enjoy the view

NOTES

www.walkscene.co.uk

Midsummer on the Ben

Ben Nevis

Notes and points of interest

Fort William is the largest town is this part of Scotland and has a wide range of facilities, including hotels, guest houses and B&Bs, plus restaurants, takeaways and shops. It is a centre for tourism but also for walking and climbing, with at least 3 well-stocked stores with outdoor clothing and equipment. It was fortified during times of conflict with the English, which was when it gained its current name.

Ben Nevis is Britain's largest mountain, with a height of 4,406 feet above sea level. The car park and Visitor Centre is not far above the level of Loch Linnhe, so the climb begins almost at sea level. This mountain is small by international standards and the popular route is along a relentless, but safe and steady path. However, it is not to be taken lightly. it has an alpine microclimate at the summit and can be at sub-zero temperatures in midsummer. On average, 4 people a year die on this mountain. The name 'Nevis' is very old and its origin is not fully known. It is known that the river Nevis was named first and the mountain was named after it.

Loch Linnhe is the sea loch into which flow the River Nevis. Fort William stands on one side of the Loch and passenger ferries ply from the quayside to serve routes towards the inner Hebrides.

Red Burn runs through a small gorge down into the River Nevis. Once you cross Red Burn, via a wooden bridge, you round a bend to catch your first clear view of Ben Nevis itself.

River Nevis is the wide stream that runs beside the car park and Visitor Centre. It flows through Fort William and into Lock Linnhe.

The Munroes are Scotland's mountains above 2,000 feet, numbering about 200 peaks, with Ben Nevis as the highest and several more grouped closely around it. Some people adopt the lifetime challenge to climb them all!