Summits of Great Britain

Some Mountains, Hills and Summits of Great Britain

These pages feature some of the many mountains, hills, fells, summits and high points in Britain. The criteria for inclusion are that (1) I've climbed the hill in question, and (2) that I've taken a photo at the summit. Wherever possible there is also a picture of the hill from a neighbouring summit or adjacent valley, or a picture of the view from the top.

See the home page for an explanation of the status terms (Munro, Corbett, Marylin, Hewitt, et al).

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	Ben Chonzie Location: Scottish Highlands, Perthshire Grid Ref: NN 773308 Height: 3054 ft (931 m) Status: Munro, Murdo, Marilyn Notes: Ben Chonzie stands some 8 miles northwest of the town of Crieff, close to the highland boundary fault. Most guidebooks would have you believe that Ben Chonzie is Scotland's most boring Munro but I beg to differ. It's an exhilarating climb and the view is lovely. The easiest access is via its western flanks, where there is a path up to the summit ridge from Invergeldie. A wind shelter adorns the summit, from where you can see the Ochils to the south, Ben Vorlich to the southwest, Ben More and Stobinian to the west, the Ben Lawers group broadside-on to the northwest, Schiehallion to the north and the Glen Garry / Glen Tilt hills to the northeast.

	Ben Cleuch Location: The Ochils Grid Ref: NN 902006 Height: 2365 ft (721 m) Status: Graham, Donald, Marilyn Notes: Ben Cleugh is the highest summit in the Ochils, a range of hills lying north of the Forth between Stirling and Perth. Its situation makes it one of the best viewpoints in Scotland: the view ranges to Glas Maol and Ben Macdui in the north, Ben Lomond and the Arrochar Alps in the west, North Berwick Law to the east and far into the Southern Uplands to the south. The northwestern arc includes Stuc a' Chroin, Ben Vorlich, the Glen Falloch Munros, Ben More and Ben Lawers, and it's the one place from which Edinburgh, Glasgow, Perth, Stirling and Falkirk can all be seen at once. The sprawling, grassy top can be approached on paths from Alva or from Tillicoultry; the latter approach includes the spectacular start of Mill Glen though the ascent is steep in parts.

	Ben Ever Location: The Ochils Grid Ref: NN 893001 Height: 2041 ft (622 m) Status: Graham Top, Donald Notes: A southwestern outlier of Ben Cleuch, the highest top in the Ochils. The broad grassy ridge is windswept and largely featureless, and Ben Ever is not a particularly rewarding top save that its ascent is either a preamble or a postscript to that of Ben Cleuch itself. A good path goes up from Alva, nar Stirling. The view is interesting, taking in much of the Forth valley, but the view from nearby Ben Cleuch is much better.

	Ben Gulabin Location: Scottish Highlands, Mounth Grid Ref: NO 100722 Height: 2644 ft (806 m) Status: Corbett, Marylin Notes: Ben Gulabin stands immediately north of the Spittal of Glensee. From about a mile north of Spittal on the A82, a landrover track leads away from the road to the left and climbs to a col north of the Ben; from here a rough new track climbs southwestwards to the ridge to join an older path going west to the summit; a straightforward climb if a bit steep. Those who climb Ben Gulabin are rewarded with extensive views of the Mounth to the east and west and a view down lower Glenshee towards Fife and the Firth of Forth. The northern aspect is rather restricted by the Glas Maol and Carn a'Gheoid groups.

	Ben Lawers Location: Scottish Highlands, Perthshire Grid Ref: NN 635414 Height: 3983 ft (1214 m) Status: Munro, Murdo, Marilyn, County Top (Perthshire) Notes: The tenth highest mountain in the UK, and the highest not to reach 4000ft, Ben Lawers is situated to the north of Loch Tay miore or less in the centre of the central Highlands, and thus has a magnificent panorama. This mountain is a popular climb and there is a good path all the way from the Ben Lawers Visitor Centre on the minor road between Loch Tay and Bridge of Balgie in Glen Lyon. The path also traverses Beinn Ghlas (q.v.). All the major Perthshire and Stirlingshire hills are prominently seen; the panorama also extends to the Cheviots, the Pentlands, the highest hills in Galloway, the Paps of Jura, parts of Mull, the Ben Cruachan group, the Glencoe hills, Mamores and Lochaber ranges, the Glen Shiel and Affric hills, the Cairngorms and the Mounth, and the Sidlaws.

