View source for Ben Nevis

{{short description|Highest mountain in the British Isles}}
{{About|the mountain in Scotland}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2019}}
{{Use British English|date=September 2013}}
{{Infobox mountain
| name = Ben Nevis
| other_name = {{lang|gd|Beinn Nibheis}}
| photo = BenNevis2005.jpg
| photo_caption = Ben Nevis from [[Banavie]]. The summit is beyond and to the left of the apparent highest point.
| photo_size = 300
| elevation_m = 1,345
| elevation_ref = <ref name="OS revision">{{cite web |url=https://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/blog/britains-tallest-mountain-is-taller
| title=Great Britain's tallest mountain is taller
| publisher=Ordnance Survey |access-date=2 June 2025| date=2016-03-18
}}</ref>
| prominence_m = 1,345
| isolation = {{convert|739|km|mi|abbr=on}}
| prominence_ref = <br/><small>[[List of mountains of the British Isles by relative height|Ranked 1st]] in [[British Isles]]</small>
| parent_peak = ''none'' – Highest peak on island of Great Britain
| listing = {{unbulleted list|[[Munro]]|[[Marilyn (hill)|Marilyn]]|Ribu|[[List of Scottish council areas by highest point|Council top]] ([[Highland (council area)|Highland]])|[[List of Scottish counties by highest point|County top]] ([[Inverness-shire]])| [[List of countries by highest point|Country high point]]}}
| location = [[Lochaber]], [[Highland (council area)|Highland]], Scotland
| range = [[Grampian Mountains]]
| map = Scotland
| map_caption = Location within Scotland
| label_position = right
| coordinates = {{coord|56.79685|N|5.003508|W|type:mountain_region:GB-HLD|format=dms|display=inline,title}}
| coordinates_ref = 
| grid_ref_UK = NN166712
| topo = [[Ordnance Survey|OS]] ''Landranger'' 41, ''Explorer'' 392<ref name="Ordnance Survey 2002">{{harvnb|Ordnance Survey|2002}}</ref>
| first_ascent = 19 August 1771, by [[James Robertson (botanist)|James Robertson]]<ref>{{cite book|title=Scotland's Mountains Before the Mountaineers| author=Mitchell, Ian R.|page=33| publisher=Luath Press Limited|year= 2004}}</ref>
| easiest_route = [[#Ascent routes|Pony track and mountain path]]
}}

'''Ben Nevis''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|n|ɛ|v|ɪ|s}} {{respell|NEV|iss}}; {{langx|gd|Beinn Nibheis}}, {{IPA|gd|pe(ɲ) ˈɲivɪʃ}}) is the highest mountain in Scotland, the United Kingdom, and the [[British Isles]].  Ben Nevis stands at the western end of the [[Grampian Mountains (Scotland)|Grampian Mountains]] in the [[Scottish Highlands|Highland]] region of [[Lochaber]], close to the town of [[Fort William, Highland|Fort William]].

The mountain is a popular destination, attracting an estimated 150,000 visitors a year,<ref name=bbcVisitors/> around three-quarters of whom use the Mountain Track from [[Glen Nevis]].<ref name="Strategy">{{cite web |url=http://www.nevispartnership.co.uk/pdf/newnevis_strategy_summary.pdf|title=Nevis Strategy|access-date=5 November 2006|author=The Nevis Working Party|year=2001| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20061104163426/http://www.nevispartnership.co.uk/pdf/newnevis_strategy_summary.pdf| archive-date= 4 November 2006 | url-status= live}}</ref> The mountain has hosted [[Ben Nevis Race|a foot race]] since 1898. The {{convert|700|m|adj=on}} cliffs of the north face are among the highest in Scotland, providing classic [[scrambling|scrambles]] and [[rock climbing|rock climbs]] of all difficulties for climbers and [[mountaineering|mountaineers]]. They are also the principal locations in Scotland for [[ice climbing]]. The cliffs of the north face can be viewed from the [[CIC Hut|Charles Inglis Clark Memorial Hut]], a private [[alpine hut]].

The summit is {{convert|1345|m|ft|0|adj=ri0}}<ref name="OS revision"/> above sea level and is the highest land in any direction for {{convert|739|km|mi|abbr=off}}.<ref name="Isolation">{{Cite web|url=https://www.peakbagger.com/Isolate.aspx?pid=9269|title=Isolation for Ben Nevis - Peakbagger.com|website=www.peakbagger.com}}</ref>{{efn|This is the distance to the mountain [[Melderskin]] in Norway.}} The summit is a stony plateau (a [[felsenmeer]]). It features a number of monuments and the ruins of an [[observatory]] which was continuously staffed between 1883 and 1904. The [[meteorology|meteorological]] data collected during this period is still important for understanding Scottish mountain weather.  [[C. T. R. Wilson]] was inspired to invent the [[cloud chamber]] after a period spent working at the observatory.

The mountain gives its name to the [[Ben Nevis Distillery]] at its base, a [[packet ship]], [[Ben Nevis (Svalbard)|Ben Nevis mountain]] in Svalbard, a mountain more commonly known as [[Hung Fa Chai]] in Hong Kong, and the cartoon character [[Wee Ben Nevis]].

