Creag Meagaidh & Poite Coire Ardair & Carn Liath, map 401; 1st June 2003 & 23rd March 2007

Route: 1650m=5420' ascent, 17.5 miles, 7½-9¼ hrs.

Evaluation: 4* circuit, and suitable for winter walking.
Access: Park at Loch Laggan/Creag Meagaidh Nature Reserve Car Park.
Route: This route includes all the Munro tops and has an optional detour to the three tops of Beinn a'Chorainn, which is more naturally climbed with Beinn Teallach as here. This detour takes about 2¾ hrs and involves 6.85 miles extra walking and 670m extra ascent.
To start, take the first left on the path 200m after leaving the car park (at NN4813587412) and follow it west to a bridge over the river at NN47558747. Fork right where the track splits, and continue on the ATV track up to 550m at NN46248795 where you may pick up a path taking a direct line up at least most of the rest of Sron a' Ghoire.
There are little used narrow paths out to the minor tops, but clear easy going fast paths round the main ridge, although not heavily used. At the end, the path down from Carn Liath is variable in quality and not always easy to follow – it eventually joins the main valley path at a cairn. The descent path is easy to miss, in which case there are several hundred yards of thick plantation to negotiate before reaching the valley path. There is delicate moss over much of the terrain, so please stick to these paths.
The excursion E out to Coire Dubh is optional and is just there to collect the Munro top. Its deletion would save 4 miles walking and 175m of ascent. Unfortunately, the fragile moss along this ridge is being severely damaged by ATVs coming up from near Garvamore. There are also two other out-lying Munro tops which can be omitted to leave a superb, not too taxing round.