Ben Nevis £40pp

Ben Nevis  is the highest mountain in Scotland. The summit is 1,345 metres (4,413 ft) above sea level and is the highest land in any direction for 459 miles (739 kilometres). Ben Nevis stands  in the region of Lochaber, close to the town of Fort William.

We will start at the visitor centre in Glen Nevis and take the Mountain Track which is the most popular route of ascent. Bridges from the Visitor Centre allow access from the west side of Glen Nevis. 

The path climbs steeply to the saddle by Lochan Meall an t-Suidhe also known as the 'Halfway Lake at 570 m, then ascends the remaining 700 metres up the stony west flank of Ben Nevis in a series of zig-zags. Thanks to the zig-zags, the path is not unusually steep apart from in the initial stages.

The summit of Ben Nevis comprises a large stony plateau of about 100 acres. The highest point is marked with a large  cairn atop which sits an OS trig point. The summit is the highest ground in any direction for 459 miles (739 km) before the Scandinavian Mountainsd in western Norway are reached.

The ruined walls of the observatory are a prominent feature on the summit. An emergency shelter has been built on top of the observatory tower for the benefit of those caught out by bad weather. Although the base of the tower is slightly lower than the true summit of the mountain, the roof of the shelter overtops the trig point by several feet, making it the highest man-made structure in the UK. A War memorial to the dead of WW11 is located next to the observatory.

Distance 17km/10.5 miles

Time 7/9 hrs