Creise

Creise
Creise (left) and Meall a' Bhuiridh (right) seen from the SE.
Highest point
Elevation	1,100 m (3,600 ft)
Prominence	168 m (551 ft)
Parent peak	Meall a' Bhuiridh
Listing	Munro, Marilyn
Naming
Translation	Grease or Fat (Gaelic)
Pronunciation	Scottish Gaelic: [ˈkʰɾʲeʃə]
Geography
Location	Highland, Scotland
Parent range	Grampians
OS grid	NN238506
Topo map	OS Landranger 50, 41 OS Explorer 384

Creise /ˈkreɪʃ/, kraysh in English, is a Scottish mountain that stands at the eastern end of Glen Coe, just to the south of the A82 road, some 26 kilometres South-southeast of Fort William in the Highland Council area. The mountain was previously known as Clach Leathad (Stony Slope) in the Munro Tables prior to 1981, its name being changed to Creise when the highest point was found to be 1200 metres further north along the summit ridge when using new mapping techniques.

Creise along with Meall a' Bhuiridh, Stob Ghabhar and Stob a' Choire Odhair is one of the four Black Mount Munros, it reaches a height of 1100 metres (3609 feet) and is a hill that is well known to skiers as well as walkers being situated next to the White Corries ski area from where it is often climbed along with adjoining Meall a' Bhuiridh. The two mountains are a popular traverse with cross-country skiers. The mountain is well seen from the A82 road and the Kings House Hotel, showing its steep and craggy northern buttress of Sròn na Creise. For many years the translated meaning of the mountains name from the Gaelic was unknown, however Irvine Butterfield now says that “creis” means grease or fat and refers to the rich grazing land around the hill which was used in the past by Glen Coe herdsman to fatten their cattle.

Creise is a long whaleback of a mountain, oriented north to south. It has a three kilometre long summit ridge with four distinct high points. The most southerly is Clach Leathad (Clachlet) which with a height of 1099 metres is just a metre lower than the main summit. Up to the 1970s it was regarded as the highest point of the mountain. It was downgraded to a “Munro Top” in the 1981 edition of Munro's Tables. 700 metres north of Clach Leathad along the ridge is Mam Coire Easain (1070 metres), a former “Munro Top” deleted from the tables in 1981. It is strategically important as it stands at the head of the ridge linking the mountain to Meall a' Bhuiridh. The main summit stands a further 650 metres north. It was previously an unnamed Munro Top on OS maps before being promoted to Munro in 1981.