Ben Nevis Hike: Scale Britain’s Highest Mountain

Ben Nevis is located in the western Highlands of Scotland, also known as the Grampian Mountains. At the base of the mountain is Fort William, the main town in this part of the country called Lochaber. The famous West Highland Way runs along the foot of the mountain in Glen Nevis. The mountain is about 180 km north of Glasgow and 230 km from Edinburgh. Below is an overview of how to get to Fort William, the starting point for climbs up Ben Nevis.

The biggest airports in Scotland are Edinburgh and Glasgow (there are actually two airports in Glasgow). Both airports are well-served by many airlines around the globe. Glasgow is the best choice as there are direct connections from here to Fort William.

By car

From both Glasgow and Edinburgh it’s a 2hr30min / 3hr drive to Fort William via the A82. The winding roads make the journey relatively time consuming, but it’s a great drive.

By bus

There are many direct express buses from Glasgow that start at Buchanan Street. Take either the 914, 915 or 916 services. From Edinburgh it’s faster to take the train.

By train

From the train station Queen Street in Glasgow hop on the direct Scotrail service to Mallaig and get off at Fort William. The journey takes around 4 hours and is one of the most scenic train rides in the UK, slicing right through the Scottish Highlands. If you come from Edinburgh you need to take the train to Glasgow Queen Street and change there.

Ben Nevis is a huge mountain and there are several routes up the mountain. The absolute majority of the 130,000 hikers who attempt Ben Nevis on an annual basis take the Mountain Path, aka the Tourist Path. The name Tourist Path is somewhat misleading. Although technically the trail is straightforward and in reasonable condition, it is a big slog. The path is steep and it’s a continuous ascent all the way to the summit, a 1320m climb in total. Perhaps the hardest part is the descent, a real knee battering exercise. It takes an average person around 9 hours to complete the hike. Throw in some typical Scottish weather and things can get very uncomfortable.

For those (experienced) hikers looking for a challenge, there’s an epic hike from the northside of the Ben, the Càrn Mòr Dearg Arete or CMD Arete. This is one of the classic ridge walks in Scotland, with sheer drops on either side of the ridge. The views of the north face of Ben Nevis are truly impressive and you may encounter just a handful of other hillwalkers. To most hiker’s standards this walk would be considered difficult.

And then there’s the back of the Ben, a 700 meter near vertical rock face that serves as a playground for rock climbers and alpinists alike. The most famous routes are Ledge Route and Tower Ridge, which require climbing equipment. At the base of the North Face is the CIC hut, from where most climbers start their ascents.

So can we classify Ben Nevis as difficult? The Mountain Path is tough but not difficult. All the other routes are considered difficult. The choice is yours!

A Munro is a Scottish mountain with an altitude of 3000 feet (or roughly 914 meters) or higher. It is named after Sir Hugh Munro, who identified the 3000ft+ hills in the 19th century. There are 282 munros and it’s a hillwalker’s ultimate challenge to bag all of them. It takes most munro baggers a lifetime to climb them all, but there are superhumans that tick a round of munros off in as little as 32 days! Less than 8000 people have done it so far, known as compleators. Here’s the top 5 of the Scottish Munros, which happen to be the only hills that exceed 4000 feet.

1. Ben Nevis: 1344 meters / 4409 feet

2. Ben Macdui: 1309 meters / 4295 feet

3. Braeriach: 1296 meters / 4252 feet

4. Cairn Gorm: 1245 meters / 4085 feet

5. Càrn Mòr Dearg: 1223 meters / 4012 feet

Ben Nevis is the highest Munro. And it is not surprising that mountain runners are trying to set the fastest time possible. The current fastest known time (FKT) is 1hr25min34sec on the 14 km return route with 1320 vertical meters of ascent and descent.

The best season to climb Ben Nevis is typically during late spring to early autumn, roughly from May to September. During this period, the weather is generally milder, and there's less chance of encountering snow and ice on the summit. However, even during these months, weather conditions on Ben Nevis can change rapidly, so hikers should always be prepared for sudden changes and check the forecast before attempting the climb. If you want to avoid the crowds, you may want to go earlier in spring and later in autumn. You can ascend Ben Nevis in winter, but you have to keep in mind that at least a part of the trail is likely covered in snow and ice. Even on the easiest route, the Mountain Path, you need crampons and walking axe as there are some steeper drops next to the path. Proper winter climbing on Ben Nevis is also possible on the north face but requires specialized climbing equipment and mountaineering skills due to the harsh conditions and increased risk of avalanches.

The hills in Scotland are small compared to the mountains in the Alps and the Himalayas. It’s easy to underestimate them and each year hikers throughout Scotland get themselves in serious trouble because they venture into the hills underprepared. On Ben Nevis there will always be people heading up on flip flops and shorts, unaware of the potential severity of the terrain and weather. In many ways the terrain in the Scottish hills are more challenging than the Alps for two main reasons. First, the weather conditions. The west coast gets battered by storms on a regular basis, with wind speeds that exceed 100 km/h. Throw in low temperatures and rain and sleet and the chance of hypothermia is real. Second, navigation. Many routes in Scotland are not waymarked and you need to navigate your way on the trails with a navigation app, such as Komoot. But phone batteries may die or it rains heavily, making it impossible to see your screen. Therefore you also need to bring a topographic map and compass and make sure you know how to use it. Navigating with bright blue skies is fairly easy, but when the visibility has reduced to 10 meters or less you need to know how to find your way in the hills. Even if these are waymarked, such as the path on Ben Nevis.

How do you prepare yourself for Ben Nevis? The most important thing is to bring the right equipment. Essential items include a breathable waterproof jacket and trousers, map and compass and good quality walking boots. Many hillwalkers in the UK carry a bothy bag, which is basically a huge plastic bag for hikers to shelter themselves from wind and rain. More on what to pack in the Packing List chapter. Before you hit the trail it’s a good idea to study your route and visualize what to expect along the way. This enables you to anticipate mentally and you can act swiftly on changing circumstances. Make sure you buy the right map(s) and learn / practice using a map and compass. Our hiking guide will provide you with the Komoot routes and a list of emergency numbers.