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Ben Nevis, or the 'Ben' as it is fondly known locally, sits majestically at the head of Loch Linnhe, its presence dominating the landscape from all corners of Fort William and some parts of Lochaber.

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.. Those walking up the mountain footpath should be warned that the the mountain can be intolerant of the inexperienced, ill-prepared walker! Guidance and information about walking up Ben Nevis is available by clicking the Mountain Footpath link.

There are also links to books about Ben Nevis, the Old Observatory, annual events and Ben Nevis Distillery. Ben Nevis has recently been bought by The John Muir Trust. Details about the John Muir Trust locally will be published soon.

Ben Nevis Race - a brief history The earliest recorded timed run up and down Ben Nevis was that by William Swan of Fort William on August 2nd 1895 and took 2 hours, 41 minutes. Other attempts were made sporadically, but the modern Ben Nevis Race really began in 1937 with the presentation of the MacFarlane Cup by the late George MacFarlane, former provost of Fort William.

Now the race is well established on the first Saturday in September and up to 500 entries are accepted from suitably qualified hill runners The record for men stands at 1 hour, 25 minutes and 34 seconds and is held by Kenneth Stuart of Keswick AC and for ladies it is 1 hour, 43 minutes and 25 seconds, held by Pauline Haworth, also of Keswick AC. The Connochie Plaque was instituted in 1972. It is awarded to those runners who complete 21 Ben Nevis Races. The Late Eddie Campbell of Fort William holds the record for the most Ben Nevis Races. Scotrail runs a regular service from Glasgow Queen Street along the famous West Highland Line. There are four trains a day between Glasgow and Fort William and all trains carry on to Mallaig via Corpach. The train station is only half a mile from Nevis View. Timetable details are available on the Scotrail website. By Plane

The most convenient airports are Inverness (65 miles) and Glasgow (100 miles) from where you can hire a car. If you are flying via Ryanair, they use Prestwick airport just outside of Glasgow.

For taxi travel on arrival in Glasgow, whether within the city or all the way to Fort William, try Glasgow Airport Millennium Taxis.