John Muir Trust

Ben Nevis Estate includes Britain's highest point at Ben Nevis summit (1334 m, 4406 ft), the upper part of the Mountain Track, and some of the mountain's southern flank. The track crosses the estate boundary at about 800 m. As well as the Ben, there are a chain of high peaks to the east. These fine hills slope down to the Water of Nevis, as it plunges from high grass flats at Steall through the Nevis Gorge, a densely wooded cleft with a rich native woodland and remnants of the Caledonian pine forest.

Why are we here?

The John Muir Trust acquired Ben Nevis Estate from Duncan Fairfax-Lucy, after being asked if we would be prepared to take on the guardianship of the area. Despite its popularity, Ben Nevis Estate retains some of the basic characteristics of wild land. It has extensive areas, particularly at high altitude, where one can experience a near natural environment and a sense of remoteness and adventure. Our overall aim is to safeguard and enhance the area's wild land character, in particular by restoring some of the damaged habitat.

Access

John Muir Trust land is open to all, and we welcome all visitors. We trust visitors will respect the wishes of the people who live and work on the estates.

The Mountain Track

There are about 100,000 ascents of Ben Nevis every year, and most visitors use this walking route from lower Glen Nevis to the summit. Also known as the pony track, it was formed in 1883 when the summit observatory was built. The track reaches the summit area via a series of zigzags up the western face of the mountain. Many climbers use the Allt a' Mhuilinn track which heads to the cliffs from the 'North Face' car park near Torlundy on the A82 road. Experienced hill walkers can start on either track, then ascend Carn Mor Dearg and cross to Ben Nevis by the sensational Carn Mor Dearg arete.

Challenges

The John Muir Trust and others have warned about the damage and disruption caused by the Three Peaks Challenge (Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike and Snowdon) and similar events. We urge people to consider other ways of raising funds and to think twice about taking part.

We strongly recommend that anyone climbing Ben Nevis carries suitable food, drink and clothing and is competent with a map and compass.

For more information about the John Muir Trust, and who  John Muir was, please visit our website: John Muir Trust website