== Etymology ==
The name comes from the [[Scottish Gaelic language|Gaelic]] {{lang|gd|Beinn Nibheis}}, meaning "mountain of the [[River Nevis|Nevis]]" (referring to the river that skirts the base of the mountain).<ref>{{cite book |last=MacBain |first=Alexander |title=Place Names, Highlands and Islands of Scotland |url=https://archive.org/details/cu31924028080533/page/n84 |date=1922 |page=47 |location=Stirling |publisher=Eneas Mackay}}</ref><ref name=nicolaisen/> The river's name is of unclear origin. [[William J. Watson]] derived it from [[Old Gaelic]] *''Nemess'', "venomous one", from ''[[wikt:neim#Old_Irish|ne(i)m]]'', "venom".<ref>{{cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/historyofcelticp0000unse/page/472|title=The History of the Celtic Place-Names of Scotland|last=Watson|first=William J.|location=Edinburgh and London|publisher=William Blackwood and Sons|date=1926|page=472}}</ref> [[W. F. H. Nicolaisen]], however, favoured a derivation from the [[Proto-Indo-European|Indo-European]] root [[wikt:Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/nebʰ-|*''nebh''-]], which is connected with water and clouds, giving a meaning of "the moist one" or "the misty one".<ref name=nicolaisen>{{cite journal|last=Nicolaisen|first=W. F. H.|date=1959|title=Notes on Scottish Place-Names (12) – Nevis|journal=Scottish Studies|volume=3|pages=214–218|url=https://open.journals.ed.ac.uk/ScottishStudies/article/view/220/246}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Nicolaisen|first=W. F. H.|title=Scottish Place-Names: Their Study and Significance|year=1986|location=London|publisher=B. T. Batsford|isbn=0-7134-5234-X|url=https://archive.org/details/scottishplacenam0000nico_b6e2/page/189|page=189}}</ref>

As with many [[Scottish mountains]], Ben Nevis is often referred to locally simply as "the Ben".<ref>{{cite web |title=Ben Nevis, or the 'Ben' as it is fondly known locally |url=http://www.visit-fortwilliam.co.uk/mf_bennevis.html |publisher=Visit Fort William Ltd |access-date=23 October 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071018020835/http://www.visit-fortwilliam.co.uk/mf_bennevis.html |archive-date=18 October 2007 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Ben Nevis is almost always referred to by climbers as simply The Ben (Ben meaning Mountain) |url=http://www.takeupthechallenge.com/pages/page-nevis-history.htm |publisher=The Ben Nevis Challenge |access-date=23 October 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071103202517/http://www.takeupthechallenge.com/pages/page-nevis-history.htm |archive-date=3 November 2007 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

== Geography ==
Ben Nevis forms a [[massif]] with its neighbours to the northeast, {{lang|gd|italic=no|[[Càrn Mòr Dearg]]}}, to which it is linked by the {{lang|gd|italic=no|Càrn Mòr Dearg}} [[Arête]], {{lang|gd|italic=no|[[Aonach Beag]]}} and {{lang|gd|italic=no|[[Aonach Mòr]]}}.<ref name="Ordnance Survey 2002">{{harvnb|Ordnance Survey|2002}}</ref> All four are [[List of Munro mountains|Munros]].<ref name=hillbagging>{{Cite web|url=https://www.hill-bagging.co.uk/search.php?qu=S&gp=M04&ty=M&ct=S|title=Mountain Search|work=Hill Bagging|access-date=2 November 2024}}</ref>
[[File:Ben Nevis south face.jpg|thumb|left|The steep south face of Ben Nevis from {{lang|gd|italic=no|[[Sgurr a' Mhàim]]}}]]

The western and southern flanks of Ben Nevis rise {{convert|1200|m}} in about {{convert|2|km}} above the [[River Nevis]] flowing down Glen Nevis&nbsp;– the longest and steepest hill slope in Britain<ref name="Murray 1977">{{harvnb|Murray|1977}}</ref>&nbsp;– with the result that the mountain presents an aspect of massive bulk on this side. To the north, by contrast, cliffs drop some {{convert|600|m}} to {{lang|gd|italic=no|Coire Leis}} ({{IPA|gd|ˈkʰɔɾʲə ˈleʃ|IPA}}).<ref name="Ordnance Survey 2002">{{harvnb|Ordnance Survey|2002}}</ref>

In addition to the main {{convert|1345|m|ft|0|adj=mid}} summit, Ben Nevis has two subsidiary "tops" listed in [[Munro's Tables]], both of which are called {{lang|gd|italic=no|Càrn Dearg}} ("red hill").<ref name="Munros">{{cite book| author=Derek A. Bearhop | year=1997 | title=Munro's Tables | isbn=978-0-907521-53-2 | publisher=Scottish Mountaineering Club & Trust}}</ref> The higher of these, at {{convert|1221|m}}, is to the northwest, and is often mistaken for Ben Nevis itself in views from the Fort William area. The other {{lang|gd|italic=no|Càrn Dearg}} ({{convert|1020|m|abbr=on}}) juts out into Glen Nevis on the mountain's southwestern side. A lower hill, {{lang|gd|italic=no|[[Meall an t-Suidhe]]}} ({{convert|711|m}}), is further west, forming a saddle with Ben Nevis which contains a small [[loch]], {{lang|gd|italic=no|Lochan Meall an t-Suidhe}}. The tourist path from Glen Nevis skirts the side of this hill before ascending Ben Nevis's broad western flank.<ref name="Ordnance Survey 2002">{{harvnb|Ordnance Survey|2002}}</ref>

