Ben Lawers
1,214 m
United Kingdom
Also known as Beinn Labhair, Бен-ЛоуерсAlso known as
Beinn Labhair · Бен-Лоуерс
- Elevation
- 1,214 m
- Prominence
- 915 m
- Difficulty
- 2/10
- Hike
- Best Season
- May–Sep
- Routes
- 1
Routes
1One of Scotland's most popular Munro walks: a restored National Trust for Scotland path from the high car park on the Lochan na Lairige road over Beinn Ghlas (1,103 m) and along a grassy ridge to the trig point and view indicator on Ben Lawers. 11 km return, 942 m of ascent, 4–6 hours, returning by a bypass path round the north side of Beinn Ghlas.
Elevation Profile
- Distance
- 5.5 km
- one way
- Ascent
- +900 m
- −97 m lost on the way up
- High Point
- 1,214 m
- Time Up
- 3h 53m
- DIN 33466
- Time Down
- 2h 49m
- DIN 33466 · same way back
Start at the Ben Lawers NNR car park, about 2 miles up the hill road from the A827 north of Loch Tay. Go through the walled interpretation area, cross the road and follow the path through a gate into a fenced enclosure that protects the flora from sheep and deer grazing. The Nature Trail branches off right (it may be used in ascent only); the main path keeps left of the burn among birches, then crosses it and climbs out of the enclosure. At a fork keep right (the left branch is the return route). The path, rebuilt by the National Trust for Scotland, steepens and zigzags over increasingly rocky ground to a shoulder and the small summit plateau of Beinn Ghlas, a Munro in its own right that many walkers mistake for Ben Lawers in cloud. A broad path follows the mostly grassy ridge down to the bealach, then climbs Ben Lawers in a steep section, a flatter stretch and a final steep pull to the summit trig point and view indicator. The 19th-century cairn built to lift the summit above 4,000 ft has long gone. Return to the bealach and take the improved bypass path that forks right around the north side of Beinn Ghlas to the bealach with Meall Corranaich, then descend across the flank of Beinn Ghlas to rejoin the ascent path. Do not descend the Nature Trail, which is reserved for ascent to limit erosion. Experienced walkers can continue from the summit over An Stùc, Meall Garbh and Meall Greigh around Lochan nan Cat, a much longer day with trickier ground on An Stùc, finishing far from the car park.
Start
Ben Lawers NNR car park411 m
- No public transport to the start. The nearest mainline stations are Crianlarich and Pitlochry with some connecting buses to the Loch Tay area; there is a footpath from the A827 to the car park starting about 1 mile west of the hill road (NN 614 361).
- Parking at the trailhead
Stages
| Day | Stage | km | m ascent | m descent | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ben Lawers NNR car park → Ben Lawers | 5.5 | 900 | 97 | 3h 53m |
Waypoints
- Parking: Ben Lawers NNR car park411 m
National Trust for Scotland car park, OS grid NN 608 377; parking charge
- Feature: Beinn Ghlas1,093 m
- Summit: Ben Lawers1,214 m
Key Passages
- Steep rocky zigzags on Beinn Ghlas
- Grassy ridge to the bealach
- Final steep pull to the summit
Equipment
0/5 packedDownloads
Route confidence 85%Overview
The highest mountain in Perthshire and Breadalbane (1,214 m), the tenth-highest Munro, rising above Loch Tay. A high car park and a well-restored path make it one of Scotland's most popular hills, and its schist crags hold Britain's richest arctic-alpine flora.
Ben Lawers is the high point of a ridge of seven Munros on the north side of Loch Tay, between Killin and Kenmore, and stands 100–200 m above its neighbouring massifs as an isolated landmark east of the main Highland watershed. The south side has been owned by the National Trust for Scotland since 1950 and forms the Ben Lawers National Nature Reserve, renowned for rare arctic-alpine plants and lichens that thrive on its calcareous mica-schists.
The usual ascent starts from the NTS car park 2 miles up the Lochan na Lairige road and crosses Beinn Ghlas (1,103 m) first: 11 km and 942 m of ascent on a clear path, so two Munros come in one moderate day. Fitter walkers continue over An Stùc, Meall Garbh and Meall Greigh around the corrie of Lochan nan Cat, or approach from the village of Lawers by the Lawers Burn.
The ridge is high and exposed. In winter it carries snow for months and becomes a proper winter hill walk requiring an ice axe and crampons; in cloud the lack of waymarking above the fenced enclosure catches out walkers who stop on Beinn Ghlas thinking they are on Ben Lawers.
Climbing Notes
In summer this is a moderate hill walk on a good path: allow 4–6 hours for the 11 km round with 942 m of ascent. Carry a map and compass, waterproofs and warm layers; the ridge is very exposed to wind and the summit is often in cloud.
In winter the route is a classic introduction to winter hillwalking but requires an ice axe and crampons and the skills to use them, plus attention to avalanche forecasts (Scottish Avalanche Information Service) and short daylight. Stay on the paths in the reserve to protect the fragile vegetation, use the Nature Trail only in ascent, and keep dogs under close control because of grazing livestock.
History
The mapmaker Timothy Pont surveyed the area in the 1590s and may have climbed it; the earliest recorded ascent was by a party under the military surveyor William Roy, who took measurements from the summit on 17 September 1776. Long believed to exceed 4,000 ft, it was measured at 3,984 ft in the 1870s; in 1878 twenty men led by Malcolm Ferguson built a cairn about 6 m high to push it over the mark, but the Ordnance Survey ignored it and it has since disappeared. The National Trust for Scotland bought most of the south side in 1950 with funds from the mountaineer Percy Unna, and the area has been a National Nature Reserve since 1964. The Trust's visitor centre was closed and demolished in 2010.
Season
Best May–Sep- January: Possible
- February: Possible
- March: Possible
- April: Good
- May: Best (best window)
- June: Best (best window)
- July: Best (best window)
- August: Best (best window)
- September: Best (best window)
- October: Good
- November: Possible
- December: Possible
- Jan
- Winter conditions; ice axe, crampons and avalanche awareness needed
- Feb
- Winter conditions
- Mar
- Winter conditions often persist on the ridge
- Apr
- Snow patches likely high up
- May
- Longer days; late snow patches possible high up
- Jun
- Arctic-alpine flowers; busy car park
- Jul
- Peak season
- Sep
- No stalking restrictions on NTS ground
- Oct
- Shorter days; first snow possible
- Nov
- Early winter conditions
- Dec
- Winter conditions, very short days
Access & Permits
- Fees
- Ben Lawers NNR car park: £4 parking charge for non-members, free for National Trust for Scotland members (NTS, 2026)
- Rules
- Scottish Outdoor Access Code applies
- Ben Lawers National Nature Reserve: stay on footpaths to protect rare arctic-alpine vegetation; the Nature Trail is for ascent only
- Drones may only be flown with prior permission from the NTS Property Manager
- Car park not suitable for coaches or large campervans; no toilets on site
- Dogs under close control: grazing livestock on the hill
- Getting There
Killin
Edinburgh Airport (EDI); Glasgow Airport (GLA)
- Car: A827 along the north side of Loch Tay, then the minor road towards Lochan na Lairige for about 2 miles to the NTS car park
- Train: nearest mainline stations are Crianlarich and Pitlochry, with some connecting buses to Killin and Loch Tay; no public transport to the car park
- On foot: a path from the A827 (starting about 1 mile west of the hill road, NN 614 361) leads up to the car park
Hazards
- Weather
- Avalanche