the seaside, the canal side and a ruined castle, as well as some less interesting back streets of Inverlochy and Caol. The surprise bonus is the underwater section at the halfway point.
Start at the old fort, which is on the shoreline at a roundabout 100 metres west of Fort William station. A stone marks the start of the Great Glen Way; and GGW markers will guide for the first part of the walk. Follow them along pavement north to a second roundabout, and take a tarred path to left of McDonalds. It runs through scrubby industrial waste ground, then to left of the shinty pitch. At a housing estate, dogleg right then left to a disused road bridge.
Across it, the path on the left is signposted GGW. It runs around a wood to the shoreline by the tidal River Lochy. Follow the path next to the river, then through a wood, then again alongside the river past a football pitch. At the field end the path heads right but keep ahead to a narrow footbridge over a tailrace, then to a stile beside a long footbridge beside the railway – Soldiers’ Bridge.
Before crossing Soldiers’ Bridge, take the track on the right under the railway to visit Old Inverlochy Castle. Cross Soldiers’ Bridge, and turn left along Glenmallie Road. The street runs down by River Lochy, then turns right into Caol. The first street left is signposted GGW. At its end, take a gravel path alongside the salt waters of Loch Linnhe towards the imposing (but scarcely attractive) Wiggins Teape factory. After a football pitch, a footbridge crosses an overflow stream out of the Caledonian Canal and rises to its towpath.
Caledonian Canal at Corpach
Now the GGW turns right, but turn left to the canal’s end, and cross the lock gate between salt water (left) and fresh (right). Turn back along the northern towpath for 1km to the bridges at Banavie. Take a level crossing beside the railway’s swing bridge, then cross the road, and go up steps alongside Neptune’s Staircase. Continue along the towpath for 1km around a right-hand bend. Now a track forks down left to the base of the canal banking. Pass under the canal by a dripping tunnel, and turn up right to a path along the wooded canal bank. Soon it returns via a grey field gate to the towpath.
Turn left along the southern towpath, passing a tearoom alongside Neptune’s Staircase. GGW markers divert left, but you can simply cross the road and railway ahead. Follow the towpath for another 1km. With Loch Linnhe visible ahead, turn down left on a broad path to join a street near its end. From the street end, cross grass between houses (left) and a football pitch (right), to rejoin the outward route alongside Loch Linnhe.
2 BEN NEVIS AND THE AONACHS
Ben Nevis half-way plateau (Route 7)
Ben Nevis is a hill of two halves – except that the northern half has been carried away by a glacier and isn’t there. Instead there’s the hollow of the Allt a’ Mhuilinn burn, and the biggest crag in Britain.
The very popular Mountain Track, on the mountain’s western side, misses all that. It’s a harsh trudge on a stony path, and Ben Nevis being the biggest, it’s the harshest trudge in all UK hillwalking. If you enjoy the Mountain Track, then every one of Scotland’s remaining 281 hills will be even better! Round the back, however, there’s the Carn Mor Dearg Arête. Not quite a scramble, it’s a spectacular granite ridge, with an outstanding view of the northern crags. Meanwhile the Ledge Route, which is a scramble (albeit a fairly easy one), gets right in among those crags.
On either of those routes, the sudden arrival at the summit, with its crowds, its cairns, and its litter, comes as a horrid shock – so avoid the top altogether. The Half Nevis takes you instead into the fine northern valley; and Meall an t-Suidhe, as a stand-alone or as a side-trip on the descent, has views of Loch Linnhe better than you get from the big Ben itself.
Summit summary: Ben Nevis
BEN NEVIS ROUTES
Route 7 Ben Nevis by the Mountain Track
Route 8 Carn Mor Dearg Arête
Route 9 Ledge Route
Route 10 Half Ben Nevis (CIC Hut)
Route 11 Meall an t-Suidhe
Route 12 Carn Mor Dearg East Ridge
ROUTE 7
Ben Nevis by the Mountain Track
| Start/Finish | Achintee (NN 125 730) |
| Distance | 14.5km/9 miles (up and down) |
| Total ascent | 1300m/4400ft |
| Time | 7hr |
| Terrain | Path well built below, then stony |
| Max altitude | Ben Nevis 1344m |
Even for experienced hillwalkers, the ascent of the Mountain Track, from barely above sea level to Scotland’s highest point, is tough and tiring. As hillwalks go, it’s not wonderful; relentlessly uphill for 1200m on a stone-built path, and with no view at all of the mountain’s exciting northern side. The summit is in cloud more often than not. Still, Ben Nevis has to be done, and this is the convenient way to do it. Less experienced walkers should bear in mind that on the summit the weather will usually be two clothing-layers colder than at the start, and that for sore legs the rather steep downhill is almost as arduous as up.
A more serious problem can be the leaving of the summit. The path is unclear on the stony plateau, and doglegs between crag drops. Mostly, the way down is obvious because of the other walkers coming up; but the slowest person up, who may also be injured and exhausted, has no such guide. It’s worth picking up one of the detailed summit maps handed out in Fort William’s shops and information outlets or online at www.mcofs.org.uk (‘Ben Nevis navigation’). Compass bearings and GPS references are also in a box below. There is an emergency shelter on the summit; if the Mountain Rescue is alerted to your non-return, this is the first place they’ll look. Mobile phone coverage on the upper Mountain Track is good.
ALTERNATIVE START POINTS
This walk can also be started from the Nevis Visitor Centre (NN 123 730) or the informal roadside parking near Glen Nevis youth hostel (NN 128 718). The youth hostel route is shortest, but gives a steep stone-surfaced descent right at the end when you really don’t want it.
See Ben Nevis summit summary map. Start from the road end at Achintee. At the car park end, ignore a small stile but take a gate onto a track, to a signpost just ahead. Now the wide, well-built path 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 Halfway Lochan). Turn off here for Route 11, Meall an t-Suidhe.
The wide path slants uphill northeast above the lochan. After 400 metres a path ahead starts to run gently downhill: here turn back sharp right up the main path. (Or keep ahead for a nicer walk altogether, the Half Nevis, Route 10).
Pony Path, Ben Nevis,
