Ben Lomond
974 m
United Kingdom
Also known as Beinn Laomainn, Ben Lomond (Scozia), +2Also known as
Beinn Laomainn · Ben Lomond (Scozia) · Ben Lomond (szczyt) · Бен-Ломонд
- Elevation
- 974 m
- Prominence
- 820 m
- Difficulty
- 2/10
- Hike
- Best Season
- May–Jun
- Routes
- 2
Hut closedReported 1 Mar 2026
The low-level West Highland Way between Ptarmigan Lodge and Rowchoish Bothy, north of Rowardennan, has been closed for safety reasons since March 2026 (month precision only). It does not affect the Ben Lomond routes. Check the West Highland Way website for diversions.
RegulationReported 1 Jul 2026
Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park held a public consultation from July to September 2026 on its 10-year review of the Camping Management Byelaws; zones and rules may change from 2027.
lochlomond-trossachs.org
Routes
2The well-made National Trust for Scotland path from the Rowardennan car park on the east shore of Loch Lomond: through regenerating oak woods onto the broad south ridge, then two big zigzags up the summit cone to the rim of the eastern corrie and the 974 m trig point. About 12 km return with 950–990 m of ascent; 4½–5½ hours.
Elevation Profile
- Distance
- 6.2 km
- one way
- Ascent
- +956 m
- start → summit
- High Point
- 974 m
- Time Up
- 3h 58m
- DIN 33466
- Time Down
- 2h 41m
- DIN 33466 · same way back
Start at the Forestry and Land Scotland car park at Rowardennan (about 15 m, pay and display), at the end of the B837 from Drymen. The path leaves through the information building at the south end of the car park and climbs steadily through oak woodland, crossing a forest track and a small bridge, with the first views of Loch Lomond opening up. The native woodland here is regenerating after commercial plantations were removed. Beyond two gates the path reaches the open hill. The path up the broad south ridge was once an erosion scar up to 25 m wide, visible from Glasgow; the National Trust for Scotland has rebuilt it as a stone path a couple of metres wide. Keep to it rather than cutting corners. The gradient eases on the shoulder, then the path steepens again in two long zigzags up the summit cone, with views east over the Trossachs to Loch Chon and Loch Ard. The path arrives suddenly at the rim of the steep eastern corrie and follows it, keeping left of the cliff edge, to the summit trig point. The usual descent is the same way. A rougher alternative descends the Ptarmigan ridge to the north-west (see the Ptarmigan route). In winter the summit cone and corrie rim often carry snow and cornices; take an ice axe and crampons and keep well back from the edge.
Start
Rowardennan car park16 m
- No bus to Rowardennan. In summer a water taxi or ferry crosses from Tarbet (buses from Glasgow and Balloch) and Inversnaid to Rowardennan pier; otherwise bus to Drymen and taxi for the last 14 km.
- Parking at the trailhead
Stages
| Day | Stage | km | m ascent | m descent | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rowardennan car park → Ben Lomond | 6.2 | 956 | 0 | 3h 58m |
Waypoints
- Parking: Rowardennan car park16 m
Pay and display, about 100 spaces, toilets; postcode G63 0AW
- Summit: Ben Lomond974 m
Key Passages
- Oak woods above Rowardennan
- Rebuilt path on the south ridge
- Zigzags up the summit cone
- Corrie rim near the summit (keep away from the edge in snow)
Equipment
0/5 packedDownloads
Route confidence 85%Overview
Scotland's most southerly Munro (974 m), rising from the east shore of Loch Lomond less than an hour from Glasgow. A rebuilt path leads from Rowardennan to a summit on the rim of a steep eastern corrie, with views along the loch and into the Highlands.
Ben Lomond stands on the east side of Loch Lomond within the Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park, and is owned by the National Trust for Scotland as part of the Ben Lomond National Memorial Park. Seen from the south and from Glasgow it looks like a cone; in fact it is formed by two parallel ridges, Sròn Aonaich to the east (carrying the Tourist Path) and the Ptarmigan ridge to the west, joining at a craggy summit above a steep north-east-facing corrie.
