Ben Nevis and Glen Coe. Ronald Turnbull
summit.
What next? Simplest is to descend the top part of the Mountain Track (Route 7) then past Lochan Meall an t-Suidhe’s outflow (Route 8). You could incorporate Meall an t-Suidhe (Route 11). More ambitiously, go down by way of the Carn Mor Dearg Arête (end of Route 8).
ROUTE 10
Half Ben Nevis (CIC Hut)
| Start/Finish | Glen Nevis Visitor Centre (NN 123 730) |
| Distance | 17.5km/11 miles |
| Total ascent | 700m/2300ft |
| Time | 6hr |
| Terrain | Paths, rough for 4km |
| Max altitude | Ben Nevis (CIC) Hut 670m |
Half Ben Nevis actually gives you more of the mountain, as it takes you into the grandeur of the northern corrie. It also includes 3km of the Nevis riverbank, as well as some less lovely back corners of Fort William. Walkers halfway up the Mountain Track who can’t face another 600m of straight ‘up’ can switch into this route, with its much better balance of pleasure and effort. (‘CIC’ stands for Charles Inglis Clark, a climber who died in World War I.)
Start at the Visitor Centre. At the downstream end of the car park cross the footbridge signed for Ben Nevis and turn upstream, but where the Mountain Track turns off left, continue along the riverside. In 1.5km you reach the footbridge to Glen Nevis youth hostel. Don’t cross it, but turn up left on the rebuilt path that climbs steeply beside a plantation to join the Mountain Track.
Turn right, uphill. The wide, well-built track slants up the side of Meall an t-Suidhe, with a couple of zigzags and crossing two little aluminium footbridges, into the hollow of the lower Red Burn. At the top of this it makes a zigzag to the left to arrive on the halfway plateau above Lochan Meall an t-Suidhe.
The wide path slants uphill northeast above the lochan. After 400 metres, the path divides: here walkers for Ben Nevis summit would make a sharp right turn. But keep ahead on a smooth rebuilt path. As it bends down left towards the outflow of Lochan Meall an t-Suidhe, fork off right on a faint, unbuilt path. This bends around a spur, and becomes rugged as it contours into the valley of Allt a’ Mhuilinn. (In winter, note that the slope crossed here is susceptible to avalanches – check the avalanche forecast.)
Heading up Allt a’ Mhuilinn to Ben Nevis
As you reach the stream, your eventual descent path is opposite, but continue upstream for 600 metres through scenes of increasing grandeur to the Ben Nevis hut, formally the Charles Inglis Clark or CIC Hut. If it was in Austria, the hut would serve gassy beer and herbal tea on red-chequered tablecloths. Being in Scotland, it is owned by the Scottish Mountaineering Club and is locked up.
Cross the stream 100 metres below the hut, and head down the well built path to its right (east). After 3km, a wide ladder stile leads to the top of a forest road. After 200 metres fork down left, and follow the road left over a bridge. It contours southwest for 1km, with fine views, until you can take the main track forking down to the right.
At the slope foot it joins another track. Turn left for 200 metres, under power lines, until an overgrown stony path turns off right (NN 133 752). It is signed for the Distillery. It leads to a stream, and follows its left bank, under the railway. Then it runs along to the right of a whisky shed. Head out though the distillery’s main gate to the A82.
Cross the A82 but not the Lochy Bridge ahead; instead turn sharp left onto a well-made path between the golf course (left) and the River Lochy (right). At a car park, bear right along the riverbank to Old Inverlochy Castle. Turn left, pass through the castle and back to the riverbank.
Ahead, a lane takes you under the railway. Just past the end of the long Soldiers’ Bridge (footbridge) take a stile on the right, to reach a narrow bridge over a tailrace stream. Cross grass to join the smooth gravel path of the Great Glen Way. It runs near the wide, tidal river, then through woodland; then is again beside the Lochy for 400 metres. Finally it bends left around a wood to a tarred street.
Turn left for a few steps, ignoring a rough riverside track to find a gravel path alongside houses. After 300 metres it drops to join Dubh MacDonald Road. At this street’s end, turn right in Earl of Inverness Road to the A82.
The street opposite is signed for Ben Nevis Inn. Follow it for 100 metres, then cross a stone bridge on the right. Turn left, up Glen Nevis, and follow the pavement for 500 metres until a track forks off left to another footbridge, a green-painted metal one. Recross the River Nevis and turn right, upstream. In 300 metres the street bears left; here keep ahead on a riverside path. After 1km it brings you to the footbridge at the Visitor Centre.
ROUTE 11
Meall an t-Suidhe
| Start/Finish | Glen Nevis Visitor Centre (NN 123 730) |
| Distance | 14.5km/9 miles (for circuit) |
| Total ascent | 700m/2300ft |
| Time | 5½hr |
| Terrain | Paths, grassy hillsides |
| Max altitude | Meall an t-Suidhe 711m |
As an alternative to visiting the northern corrie on Route 10, you can top out on Meall an t-Suidhe, a hill half as high as Ben Nevis but with rather better views as it’s out of the cloud more often and also closer to the rest of the scenery. It’s pronounced and sometimes spelt Melantee, the Hill of the Seat. The summit is grassy and peaceful and it is indeed comfy to sit down on. It can be done when you change your mind halfway up the Mountain Trail, or as a warm-down summit when descending the Ben towards the North Face car park (adding 1.5km, 150m, and 40mins to the descent from Ben Nevis).
See map in Route 10. Start as for Route 10 from the Nevis Visitor Centre, and follow the Mountain Track until it levels onto the halfway plateau. At once turn off left.
If descending from Ben Nevis
Come down the zigzags of the Mountain Track and across the Red Burn, and at the path junction above the half-way loch turn back sharp left (all as Route 7). Before the path drops off the edge of the plateau, turn off right.
Cross grassland past the head of Lochan Meall an t-Suidhe to cross the trickle flowing out of the loch (a proper stream flows from the other end, which is accordingly the foot of the loch). Head up the grassy and somewhat wet slope beyond, then turn right along the rounded crest, which dips then rises to the cairned summit of Meall an t-Suidhe.
On Melantee (Meall an t-Suidhe), view to Loch Linnhe
Descend northeast, on a rounded spur, with a small path vanishing. At the spur foot continue northeast, crossing a stream then following it down, to find the metal posts of an old deer fence (marked on Harveys map). A small path and quad-bike wheelmarks run alongside this. Follow it down north, to reach the Allt a’ Mhuilinn at the 300m contour. Cross the stream at the metal grating underneath a deer fence, to reach a ladder stile on the upward path – or if the stream is full, continue downstream for 150 metres to a bridge.
Head down the track and path to the North Face car park, if that’s where you started, or else follow Route 10 through Fort William for the Nevis Visitor Centre.
ROUTE 12
Carn Mor Dearg East Ridge
| Start/Finish | End of public road, Glen Nevis (NN 167 691) |
| Distance | 7km/4½ miles (to Nevis summit) |
| Total |