Ben Ledi

Ben Ledi is a mountain in the Trossachs area of Stirling, about six kilometres northwest of Callander. It stands 878.6 metres high and is classified as a Corbett. The mountain lies near the village of Kilmahog and is surrounded by some of the most romantic scenery in the Highlands. The name Ben Ledi comes from the Gaelic Beinn Leitir, meaning ‘the Hill of the Slope’. A cairn on the summit was built in 1887 to mark Queen Victoria’s jubilee. The mountain is linked to Walter Scott’s poem *Lady of the Lake* and ancient Beltane rites. The mountain’s history includes a mistaken translation of its name by the Rev Dr James Robertson in 1791. He thought Ben Ledi meant ‘hill of god’, though the true meaning refers to its long south shoulder. Near the summit lies Lochan nan Corp, a small lochan at 655 metres above sea level. The lochan’s name means ‘the little loch of the dead’, tied to an old coffin road passing through the area. The pass nearby is called Bealach nan Corp, or ‘Pass of the Dead’. A constructed path from the A84 road leads to the summit via the south shoulder, covering just over three kilometres. An alternative route follows Stank Glen, reaching the summit ridge near Lochan nan Corp. The two paths can be combined for a circular walk of about nine kilometres. Near the summit stands an iron cross commemorating Sergeant Harry Lawrie, who died during a rescue operation in 1987. The mountain is also used occasionally for paragliding, and its ridge continues north to the summit of Benvane.