Its closeness to Glasgow and the easy-angled path make it one of the most climbed Munros, with an estimated 30,000 summit visits a year. The Tourist Path is a long but straightforward hill walk; the Ptarmigan ridge is rougher and quieter, and most walkers combine the two into a circuit. The summit view takes in the loch and its islands, the Arrochar Alps, the Trossachs and, on clear days, Ben Nevis.
Despite its reputation as an easy Munro, it is a real mountain: the summit is often in cloud and wind, the corrie rim carries cornices in winter, and the Lomond Mountain Rescue Team, set up in 1967, is regularly called out to walkers here.
Climbing Notes
Fit walkers manage the round trip in 4½–6 hours; the ascent is close to 1,000 m from almost sea level, so it is a full hill day. Wear boots and carry waterproofs, warm layers, food and water; the summit can be much colder and windier than the loch shore. The Tourist Path is easy to follow in summer, but the summit area and the Ptarmigan ridge need a map and compass in cloud.
In winter (roughly December to April) the upper mountain often holds snow and ice; an ice axe and crampons are needed and the corrie edge near the summit may be corniced. Arrive early at weekends: the Rowardennan car park often fills by 09:00 in summer, and the B837 is not gritted in winter. For overnight stays there are the Rowardennan youth hostel, the NTS Ben Lomond Bunkhouse at Ardess and the Rowardennan Hotel.
History
The name is thought to come from a Brittonic word for a beacon, as in the Lomond Hills of Fife and Pumlumon in Wales. The mountain features in the folk song 'The Bonnie Banks o' Loch Lomond'. By the 1990s erosion had widened the Tourist Path into a scar up to 25 m wide, visible from Glasgow; the National Trust for Scotland has since rebuilt it. In 1995 the former Rowardennan Estate, including the summit, was designated the Ben Lomond National Memorial Park, dedicated to those who died in the two World Wars; it was opened on Armistice Day 1997 by Donald Dewar, who unveiled a granite sculpture by Doug Cocker by the loch shore at Rowardennan.
Season
Best May–Jun- January: Possible
- February: Possible
- March: Possible
- April: Good
- May: Best (best window)
- June: Best (best window)
- July: Good
- August: Good
- September: Best
- October: Good
- November: Possible
- December: Possible
- Jan
- Winter conditions on the summit cone; ice axe and crampons; B837 not gritted
- Feb
- Winter conditions likely
- Mar
- Snow and ice often linger on the upper mountain
- Apr
- Snow possible near the summit; longer days
- May
- Often dry; long days; few midges
- Jun
- Long days; quieter on weekdays
- Jul
- Very busy; car park fills early; midges low down
- Aug
- Very busy; wet spells common
- Sep
- Often settled; quieter on weekdays
- Oct
- Shorter days and autumn storms
- Nov
- Early winter conditions possible
- Dec
- Winter conditions; short days
Access & Permits
- Permits
- Loch Lomond and The Trossachs camping permitOptional
Only needed if camping overnight in a Camping Management Zone (which includes the East Loch Lomond shore around Rowardennan) between 1 March and 30 September. Not needed for a day walk.
lochlomond-trossachs.org
- Hut Booking
- No hut needed. Rowardennan youth hostel, the NTS Ben Lomond Bunkhouse at Ardess and the Rowardennan Hotel are near the start.
- Fees
- Rowardennan car park (Forestry and Land Scotland) is pay and display: GBP 2 per hour or GBP 5 per day (2026); free for Blue Badge holders
- Access to the mountain is free (National Trust for Scotland)
- Rules
- Camping Management Byelaws apply on the East Loch Lomond shore from 1 March to 30 September: camping only in permit areas or campsites
- Keep to the rebuilt path to limit erosion; dogs under close control because of grazing sheep
- Getting There
Drymen (about 18 km by road); Balloch
Glasgow (GLA), about 1 hour by road
- Car: from Glasgow via Drymen and Balmaha on the B837 to its end at Rowardennan (G63 0AW); the road is narrow and not gritted in winter
- Bus and boat: bus from Glasgow or Balloch to Tarbet, then the summer water taxi across the loch to Rowardennan pier
- Bus to Drymen (from Balloch), then taxi for the last 14 km
Hazards
- Weather
- Cornices