=== Summit ===
The summit of Ben Nevis comprises a large stony [[plateau]] of about {{convert|40|ha|-1}}.<ref>{{cite encyclopedia|url=https://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9078533|title=Ben Nevis|access-date=25 November 2006|encyclopedia=Encyclopædia Britannica}} (Subscription required for full access.)</ref> The summit is an example of a [[felsenmeer]],<ref>{{cite book|last=Storer|first=Ralph|title=50 Shades of Hillwalking|location=United Kingdom|publisher=Luath Press Limited|year=2015}}</ref> a surface covered by rocks that are not exposed by [[mass wasting]]. The highest point is marked with a large, solidly built [[cairn]] atop which sits an Ordnance Survey [[trig point]]. The summit is the highest ground in any direction for {{convert|738.6|km|mi}} before the [[Scandinavian Mountains]] in western Norway are reached.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.peakbagger.com/list.aspx?lid=330|title=Europe Peaks with 200 km of Isolation|publisher=Peakbagger|access-date=2 November 2024}}</ref>

The Peace Memorial, on the summit, is a cairn which was erected on [[V-J Day]], 15 August 1945, by the Young Men's Class of Vicar Street Methodist Church, [[Dudley]], led by [[Bert Bissell]], "to the glory of God and in memory of the fallen of all races". They carried the materials, including a 2[[hundredweight|cwt]] memorial stone, to the summit. The inscription declares it to be "Britain's highest war memorial". A second plaque was added in 1965, brought by helicopter: "A tribute to the fallen of all nations from the youth associated with the World Federation of United Nations Associations and the International Student Movement of the United Nations." It is variously known as the Ben Nevis War Memorial, Ben Nevis Peace Memorial, or  The Fort William-Dudley Memorial and Peace Cairn<ref>{{cite web |title=Ben Nevis Peace Memorial |url=https://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/13464 |website=Imperial War Museums |access-date=27 October 2024 |language=en}} ''Includes images and transcriptions of the plaques''</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Ben Nevis War Memorial |url=https://canmore.org.uk/site/317302/ben-nevis-war-memorial |website=canmore.org.uk |publisher=[[Canmore (database)|Canmore]] |access-date=27 October 2024 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Moranne-Brown |first1=Zyllah |title=Dudley Climbers celebrate Ben Nevis success |url=https://www.blackcountryradio.co.uk/news/local-headlines/dudley-climbers-celebrate-ben-nevis-success/ |access-date=27 October 2024 |work=Black Country Radio |language=en}}</ref> A 2006 proposal to move the cairn to the foot of the Ben, was opposed by people in both [[Fort William, Scotland|Fort William]] and Dudley.<ref>{{Cite news|title=War breaks out over peace cairn  |url=http://www.lochaber-news.co.uk/news/fullstory.php/aid/469/War_breaks_out_over_peace_cairn.html|newspaper = The Oban Times: Lochaber News | date= 9 November 2006 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071216024812/http://www.lochaber-news.co.uk/news/fullstory.php/aid/469/War_breaks_out_over_peace_cairn.html | archive-date=16 December 2007 | access-date=27 October 2024 }}</ref>

The view from the UK's highest point is extensive. Under ideal conditions, it can extend to over {{convert|190|km}}, including such mountains as the [[Torridon Hills]], [[Morven, Caithness|Morven]] in [[Caithness]], [[Lochnagar]], [[Ben Lomond]], [[Barra Head]] and to [[Knocklayd]] in [[County Antrim]], Northern Ireland.<ref>{{cite web|publisher=Viewfinder Panoramas|title=View from Ben Nevis looking North|url=http://www.viewfinderpanoramas.org/panoramas/GRW/NEVIS-North.gif|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090929132443/http://www.viewfinderpanoramas.org/panoramas/GRW/NEVIS-North.gif|archive-date=2009-09-29|access-date=25 November 2006}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|publisher=Viewfinder Panoramas|title=View from Ben Nevis looking South|url=http://www.viewfinderpanoramas.org/panoramas/GRW/NEVIS-South.gif|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090929132443/http://www.viewfinderpanoramas.org/panoramas/GRW/NEVIS-South.gif|archive-date=2009-09-29|access-date=25 November 2006}}</ref>

In 2016, the height of Ben Nevis was officially remeasured to be 1344.527m by [[Ordnance Survey]]. The height of Ben Nevis will therefore be shown on new Ordnance Survey maps as {{convert|1,344.527|m|ft|0|adj=ri0}} instead of the now obsolete value of {{convert|1,344|m|ft|0|adj=ri0}}.<ref name="OS revision"/>

=== Climate ===
[[File:Ben Nevis.jpg|thumb|right|A temperature inversion around {{lang|gd|italic=no|Càrn Dearg}} Buttress and Castle Corrie]]
Ben Nevis has a highland [[tundra climate]] (''ET'' in the [[Köppen classification]]). Ben Nevis's elevation, maritime location and topography frequently lead to cool and cloudy weather conditions, which can pose a danger to ill-equipped walkers. According to the observations carried out at the summit observatory from 1883 to 1904, fog was present on the summit for almost 80% of the time between November and January, and 55% of the time in May and June.<ref name="Roy">{{cite web|url=http://www.meteohistory.org/2004polling%5Fpreprints/docs/abstracts/roy2_poster.pdf|title=The Ben Nevis Meteorological Observatory 1883–1904|access-date=27 November 2006|author=Marjorie Roy|year=2004|publisher=International Commission on History of Meteorology|archive-date=27 September 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927043603/http://www.meteohistory.org/2004polling_preprints/docs/abstracts/roy2_poster.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref> The average winter temperature was around {{convert|-5|C}},<ref name="Roy"/> and the mean monthly temperature for the year was {{convert|-0.5|C}}.<ref name="Murray 1977 221">{{harvnb|Murray|1977|p=221}}</ref> In an average year the summit sees 261&nbsp;gales,<ref name="Murray 1977 221"/> and receives {{convert|4350|mm}} of rainfall, compared to only {{convert|2050|mm}} in nearby Fort William,<ref>{{cite book|author=Eric Langmuir|year=1995|title=Mountaincraft and Leadership |edition=Third |publisher=SportScotland |location=Edinburgh|isbn=978-1-85060-295-8}}</ref> {{convert|840|mm}} in [[Inverness]] and {{convert|580|mm}} in London. Rainfall on Ben Nevis is about twice as high in the winter as it is in the spring and summer. Snow can be found on the mountain for approximately 7 months out of the year.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.highlifehighland.com/bennevis/fascinating-facts/|title=Fascinating Facts|work=Ben Nevis Visitor Centre|publisher=Highlife Highland|access-date=5 November 2024}}</ref>

