Ben Nevis and Glen Coe National Scenic Area

Ben Nevis and Glen Coe National Scenic Area covers 903 square kilometres of wild Highland landscape in Argyll and Bute, Perth and Kinross, and Highland council areas. It stretches from the sea loch of Loch Leven to the slopes of Ben Nevis, Scotland’s highest mountain. The area also includes Glen Coe, Glen Nevis, the Mamores ridge, Glen Etive, the Black Mount and Rannoch Moor. These glens and mountains sit within a single protected zone where development is carefully controlled. The idea of protecting such dramatic scenery took shape in the 19th and early 20th centuries. In 1951 the area became one of five national park direction areas, allowing central government to review planning decisions. In 1981 it was reclassified as one of 40 national scenic areas across Scotland, safeguarding its exceptional landscapes. Glen Coe itself is also a national nature reserve and a Special Area of Conservation, recognised for its rare mountain habitats. Visitors find steep-sided glens like Glen Nevis, where Steall Falls plunges down a narrow gorge below Ben Nevis. The Mamores ridge offers ten Munro summits along a fifteen-kilometre east–west ridge. Glen Coe’s volcanic glen is famous for its sudden switch from high mountain pass to gently wooded valley, while Glen Etive’s river draws whitewater kayakers. Rannoch Moor stretches boggy moorland for fifty square kilometres, crossed by the West Highland Line to Fort William.