Coire Gabhail

to the left of centre.]] ridge on the other side of Glen Coe.]] This corrie was formed, like Glen Coe, by the movement of glaciers. The principal glacier in the glen below was larger and heavier, and carved out a deeper trough than that of Coire Gabhail. When the glaciers melted a hanging valley was left, high above the glen. Debris from the glaciers left moraines in the mouths of the glens and corries, often resulting in a lake forming behind them. In time these waters found their way through the debris and the lake drained leaving a relatively flat-bottomed alluvial plain which now forms the floor of the corrie. The name Coire Gabhail (Corrie of the Bounty, or The Hollow of Capture)…

The path from Glen Coe up beside the gorge into Coire Gabhail is a popular short walk (around 3 km each way, ascent 230 m), the path is rough in places involving use of hands on rock for balance or as a step-up, and crossing a river by stepping stones. A car park on the south side of the A82 road, a short distance west of Allt-na-reigh cottage, has a path heading down eastwards to a footbridge across the River Coe. From here, rough stone steps lead up beside the ravine, with views of waterfalls. The top of the path leads out onto the shoulder formed by the ancient landslip, with views and a rough path to the flat corrie floor.