Ben Lui

Ben Lui is a Munro in the southern Highlands of Scotland, standing 1,130 metres high. It is the highest peak of a chain of four Munros south of Glen Lochy, about ten kilometres north of the top end of Loch Lomond. The mountain has five well-defined ridges and four corries, including Coire Gaothaich on its northeast side. Ben Lui sits on Scotland’s main watershed, sending waters east to the Tay and North Sea, south to Loch Lomond and the Firth of Clyde, and west to the Lochy and Atlantic. A lochan on its slopes has been identified as the source of Scotland’s longest river, the Tay. The Ben Lui range was formerly a National Nature Reserve, with moist cliffs and rocky outcrops supporting unusually lush mountain plants. Saxifrages, mosses and lichens grow abundantly in the less acidic soil. The mountain’s rocky circular bowl, Coire Gaothaich, is its most celebrated feature. The cliffs and crags around the upper rim of the corrie can be difficult to navigate in poor visibility, especially in winter when ice persists late into April. The simplest ascent starts from Glen Lochy, following a path through forestry to the northwest ridge, reaching the summit in just over three kilometres. An eastern approach from Tyndrum Lower station or Dalrigh follows Glen Cononish, notable for its goldmine, before climbing the northern ridge, Stob Garbh, to the summit in about nine kilometres. Walkers can descend via the southeast ridge to include Ben Oss and possibly Beinn Dubhchraig, or traverse all four Munros in a day with transport arranged.