	Ben Ledi Location: Scottish Highlands, The Trossachs Grid Ref: NN 562098 Height: 2883 ft (879 m) Status: Corbett, Marilyn Notes: Bed Ledi is one of Scotland's easiest Corbetts, situated a handful of miles west of Callander within the boundaries of the recently created Loch Lomond National Park. A path rises through forest plantations to gain Ben Ledi's eastern ridge, from which the climb to the summit is not much more than a stroll. Ledi can be seen across the plains of Stirlingshire from much of Scotland's central belt, and the view across this region from Ledi's summit is magnificent. Through the north and west there is a vista of mountains too numerous to count, though they include Ben Lomond, the Arrochar Alps, Ben More, Stobinian and the Ben Lawers group.

	Ben Lomond Location: Scottish Highlands, Loch Lomond Grid Ref: NN 367028 Height: 3196 ft (974 m) Status: Munro, Murdo, Marilyn Notes: The most southerly Munro, and one of the easiest to ascend. An excellent path from Rowardennan on the eastern shore of Loch Lomond will get the average walker to the summit in two hours. Views are glorious and include the Trossachs, the Arrochar Alps, the Glen Falloch and Ben Dubhcraig groups, Ben More and Stobinian, and Ben Lawers and its neighbours. To the south and southeast, parts of the central lowlands are visible and on the clearest days it should be possible to spot Arthur's Seat in Edinburgh. An alternative descent by way of the Ptarmigan ridge (steeper and rockier than the main path) could be used to make the expedition a circular walk.

	Ben Macdui (Beinn Macduibh) Location: Scottish Highlands, Cairngorms Grid Ref: NN 989989 Height: 4295 ft (1309 m) Status: Munro, Murdo, Marilyn, County Top (Aberdeenshire, Banff) Notes: The second highest mountain in Britain, and situated in a remote spot at the centre of the Cairngorms massif, Macdui unfortunately has little aesthetic appeal. It is only really visible from tops of other mountains in the range, and from almost every direction it appears as a shapeless lump. The top picture shows Macdui seen from Cairn Gorm. The summit is a stony, frost-shattered wilderness though it features a well-built shelter and a topograph. Macdui is reasonably easy to ascend from the base station of the Cairngorm mountain railway, by way of the spur between Coire Cas and Coire an t-Sneachda and then across the plateau, though this is an expedition to be undertaken only in fine, settled weather. It can also be climbed from Braemar via Glen Derry, but the distances involved are daunting. The name probably means "MacDuff's Mountain".

	Ben More Location: Scottish Highlands, Stirlingshire Grid Ref: NN 432244 Height: 3852 ft (1174 m) Status: Munro, Murdo, Marilyn, County Top (Stirlingshire) Notes: The highest mountain in Britain south of the Tay and the sixteenth highest in Britain, Ben More occupies a commanding position near Crianlarich, dominating both Strath Fillan and Glen Dochart. One would think that such a popular and iconic mountain would have a well-maintained path to the summit; not so, because half the ascent is a pathless slog up a steep, boggy hillside of rough tussock grass. Most walkers find their way to a prominent boulder at around 1500ft, and from there one should track half right. Not long afterwards you reach a path on the edge of Ben More's western corrie and this gives you trouble-free walking all the way to the summit. The view is magnificent; the most arresting sight is that of Stobinian immediately to the south, while the northern arc includes Ben Lui, Ben Cruachan, Ben Dorain, Ben Alder and Ben Lawers. Ben Nevis and Glencoe come into view to the northwest, and the Cairngorms to the northeast. The furthest skylines are to the south where the Galloway hills are visible some 85 miles away.