{{Weather box
|location = Ben Nevis (1883-1904: during existence of summit observatory)
|metric first = Yes
|single line = Yes
|Jan high C = -2.5
|Feb high C = -2.8
|Mar high C = -2.6
|Apr high C = -0.6
|May high C = 2.6
|Jun high C = 6.4
|Jul high C = 7.1
|Aug high C = 6.4
|Sep high C = 5.4
|Oct high C = 1.4
|Nov high C = 0.1
|Dec high C = -1.9
|year high C = 
|Jan mean F = 24.0
|Feb mean F = 23.8
|Mar mean F = 24.0
|Apr mean F = 27.6
|May mean F = 33.0
|Jun mean F = 39.7
|Jul mean F = 41.1
|Aug mean F = 40.4
|Sep mean F = 38.0
|Oct mean F = 31.4
|Nov mean F = 28.9
|Dec mean F = 25.2
|year mean F = 
|Jan low C = -6.2
|Feb low C = -6.4
|Mar low C = -6.3
|Apr low C = -4.3
|May low C = -1.6
|Jun low C = 2.1
|Jul low C = 3.1
|Aug low C = 2.9
|Sep low C = 1.4
|Oct low C = -2.1
|Nov low C = -3.5
|Dec low C = -5.5
|year low C = 
|Jan record high C = 9.1
|Feb record high C = 7.8
|Mar record high C = 7.8
|Apr record high C = 11.4
|May record high C = 13.3
|Jun record high C = 19.1
|Jul record high C = 17.8
|Aug record high C = 17.5
|Sep record high C = 17.0
|Oct record high C = 14.0
|Nov record high C = 11.1
|Dec record high C = 7.2
|year record high C = 
|Jan record low C = -17.4
|Feb record low C = -16.8
|Mar record low C = -15.8
|Apr record low C = -11.5
|May record low C = -9.8
|Jun record low C = -5.1
|Jul record low C = -3.2
|Aug record low C = -2.8
|Sep record low C = -7.6
|Oct record low C = -9.8
|Nov record low C = -12.1
|Dec record low C = -13.8
|year record low C = 
|precipitation colour = green
|Jan precipitation mm = 469.8
|Feb precipitation mm = 342.0
|Mar precipitation mm = 378.9
|Apr precipitation mm = 237.2
|May precipitation mm = 204.4
|Jun precipitation mm = 193.7
|Jul precipitation mm = 269.8
|Aug precipitation mm = 331.3
|Sep precipitation mm = 391.6
|Oct precipitation mm = 397.8
|Nov precipitation mm = 394.8
|Dec precipitation mm = 492.3
|year precipitation mm = 4103.8
|unit precipitation days = 1.0 mm
|Jan precipitation days = 22.4
|Feb precipitation days = 16.8
|Mar precipitation days = 20.1
|Apr precipitation days = 16.5
|May precipitation days = 17.0
|Jun precipitation days = 16.1
|Jul precipitation days = 21.0
|Aug precipitation days = 22.0
|Sep precipitation days = 20.0
|Oct precipitation days = 21.9
|Nov precipitation days = 20.4
|Dec precipitation days = 21.3
|year precipitation days = 235.3
|Jan sun = 22.4
|Feb sun = 42.3
|Mar sun = 54.7
|Apr sun = 80.4
|May sun = 116.3
|Jun sun = 127.0
|Jul sun = 84.8
|Aug sun = 58.1
|Sep sun = 62.3
|Oct sun = 41.8
|Nov sun = 27.8
|Dec sun = 18.0
|year sun = 
|Jan percentsun = 10
|Feb percentsun = 16
|Mar percentsun = 15
|Apr percentsun = 19
|May percentsun = 23
|Jun percentsun = 22
|Jul percentsun = 16
|Aug percentsun = 13
|Sep percentsun = 16
|Oct percentsun = 13
|Nov percentsun = 11
|Dec percentsun = 9
|year percentsun = 16
|source 1 = CEDA Archive<ref>{{cite web
| url = https://data.ceda.ac.uk/badc/deposited2019/operation-weather-rescue/data/ben-nevis-data/ben-nevis/daily
| title = Meteorological Observations taken from Ben Nevis and Fort William (1883 -1904)
| publisher = Centre for Environmental Data Analysis
| accessdate = January 19, 2023
}}</ref>
|source 2 = Royal Society of Edinburgh (mean temp and sunshine 1884-1903)<ref>{{cite web
| url = https://archive.org/details/transactionsofro43roya/page/506/mode/2up
| title = Transactions of the Royal Society of Edinburgh: The Meteorology of the Ben Nevis Observations
| publisher = [[Royal Society of Edinburgh]]
| accessdate = January 19, 2023
}}</ref>
}}

