Scotland

Ben Nevis

Britain's highest mountain is the perfect dress rehearsal: 1,345 metres, no technical ground on the Mountain Track, and weather that teaches you everything about respecting bigger hills.

Best forWalkers & hikers · Adventure seekers · Solo travellers
In May15°C · 17 rainy days
Ideal stay3–4 nights in Fort William
Approx. flying time~10h 25m from Los Angeles

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Ben Nevis, Scotland Open in Google Maps Powered by Geoapify · © OpenStreetMap contributors · © OpenMapTiles

CurrencyGBPPound sterling
LanguageEnglish
Local time11:16same time as the UK
PlugsType GUK plugs fit
Drive on theLeftSame as the UK
Dialling code+44

Why go

Britain's highest mountain at 1,345 metres is a serious day out disguised as a tourist walk. The Mountain Track needs no technical skill, but it climbs relentlessly for around 1,300 metres, and the summit plateau generates its own weather, holds snow into summer and is ringed by cliffs that have killed people navigating badly in cloud. Done properly, it is a superb hill day.

Allow seven to nine hours return from Glen Nevis and build a trip of three or four nights around Fort William, which sits on the West Highland Line and at the end of the West Highland Way. May to September gives the longest daylight and the least snow. Winter ascents are full mountaineering. Anyone wanting views rather than exertion should take the gondola on neighbouring Aonach Mòr.

Ideal stay: 3–4 nights in Fort William
The vibe: Big, serious, weather-beaten

From our guides

Allow seven to nine hours from Glen Nevis and pack for four seasons regardless of the forecast — the summit plateau manufactures its own. May to September gives the longest days. Finish in Fort William with chips, and start browsing Kilimanjaro flights on the train home.

Featured in Ten treks for your first big summit or base camp

Things to do

The Mountain Track

The standard route from Glen Nevis, a long zigzagging path with no scrambling but a punishing amount of ascent. Navigation off the plateau is the crux, not the climbing.
Carn Mor Dearg Arête

The connoisseur's route, a curving rocky ridge approached from the north with a view straight into the north face. For experienced hillwalkers with a head for heights.
The north face

A 600-metre wall of gullies and buttresses hidden from the tourist path, best seen from the CIC hut approach. Britain's most important winter climbing ground.
Steall Falls

A 120-metre waterfall reached by a short gorge walk up Glen Nevis, crossed by a three-wire bridge for the brave. The obvious rest-day option.
Nevis Range gondola

A cable car up Aonach Mòr giving high-level views towards the Ben without the effort, plus downhill mountain biking and winter skiing.
Glenfinnan Viaduct

Half an hour west, a curving 21-arch railway viaduct above Loch Shiel, crossed by scheduled trains as well as the summer steam service.

Getting there

Fly to
Glasgow (GLA)

Nearest airport to Ben Nevis, about 109km away as the crow flies.
Then
To Fort William

Oban (OBN) at North Connel is a small regional field, so most visitors drive north up the A828 and A82 to Fort William, allowing about an hour and a half.
On the ground
Getting around

The Mountain Track starts at the Glen Nevis visitor centre, a few minutes by car or a 40 minute walk from the centre of Fort William, and the round trip takes seven to nine hours.

Public transport: Fort William is well served by trains and coaches from Glasgow, and a local bus runs up Glen Nevis in summer.

Flights

Los Angeles Ben Nevis, Scotland

Flying from

Fly from anywhere — search 4,000+ airports worldwide.

Roughly 10h 25m in the air from Los Angeles (LAX), estimated from the distance — check for a direct route. Pick a month to see every available flight with live prices.

Check dates and prices

Pick your departure date, then your return.

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Flight times are estimates; prices open on Google Flights.

When to go

Daytime highs run from about 6°C in January to 18°C in July. Driest in April; wettest in August, with rain on about 22 days.

The year at a glance — pick a month for detail

May15° · rain 17 daysCool and often wet.

Monthly figures averaged from daily records for 2015–2024 at Fort William (ERA5 reanalysis).

Where to stay

Hostels and bunkhouses for walkers, B&Bs and guest houses in and around the town, plus self-catering lodges and two big campsites. Chain hotels exist but are few.

Best base overall
Fort William

The obvious choice: buses, a station on the sleeper line, gear shops and somewhere to eat at nine in the evening after a long day. The high street itself is workmanlike rather than pretty.
Find stays in Fort William
Closest to the sights
Glen Nevis

The glen road puts you within walking distance of the Mountain Track start, which matters for an early departure. Options are limited to a campsite, a hostel and a few cottages, and there is no shop.
Find stays in Glen Nevis
Best value
Corpach

Across the loch mouth, cheaper than the town centre and with the postcard view back at the mountain. You will want a car or a short bus ride for evening meals.
Find stays in Corpach
Quietest
Banavie

Beside Neptune's Staircase on the canal, residential and calm, with the towpath for a gentle recovery walk. Little in the way of restaurants, so plan dinner in Fort William.
Find stays in Banavie

Worth knowing before you book: Everything within reach of the mountain books out for summer weekends and for the West Highland Way season, so reserve by early spring for June to August.

Search everything else in Fort William by budget. These are indicative budget bands in GBP per night for two people, not live quotes or guarantees of hotel type. Check your dates, guests, taxes and final price on Booking.com.

Or see everything in Fort William

Good to know

Navigation: The summit plateau is featureless in cloud with cliffs on two sides. Carry a map and compass and know the bearings off the top, since phones fail in cold and wet.
Pack this: Waterproofs, warm layers, hat and gloves, head torch, food and at least two litres of water, regardless of how the glen looks at breakfast.
Timing: Start by eight to leave a margin. Snow lies on the upper mountain into June most years and returns from October.
Footwear: Boots with ankle support and grip. The upper path is loose rock and the descent does more damage to knees and ankles than the climb.
Getting there: Fort William is reached by the West Highland Line from Glasgow, one of Britain's finest rail journeys, and the trailhead is a short bus or taxi ride from town.

Similar places

Nearby destinations

Elsewhere in Scotland

Edinburgh Fringe Edinburgh Old Man of Storr

Quick answers

When is the best time to visit Ben Nevis?

Daytime highs run from about 6°C in January to 18°C in July. Driest in April; wettest in August, with rain on about 22 days.

How long should I spend in Ben Nevis?

Our suggestion: 3–4 nights in Fort William.

How do I get to Ben Nevis?

Oban (OBN) at North Connel is a small regional field, so most visitors drive north up the A828 and A82 to Fort William, allowing about an hour and a half.

Do I need a car in Ben Nevis?

No. Fort William is well served by trains and coaches from Glasgow, and a local bus runs up Glen Nevis in summer.

What currency and language are used in Ben Nevis?

Currency: Pound sterling (GBP). Language: English. Plugs: type G.

Who is Ben Nevis best for?

Best for walkers & hikers, adventure seekers and solo travellers. In a phrase: big, serious, weather-beaten.

Ben Nevis

The Mountain Track

Carn Mor Dearg Arête

The north face

Steall Falls

Nevis Range gondola

Glenfinnan Viaduct

Glasgow (GLA)

To Fort William

Getting around

Fort William

Glen Nevis

Corpach

Banavie

Kilimanjaro

Triglav

Ben A'an

Bealach na Bà

North Coast 500

Cairngorms

Red squirrels and ospreys

The Fairy Pools

Ten treks for your first big summit or base camp