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About Ben Nevis in Fort William Scotland

Ben Nevis, the highest mountain in the UK is located behind the Highland town of Fort William. It is arguably the most popular mountain for walking and climbing in the UK


This section of the Visit Fort William website is all about Ben Nevis, the highest mountain in the British Isles which dominates the landscape of Fort William, outdoor capital of the UK. Ben Nevis, or the 'Ben' as it is fondly known locally, sits majestically at the head of Loch Linnhe, its presence obvious from all corners of Fort William and some parts of Lochaber.

Visit Fort William Ltd operates the Ben Nevis HDWebCam from Tomacharich, just outside Fort William town centre. The dramatic effect of Ben Nevis, Britain's highest mountain, is emphasised by the fact that it begins its rise from sea-level on the shores of Loch Linnhe, to tower 4,406ft (1,344m) above the town of Fort William, providing an almost paternal presence.

What does 'Nevis' mean? The river and glen running past the mountain both carry the name, as does the remote sea loch at Knoydart, 40 miles to the west. In Gaelic the mountain's name, Beinn Nibheis, has been linked with Irish and Gaelic words meaning poisonous or terrible, implying a fairly ominous character.
 
Ben Nevis, although not as high as Alpine mountains, is positioned on a more northerly latitude and the climate can be considered similar to Arctic regions. While there may be a welcoming sea breeze on the shores of Loch Linnhe, 20-30 knots of chilling wind may be evident on the summit of the Ben. Many walkers/climbers find weather conditions changing within minutes - usually for the worse - as they work their way up the mountain. If you are planing to walk up the mountain footpath with friends or on your own, be warned that the mountain can be intolerant of inexperienced, ill-prepared walkers!

The good news is that guidance and information about walking up Ben Nevis is available by checking out our safety and common sense advice pages.  You may like to consider the services and benefits of a guided walk up Ben Nevis, with a Ben Nevis mountain guide to provide a memorable and fun day out for you and your companions.

The Ben Nevis Observatory ruin is a fascinating story about the early days of meteorology in the UK. The Ben Nevis Race, and Three Peaks Race events are both very popular. Ben Nevis Distillery is both an important local business and place of interest for visitors.

Thousands of people walk up Ben Nevis every year and the vast majority do so in safety, taking common sense measures to make sure they stay safe while on the mountain. We hope you enjoy your own experience of walking up Ben Nevis and have a great time ! Please be considerate and not waste Police time by not walking up Ben Nevis when there is a severe weather forecast warning of gale-force winds and torrential rain. There's always another day to enjoy the experience safely and sensibly.

In 1911 a Model T Ford motor car was driven up and down the mountain and a film of the event exists, which you can see below. A local firm A&J Macpherson Transport of Fort William provided horses which were used to help pull the vehicle up the more demanding parts of the ascent.

If you are looking for a good place to stay, check out our accommodation section or try some of our premium advertisers on this page.

View the Ben Nevis webcam

Click to view the latest images from Ben Nevis

Enjoy these videos

Ben Nevis Time Lapse
This is a film of Ben Nevis time lapsed over 16 hours at the end of a day. The camera recorded a mountain rescue and you can see its lights shining on the mountain in the moonlight.
Ben Nevis Distillery
When visiting Fort William make sure you have a whisky tasting tour around Ben Nevis Distillery - Fort William's longest established business
Beautiful Glen Nevis
Discover the natural beauty of Glen Nevis any day of the year - waterfalls, magnificent mountains, wildlife and secluded places
Cycling around Fort William & Glen Nevis
Some great locations to enjoy while visiting Fort William and Glen Nevis, as well as some of our local businesses

Explore these featured listings

Hunter Mountaineering
First Class, friendly Mountain Guiding & Instruction on British Walking, Climbing, Scrambling and Mountaineering. Summer and Winter Private Guiding and Courses. From Walking up Ben Nevis to Climbing in Glencoe. Based in Fort William. We pride ourselves on our excellent customer feedback (Find us on Trip Advisor). We offer Private Guiding and the Courses that follow - Private Guiding, all year round: Our most popular choice is a bespoke service. This is the solution if you want to 'tick' specific climbs or summits, or work on particular skills. Do you want to Climb Ben Nevis via the mountain track, Tower Ridge or Ledge Route? Do you want to become more independent as a mountaineer, or develop your trad or winter leading? Or do you want to complete a particular climb, e.g. Aonach Eagach, Curved Ridge? Get in touch and we can start to make your plan happen. Summer Courses or ideas for Private Guiding could include - 1  Ben Nevis Walk 2  Munro Summits 3  Hill Walking, Navigation and Safety 4  Scrambling and Mountaineering 5  Rock Climbing 6  The CMD Ridge or Ledge route on the North Face 7  Tower Ridge, or other North Face Ridges 8  Aonach Eagach, Curved Ridge or other Glencoe Classics Winter Courses or ideas for Private Gudiing could include - 1  Winter Skills and Safety 2  Walking the Winter Munros 3  Winter Mountaineering 4  Introduction to Winter Climbing 5  Winter Climbing Hunter Mountaineering is run by myself, Max Hunter. I hold the Winter Mountaineering and Climbing Instructor award (the WMCI - the highest professional certification for Mountaineering & Climbing in Great Britain), and am a member of the Association of Mountaineering Instructors (AMI) and the Mountain Training Association (MTA). I am also a qualified and experienced school teacher.
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