== Geology ==
Ben Nevis is all that remains of a [[Devonian]] [[volcano]] that met a cataclysmic end in the [[Carboniferous]] period around 350 million years ago. Evidence near the summit shows light-coloured [[granite]] (which had cooled in subterranean chambers several kilometres beneath the surface) lies among dark basaltic lavas (that form only on the surface). The two lying side by side is evidence the huge volcano collapsed in on itself creating an explosion comparable to [[Minoan eruption|Thera]] ([[2nd millennium BC]]) or [[Krakatoa]] (1883).<ref name=bbc>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-18674655|title=How volcanoes shaped Britain's landscape|work=BBC News|date=5 July 2012}}</ref>
The mountain is now all that remains of the imploded inner dome of the volcano.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://ben-nevis.com/information/geology/geology.php|title=Geology of Ben Nevis|publisher=ben-nevis.com|access-date=5 July 2012}}</ref>
Its form has been extensively shaped by [[glaciation]].<ref>{{cite journal
 |author1      = Averis, A. B. G.
 |author2      = Averis, A. M.
 |title        = A survey of the vegetation of Ben Nevis Site of Special Scientific Interest and Special Area of Conservation, 2003–2004
 |url          = http://www.snh.org.uk/pdfs/publications/commissioned_reports/F02LD01.pdf
 |year         = 2005
 |journal      = Scottish National Heritage Commissioned Report
 |volume       = 090
 |access-date   = 11 December 2006
 |archive-url  = https://web.archive.org/web/20110716064637/http://www.snh.org.uk/pdfs/publications/commissioned_reports/F02LD01.pdf
 |archive-date = 16 July 2011
 |url-status     = dead
}}</ref>

Research has shown [[igneous]] rock from the Devonian period (around 400 million years ago) [[intrusion|intrudes]] into the surrounding metamorphic [[schist]]s; the intrusions take the form of a series of concentric [[ring dike]]s. The innermost of these, known as the Inner Granite, constitutes the southern bulk of the mountain above {{lang|gd|italic=no|Lochan Meall an t-Suidhe}}, and also the neighbouring ridge of {{lang|gd|italic=no|Càrn Mòr Dearg}}; {{lang|gd|italic=no|[[Meall an t-Suidhe]]}} forms part of the Outer Granite, which is redder in colour. The summit dome itself, together with the steep northern cliffs, is composed of [[andesite]] and [[basaltic]] lavas.<ref>{{cite book|last1=McKirdy|first1=Alan|last2=Gordon|first2=John|last3=Crofts|first3=Roger|year=2007|title=Land of Mountain and Flood: The Geology and Landforms of Scotland|location=Edinburgh|publisher=Birlinn|pages=114–116}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Gillen|first=Con|year=2003|title=Geology and landscapes of Scotland|location=Harpenden|publisher=Terra|page=80}}</ref>

== History ==
[[File:Archive photograph of Ben Nevis observatory (detail).jpg|thumb|An undated photograph of the Ben Nevis observatory (1883–1904) and 'hotel' (hostel). The hotel began as a spare-room-for-hire within the observatory and remained open until 1916.]]
The first recorded ascent of Ben Nevis was made on 17 August 1771<ref>{{Cite book|author1=Henderson, D.M. |author2= Dickson, J.H. |year=1994| title= A Naturalist in the Highlands: James Robertson, His Life and Travels in Scotland 1767-1771 |publication-place=Edinburgh |publisher=Scottish Academic Press|page=183 |isbn=978-0-7073-0734-3}}</ref> by James Robertson, an [[Edinburgh]] [[botany|botanist]], who was in the region to collect botanical specimens. Another early ascent was in 1774 by John Williams, who provided the first account of the mountain's geological structure.<ref name="Miller">{{cite journal |author=Suzanne Miller |year=2004 |title=Ben Nevis Geology |journal=The Edinburgh Geologist |volume=43 |pages=3–9}}</ref> [[John Keats]] climbed the mountain in 1818, comparing the ascent to "mounting ten [[St Paul's Cathedral|St. Pauls]] without the convenience of a staircase".<ref name="Hodgkiss 1994 117">{{harvnb|Hodgkiss|1994|p=117}}</ref> The following year [[William MacGillivray]], who was later to become a distinguished naturalist, reached the summit only to find "fragments of earthen and glass ware, chicken bones, corks, and bits of paper".<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Hunter|first1=Andrew|title=Bones on Ben Nevis – a walk back into history|journal=Leopard Magazine|date=September 2014|pages=30–34|issn=2053-9851}}</ref> It was not until 1847 that Ben Nevis was confirmed by the [[Ordnance Survey]] as the highest mountain in Britain and Ireland, ahead of its rival [[Ben Macdui]].<ref>{{cite book|last=Abraham|first=George Dixon|title=The Complete Mountaineer|location=United Kingdom|publisher=Methuen & Company|year=1907|page=232}}</ref>