	Ben Nevis Location: Scottish Highlands, Lochaber Grid Ref: NN 166712 Height: 4408 ft (1344 m) Status: Munro, Murdo, Marilyn, County Top (Inverness-shire), Country Top (Scotland, Great Britain) Notes: Number One, the Roof of Britain, the highest point of our nation - and never was a summit so cluttered. The airy top was once home to a weather station and a very rudimentary hotel, though nowadays it boasts no more than a cairn, a thrown-together shelter and half a ton of litter. As the highest point in Britain it attracts a great many visitors, some of them unfortunately ill shod and unprepared for the conditions. There is an excellent stony track all the way up, from Achintee Farm just outside Fort William. The summit dome is rough and bouldery, devoid of vegetation, and snowbound for much of the year. The views, however, are glorious and extend over pretty much all the Highlands. The name (properly Beinn Nibheis) is obscure and is thought to have been imported into Gaelic from some even older language.

	Ben Vorlich Location: Scottish Highlands, Stirlingshire Grid Ref: NN 629189 Height: 3232 ft (985 m) Status: Munro, Murdo, Marilyn Notes: This is the more easterly of the two Ben Vorlichs in this corner of the Highlands. The ascent is straightforward, with a good path all the way, starting at the east gate of Ardvorlich House (NN633232) on the shores of Loch Earn. The summit ridge features a trig pillar at its western end, with a huge cairn some 200 metres away at the eastern end. Ben Lomond, the Arrochar Alps, Stobinian and Ben More dominate the view to the west while Ben Lawers and its neighbours fill the skyline to the north. Ben Nevis lays to the northwest and the Cairngorms are seen just east of north. The Firths of Tay and Forth are both seen and there are distant glimpses of the Pentlands, Moorfoots, Tinto and the Galloway Hills. If you're lucky you might just glimpse Ailsa Craig or the Cheviot.

	Ben Vrackie Location: Scottish Highlands, Perthshire Grid Ref: NN 951632 Height: 2759 ft (841 m) Status: Corbett, Marylin Notes: Ben Vrackie is one of the most accessible mountains in this corner of the Highlands, situated within three miles of the town of Pitlochry. There is a good path all the way, initially along residential roads and then a farm driveway and a woodland path. The view from the summit is excellent, encompassing the Ben Lawers group, Schiehallion, the Glen Tilt hills, the Mounth and the Ochils. The name is possibly a corruption of Beinn Bhreac ("speckled mountain").

	Bessyboot Location: Lake District, Southern Fells Grid Ref: NY 256117 Height: 2008 ft (612 m) Status: Wainwright Notes: Wainwright gives the quaintly named top of Bessyboot as the summit of Rosthwaite Fell, though the official summit of the latter is a few hundred metres away, just east of Tarn at Leaves. The fell overlooks upper Borrowdale and is in effect the northeasternmost outlier of Scafell Pike. It can be combined with Allen Crags and Glaramara in a ridgewalk but the intervening country is very rough, and Bessyboot is more normally climbed on its own. For a relatively minor fell it is unusually difficult to ascend. The standard route via Stanger Gill from Stonethwaite is steep and unpleasant, and I would recommend a pathless but much easier ascent by the grassy western slopes from Comb Gill and the Glaramara path. Bessyboot's panorama includes much of the Scafell, Gable, High Raise, Grasmoor, High Stile and Dale Head groups, and of course Skiddaw can be seen beyond Derwentwater.

	Birkhouse Moor Location: Lake District, Eastern Fells Grid Ref: NY 363159 Height: 2365 ft (718 m) Status: Wainwright, Nuttall Notes: Striding Edge, the famous arete that forms one of Helvellyn's eastern ridges, broadens out at its eastern end to form the grassy plateau of Birkhouse Moor. Most walkers in this area are heading for Helvellyn and its ridges, and relatively few think to turn off and head for this grassy top as a worthwhile diversion. Standing as it does between the valleys of Glenridding and Patterdale, Birkhouse enjoys a splendid view of Ullswater, Helvellyn and its neighbours, and many of the Far Eastern fells. On clear days the northern Pennines are also prominent. Birkhouse is easily reached from any of the standard routes to Striding Edge, and I would recommend the Mires Beck path from Glenridding village.

