat shoulder. From here the path again zig-zags this time down a steep stony slope to east, eventually descending to the Allt Nathrach and a bridge.

6. The steep path the other side of the river takes you quickly back to the estate track and West Highland Way where you can retrace your steps from earlier back to the Mamore Lodge Hotel, or all the way down the West Highland Way to Kinlochleven.

This route was written and photographed by Papagenos

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