A meteorological observatory on the summit was first proposed by the [[Scottish Meteorological Society]] (SMS) in the late-1870s, at a time when similar observatories were being built around the world to study the weather at high altitude.<ref name="Roy"/> In the summer of 1881, [[Clement Lindley Wragge]] climbed the mountain daily to make observations (earning him the nickname "Inclement Rag"), leading to the opening on 17 October 1883 of a permanent observatory run by the SMS.<ref name=crocket1986>{{cite book|last=Crocket|first=Ken|title=Ben Nevis : Britain's highest mountain|year=1986|publisher=Scottish Mountaineering Trust|location=Glasgow|isbn=978-0907521167|pages=41–44}}</ref> The building was staffed full-time until 1904, when it was closed due to inadequate funding. The twenty years worth of readings still provide the most comprehensive set of data on mountain weather in Great Britain.<ref name="Roy"/>

In September 1894, [[C. T. R. Wilson]] was employed at the observatory for a couple of weeks as temporary relief for one of the permanent staff. During this period, he witnessed a [[Brocken spectre]] and [[glory (optical phenomenon)|glory]], caused by the sun casting a shadow on a cloud below the observer. He subsequently tried to reproduce these phenomena in the laboratory, resulting in his invention of the [[cloud chamber]], used to detect [[ionising radiation]].<ref name=Wilson>{{cite web| url=http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/physics/laureates/1927/wilson-bio.html |title=C. T. R. Wilson Biography from Nobel Lectures, Physics 1922–1941, Elsevier Publishing Company, Amsterdam |year=1965|author=Nobel Foundation|access-date=27 November 2006}}</ref><ref>{{cite AV media|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oQ5xYJU4k1g&list=PLD8B65A38DC22D432&index=5&feature=plpp_video| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110407015547/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oQ5xYJU4k1g&feature=related| archive-date=2011-04-07 | url-status=dead|title=YouTube|access-date=18 March 2016}}</ref>
[[File:Ben Nevis summit.jpg|thumb|left|The summit survival shelter (centre) atop the ruined observatory. The squat summit cairn (right) has a [[trig point]].]]

The ruins of the observatory can still be seen on the summit.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://artsandculture.google.com/story/ben-nevis-observatory-recording-the-weather-at-the-highest-point-in-britain-met-office-national-meteorological-archive/IQWBpil4YHAugQ?hl=en|title=Ben Nevis Observatory - recording the weather at the highest point in Britain|work=Google Arts & Culture|access-date=2 November 2024}}</ref> An emergency shelter has been built on top of the observatory tower for the benefit of those caught out by bad weather.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://ben-nevis.com/information/summit/summit.php|title=Ben Nevis Summit|website=ben-nevis.com}}</ref>

The first [[trail|path]] to the summit was built at the same time as the observatory and was designed to allow [[pony|ponies]] to carry up supplies, with a maximum gradient of one in five.<ref name="Roy"/> The opening of the path and the observatory made the ascent of the mountain increasingly popular, all the more so after the arrival of the [[West Highland Railway]] in Fort William in 1894.<ref name="MacLennan"/> Around this time the first of several proposals was made for a [[rack railway]] to the summit, none of which came to fruition.<ref name="Hodgkiss 1994 117"/>

In 1911, an enterprising [[Ford Motor Company|Ford]] dealer named Henry Alexander ascended the mountain in a [[Model T]] as a publicity stunt. The ascent was captured on film and can be seen in the archives of the [[British Film Institute]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Motoring over Ben Nevis |url=https://player.bfi.org.uk/free/film/watch-motoring-over-ben-nevis-1911-online |publisher=The British Film Institute |access-date=7 October 2022}}</ref> A statue of Alexander and the car was unveiled in Fort William in 2018.<ref>{{cite news |last=MacLennan |first=Chris |date=21 May 2018 |title=Bronze Ford Model T unveiled in Fort William |url=https://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/fp/news/highlands-islands/1479172/bronze-ford-model-t-unveiled-in-fort-william/ |work=The Press and Journal |location=Aberdeen |access-date=7 October 2022}}</ref>

In 2000, the Ben Nevis Estate, comprising all of the south side of the mountain including the summit, was bought by the Scottish conservation charity the [[John Muir Trust]].<ref name="bbc2019">{{cite news |title=Who owns Scotland? The changing face of Scotland's landowners |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-47963208 |access-date=27 October 2024 |work=BBC News |date=21 May 2019}}</ref><ref name=jmt>{{cite web |title=Ben Nevis |url=https://www.johnmuirtrust.org/about-us/where-we-work/ben-nevis |website=www.johnmuirtrust.org |access-date=27 October 2024 |language=en}}</ref>

On 17 May 2006, a piano that had been buried under one of the cairns on the peak was uncovered by the [[John Muir Trust]], which owns much of the mountain.<ref>{{cite news |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2006/may/17/arts.artsnews1 |title=Piano found on Britain's highest mountain | location=London | date=17 May 2006| access-date= 30 October 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |work=BBC News |url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/highlands_and_islands/4994552.stm |title=New twist in Nevis music mystery |access-date=22 June 2006 | date=18 May 2006}}</ref> The piano is believed to have been carried up for charity by removal men from [[Dundee]] over 20&nbsp;years earlier.<ref>{{cite news |work=BBC News |url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/highlands_and_islands/4998440.stm |title=Trust names Ben Nevis 'piano men' |access-date=15 August 2006 | date=19 May 2006}}</ref>
{{clear left}}

==Outdoor recreation==

=== Hiking and climbing ===
[[File:Path Up Ben Nevis.JPG|thumb|right|An old postcard view showing the path up Ben Nevis]]

