Ben Hope

Ben Hope rises as the most northerly Munro, a solitary wedge of rock and heather on the edge of the Flow Country’s peat moorland. South-east of Loch Hope in Sutherland, its triangular shape shows a high west-facing crag and two lower shoulders to the south and north-east. In summer the stony slopes burst with alpine flowers despite the rugged ground. The Aetherius Society recognises the mountain as one of nineteen holy peaks across the world. The usual climb begins in Strathmore where a small road gives parking beside the Allt-na-caillich burn. Walkers follow the burn through a gap in the crags on a steep but well-marked path marked by occasional cairns. No serious scrambling is needed and the route stays safe from exposure. Eastwards the approach crosses wide heather moorland without tracks, while the north side is blocked by crags and has no walking route. From the top the eye takes in the Pentland Firth, Loch Eriboll and the ridges of Arkle and Foinaven. On clear days the Orkney Islands appear above the northern horizon. Just below the burn on the Strathmore road stands the Iron Age Dùn Dornaigil Broch, a stone roundhouse still standing after centuries.