Introduction

This afternoon, I am reporting on Ben Nevis which, at 4411 ft (1345m) is Britain’s (and Scotland’s) highest mountain. Coordinates are 56.7969° N, 5.0036° W.

View in winter

Information

The mountain is located at the western end of the Grampian mountains and dominates the Fort William area. The West Highland Way hiking trail (Glasgow-Fort William) runs close to the base of Ben Nevis. The mountain is accessible to most able bodied persons and experiences about 100,000 ascents per annum. However, climbers should be suitably attired and cognizant of weather conditions as each year several fatalities occur.

The name is of Gaelic origin and roughly translates as ‘mountain with head in the clouds’.

Ben Nevis is a 400m year old granite mass capped with volcanic rock and shaped by glaciation. On a clear day, a position on the summit gives a view of a succession of land ridges. These stretch in all directions with the exception of a break to the north which is caused by the Great Glen. The Great Glen is a major valley 1-3 miles wide and 50 miles long.

Here is a link to the Ben Nevis webcam from Fort William.

For visitors who wish to experiences the local vistas whilst avoiding the climb there is a cable car at nearby Aonach Mor.

More information for the visitor

The publication Visitors’ Guide to Scotland spans nearly 800 pages and provides a wide range range of information and images, including activities. ISBN is 978-1-9161332-0-4. Also available via Kindle.