Ben Nevis is a popular hiking destination, with 150,000 people a year visiting the peak.<ref name=bbcVisitors>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20180320-what-scotlands-ben-nevis-can-teach-us-about-climate-change|publisher=BBC|title=The hidden history of the UK's highest peak|date=26 March 2018|first=David|last=Cox}}</ref>

The 1883 Pony Track to the summit (also known as the ''Ben Path'', the ''Mountain Path'' or the ''Tourist Route'') remains the simplest and most popular route of ascent. It begins at [[Achintee, Fort William|Achintee]] on the east side of Glen Nevis about {{convert|2|km|mi|abbr=on}} from Fort William town centre, at around {{convert|20|m|ft|abbr=off}} above sea level. Bridges from the Visitor Centre and the [[youth hostel]] now allow access from the west side of Glen Nevis.<ref name="Ordnance Survey 2002">{{harvnb|Ordnance Survey|2002}}</ref><ref name="Butterfield 1986 97">{{harvnb|Butterfield|1986|p=97}}</ref> The path climbs steeply to the saddle by Lochan Meall an t-Suidhe (colloquially known as the 'Halfway Lochan') at 570&nbsp;m, then ascends the remaining {{convert|700|m|ft|abbr=off}} up the stony west flank of Ben Nevis in a series of zig-zags.<ref name="Ordnance Survey 2002">{{harvnb|Ordnance Survey|2002}}</ref>

[[File:Cic-2.jpg|thumb|upright|left|Charles Inglis Clark Memorial Hut with the Carn Dearg Buttress behind]]
A route popular with experienced [[hillwalking|hillwalkers]] starts at Torlundy, a few miles north-east of Fort William on the [[A82 road]], and follows the path alongside the {{lang|gd|italic=no|Allt a' Mhuilinn}}. It can also be reached from Glen Nevis by following the Pony Track as far as {{lang|gd|italic=no|Lochan Meall an t-Suidhe}}, then descending slightly to the [[Charles Inglis Clark Memorial Hut]] (known as the CIC Hut), a private [[mountain hut]] {{convert|680|m}} above sea level, owned by the [[Scottish Mountaineering Club]]<ref name="CIC"/> The route then ascends {{lang|gd|italic=no|Càrn Mòr Dearg}} and continues along the {{lang|gd|italic=no|Càrn Mòr Dearg}} Arête ("CMD Arête") before climbing steeply to the summit of Ben Nevis. This route involves a total of {{convert|1,500|m|ft|abbr=off}} of ascent and requires modest scrambling ability and a [[head for heights]].<ref>{{harvnb|Butterfield|1986|p=98}}</ref> In common with other approaches on this side of the mountain, it has the advantage of giving an extensive view of the cliffs of the north face, which are hidden from the Pony Track.<ref name="Butterfield 1986 97"/>

The north face of Ben Nevis is riven with buttresses, ridges, towers and pinnacles, and contains many classic scrambles and rock climbs. It is of major importance for British winter climbing, with many of its routes holding snow often until late April. It was one of the first places in Scotland to receive the attention of serious mountaineers; a partial ascent and, the following day, a complete descent of [[Tower Ridge]] in early September 1892 is the earliest documented climbing expedition on Ben Nevis.<ref>{{cite journal | journal = Alpine Journal | url= https://alpinejournal.org.uk/Contents/Contents_1895_files/AJ%201895%20Vol%2017%20520-527%20Alpine%20Notes.pdf  |date =1895 | volume =17 | pages= 520–521| access-date = 6 March 2025 | title = Alpine Notes }}</ref><ref name="Adby">{{cite book|author1=Terry Adby  |author2=Stuart Johnston |name-list-style=amp |year=2003|title=The Hillwalker's Guide to Mountaineering|publisher=Cicerone|location=Milnthorpe|isbn=978-1-85284-393-9|pages=240–247}}</ref><ref>{{harvnb|Hodgkiss|1994|p=119}}</ref> (It was not climbed from bottom to top in entirety for another two years). The Scottish Mountaineering Club's Charles Inglis Clark hut was built below the north face in Coire Leis in 1929. Because of its remote location, it is said to be the only genuine [[Mountain hut|alpine hut]] in Britain.<ref name="CIC"/>

Tower Ridge is the longest of the north face's four main [[ridges]], with around {{convert|600|m|ft|abbr=off}} of ascent. It is not technically demanding (its [[grade (climbing)#British|grade]] is Difficult), and most pitches can be tackled unroped by competent climbers, but it is committing and very exposed.<ref name="Adby"/> Castle Ridge (Moderate), the northernmost of the main ridges, is an easier scramble, while Observatory Ridge (Very Difficult),<ref>{{harvnb|Hodgkiss|1994|p=126}}</ref> the closest ridge to the summit, is "technically the hardest of the Nevis ridges in summer and winter".<ref name="Crocket 2009 100">{{harvnb|Crocket|Richardson|2009|p=100}}</ref> Between the Tower and Observatory Ridges are the Tower and Gardyloo Gullies; the latter takes its name from the cry of {{lang|fr|"garde à l'eau"}} (French for "watch out for the water") formerly used in Scottish cities as a warning when householders threw their waste out of a [[tenement]] window into the street. The gully's top wall was the refuse pit for the summit observatory.<ref name="Murray 1977"/>

