Passing the Wee Minister.
13th March 2025
Today I headed to the east end of out patch. I headed up into the Grey Coire and headed up Stob Coire Gaibhre, a subsidiary peak of Stob Choire Claurigh. This route takes up up past a statue, the wee minister. Although he looks a little dour, he is suppose to bring passing walkers and climbers luck. As expected conditions were very similar to yesterday, and the day before, with a patchy refrozen spring snowpack with a dusting of fresh snow on top. However, nice to take the oppertunity in these settled spells to visit some less frequented locations.
The wee minister, bit of a local celebrity.
A bit of information about the wee minister. However, not everyone seems to agree with who the wee minister actually was.
An article from the website wildlochaber.com gives a bit more information about the wee minister.
“According to the plaque, the wooden replica replaces stone a statue dating from the 1900s, and is that of the Reverend John McIntosh. However, local opinion is that the statue more likely to be that Dr. Thomas Chalmers who was the first Moderator of the local Free Church of Scotland. The statue was a gift and originally erected in 1886 in the manse garden of the Moderator John McIntosh in Achintore Road, Fort William.
The statue was removed by the wife of John McIntosh when he was away during the First World War and relocated to the church grounds above Monzie Square in Fort William. It remained there until 1968 from whence it was removed to Glen Spean, where it quickly became a local attraction. The statue and was thought to bring good luck to climbers and walkers alike on their route to the Grey Corries. Unfortunately, the stone statue began to disintegrate and was eventually removed in the 1970s. The statue was resurrected in May 2010 by the Glen Spean and Great Glen Tourism Marketing Group as a wooden replica with a donation box for the Lochaber Mountain Rescue.”
Looking over to Aonach Mor and Aonach Beag.
The view from the top of Stob Coire Gaibhre over to the crags and summit of Stob Coire an Laoigh. The old snowpack is very hard and icy.
The view over to Stob Choire Claurigh and Stob Coire na Ceannain on the left.
There was a dusting of fresh snow as is seen in the foreground. Beinn a’ Chaorainn and the Creag Meagaidh hills catching a little sunshine in the background.
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