	Black Down Location: South Downs, West Sussex Grid Ref: SU 919296 Height: 919 ft (280 m) Status: Marilyn, County Top (West Sussex) Notes: This trig pillar presumably once stood on open heath but nowadays it is surrounded by forest. It marks the topmost point of an area of heathland a couple of miles southeast of Haslemere, on the Surrey / West Sussex / Hampshire border. The summit itself lacks interest but Black Down as a whole is splendid walking country, featuring a generous networks of paths, cycle tracks and viewpoints. A good portion of the South Downs, from Ditchling Beacon to Butser Hill, is visible from the viewpoint about 600m south of the trig point.

	Black Fell Location: Lake District, Southern Fells Grid Ref: NY 340015 Height: 1059 ft (323 m) Status: Wainwright, Clement Notes: Black Fell stands roughly a mile north of Tarn Hows, near Coniston. Like many of the lower Lakeland summits it makes up in ruggedness what it lacks in height and is surprisingly rocky. The most direct ascent is a simple stroll by a path from the lane between the fell and Tarn Hows. As Black Fell is the first high ground west of Windermere the views around the eastern and southern arcs are extensive, while a huge panorama of Lakeland summits fills the views to the north and west.

	Black Mountain Location: Black Mountains Grid Ref: SO 255350 Height: 2306 ft (703 m) Status: Marilyn, Hewitt, Nuttall, County Top (Herefordshire) Notes: It's not black and it isn't a mountain, but it is the highest point on the England/Wales border. A long heathland ridge, it is traversed by the Offa's Dyke long distance path. The summit is unmarked, in fact it's pretty nearly impossible to tell when you're at the highest point as the gradients along the ridgetop are imperceptible. A road immediately to the west (Hay-on-Wye to Capel-y-Ffin) allows access to the ridge at a number of points and non-drivers can take advantage of the Sunday bus from Hay. The view mainly encompasses similar ridges to the left and right, with other summits of the Black Mountain range predominating. For better views walk a mile north to Hay Bluff.

	Black Mountain (South Top) Location: Black Mountains Grid Ref: SO 266322 Height: 2090 ft (637 m) Status: Nuttall Notes: Black Mountain's south top is very similar to its parent fell except that the summit is actually obvious, and that there's a view across part of rural Herefordshire towards the Malvern Hills. It can be climbed in roughly an hour from Capel-y-Ffin and no doubt all who climb it will go on to Black Mountain itself and then Hay Bluff.

	Blackstone Edge Location: South Pennines Grid Ref: SD 972164 Height: 1549 ft (472 m) Status: none Notes: The main watershed of Britain rises to this craggy height between Rochdale and Huddersfield in the narrowest part of the Pennines. Blackstone Edge is on the route of the Pennine Way and is a remarkable outcrop of gritstone overlooking Rochdale to the west. It is roughly midway between the A672 at Windy Hill and the A58 at the White House above Littleborough, and can easily be ascended from either in less than thirty minutes.

	Blea Rigg Location: Lake District, Central Fells Grid Ref: NY 301078 Height: 1775 ft (541 m) Status: Wainwright Notes: Blea Rigg is the greater part of a huge shoulder of upland that runs down from the Langdale Pikes to the southeast, terminating ultimately at Loughrigg. The most obvious feature of Blea Rigg is the daunting line of crags on its north slope, overlooking Easedale. The true summit is a matter of guesswork for the ridge contains a number of outcrops and tors. The one pictured here does not match Wainwright's drawing but does appear to be the highest point. Blea Rigg is most easily climbed from Easedale Tarn by a path to the southwest. The panorama is confined by the huge bulk of High Raise and its satellites but it does give an excellent view of Harrison Stickle and Pavey Ark, while the Helvellyn and Fairfield ranges are well seen to the east together with the Coniston group to the south.

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This page last updated 1st June 2010

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