Glen Coe Coire Gabhail (corrie of the "bounty", or "hollow of capture") refers to former times when the corrie was used by members of Clan Macdonald to hide cattle and other livestock, whether their own or stolen from others. The wide flat glen is well suited for this purpose since from Glen Coe it appears to be a normal v-shaped glen approached only by a steep narrow gorge. Summits in the Bidean nam Bian massif include Stob Coire Sgreamhach, Stob Coire nan Lochan and Aonach Dubh (the third "sister"). By contrast the north side of the glen is a stark wall of
Ben Nevis and Glen Coe National Scenic Area Douglas Ramsay to consider the issue proposed that five areas should receive a level of protection: "Glen Coe-Ben Nevis-Black Mount" was one of the areas listed. The area thus became one of five designated "national park direction areas", in which planning decisions taken by local authorities could be reviewed by central government under certain circumstances. A 1974 report by the Countryside Commission for Scotland (CCS) entitled "A Park System for Scotland" recommended that the Glen Coe-Ben Nevis-Black Mount area should be designated as one of four proposed "Special Parks", considering the area of national importance due to its natural beauty