The north face contains dozens of graded rock climbs along its entire length, with particular concentrations on the {{lang|gd|italic=no|Càrn Dearg}} Buttress (below the [[Munro]] top of {{lang|gd|italic=no|Càrn Dearg}} NW) and around the North-east Buttress and Observatory Ridge. Classic rock routes include ''Rubicon Wall'' on Observatory Buttress (Severe)&nbsp;– whose second ascent in 1937, when it was considered the hardest route on the mountain, is described by [[W. H. Murray]] in ''Mountaineering in Scotland''<ref name="Murray 1977"/>&nbsp;– and, on {{lang|gd|italic=no|Càrn Dearg}}, ''Centurion'' and ''The Bullroar'' (both HVS), ''Torro'' (E2), and ''Titan's Wall'' (E3), these four described in the [[Scottish Mountaineering Club|SMC]]'s guide as among "the best climbs of their class in Scotland".<ref name="Richardson 2002 53">{{harvnb|Richardson|2002|p=53}}</ref>
[[File:A climber nearing the top of No 5 Gulley - geograph.org.uk - 1104524.jpg|thumb|right|An ice-climber exiting Number Five Gully (450m I). [[Tower Ridge|Tower Gap]] can be discerned in the background.]]

Many seminal lines were recorded before the [[First World War]] by pioneering [[Scottish Mountaineering Club|Scottish climbers]] like J. N. Collie, Willie Naismith, [[Harold Raeburn]], and William and [[Ladies' Scottish Climbing Club|Jane]] Inglis Clark. Other classic routes were put up by G. Graham Macphee, Dr [[J. H. B. Bell|James H. B. Bell]] and others between the Wars; these include Bell's "Long Climb", at {{convert|1400|ft|m|abbr=on}} reputedly the longest sustained climb on the British mainland. In summer 1943 conscientious objector [[Brian Pinder Kellett|Brian Kellett]] made a phenomenal seventy-four repeat climbs and seventeen first ascents including fourteen solos,<ref name="Crocket 2009 100"/> returning in 1944 to add fifteen more new lines, eleven solo, including his eponymous HVS on Gardyloo buttress. Much more recently, an extreme and as yet ungraded climb on Echo Wall was completed by [[Dave MacLeod]] in 2008 after two years of preparation.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.alpinist.com/doc/web08x/newswire-echo-wall-macleod |title=MacLeod's Boldest: Echo Wall |publisher=Alpinist.com| access-date = 22 February 2006}}</ref>

The north face is also one of Scotland's foremost venues for winter mountaineering and ice climbing and holds snow until quite late in the year; in a good year, routes may remain in winter condition until mid-spring. Most of the possible rock routes are also suitable as winter climbs, including the four main ridges; Tower Ridge, for example, is grade IV on the [[Scottish winter grade]], having been upgraded in 2009 by the Scottish Mountaineering Club after requests by the local Mountain Rescue Team, there being numerous benightments and incidents every winter season.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.scotclimb.org.uk/bennevis.shtml |title=Climbing on Ben Nevis |publisher=Scottish Climbing Archive | access-date = 26 October 2006| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20060924044416/http://scotclimb.org.uk/bennevis.shtml| archive-date= 24 September 2006 | url-status= live}}</ref>

In February 1960 James R. Marshall and Robin Clark Smith recorded six major new ice routes in only eight days including Orion Direct (V,5 400m); this winter version of Bell's Long Climb was "the climax of a magnificent week's climbing by Smith and Marshall, and the highpoint of the [[Glossary of climbing terms#step cutting|step-cutting]] era".<ref name="Richardson 2002 53"/>

=== Hill running ===
{{Main|Ben Nevis Race}}
[[File:Image29 jpg ben race 1979.jpg|thumb|right|1979 Ben Nevis Race]]

The history of [[hill running]] on Ben Nevis dates back to 1895. William Swan, a barber from Fort William, made the first recorded timed ascent up the mountain on or around 27 September of that year, when he ran from the old post office in Fort William to the summit and back in 2 hours 41 minutes.<ref name="MacLennan">{{cite journal |author=Hugh Dan MacLennan |date=November 1998 |title=The Ben Race: The supreme test of athletic fitness |journal=The Sports Historian |volume=18 |issue=2 |pages=131–147 |url=http://www.la84foundation.org/SportsLibrary/SportsHistorian/1998/sh182j.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/http://www.la84foundation.org/SportsLibrary/SportsHistorian/1998/sh182j.pdf |archive-date=2022-10-09 |url-status=live |access-date=2 June 2009 |doi=10.1080/17460269809445800}}</ref>
The following years saw several improvements on Swan's record, but the first competitive race was held on 3 June 1898 under Scottish Amateur Athletic Association rules. Ten competitors ran the course, which started at the Lochiel Arms Hotel in [[Banavie]] and was thus longer than the route from Fort William; the winner was 21-year-old Hugh Kennedy, a gamekeeper at Tor Castle, who finished (coincidentally with Swan's original run) in 2&nbsp;hours 41&nbsp;minutes.<ref name="MacLennan"/>

Regular races were organised until 1903, when two events were held; these were the last for 24&nbsp;years, perhaps due to the closure of the summit observatory the following year.<ref name="MacLennan"/> The first was from [[Achintee]], at the foot of the Pony Track, and finished at the summit; It was won in just over an hour by Ewen MacKenzie, the observatory roadman.<ref name="MacLennan"/> The second race ran from new Fort William post office, and MacKenzie lowered the record to 2&nbsp;hours 10&nbsp;minutes, a record he held for 34&nbsp;years.<ref name="MacLennan"/>

The Ben Nevis Race has been run in its current form since 1937. It now takes place on the first Saturday in September every year, with a maximum of 500&nbsp;competitors taking part.<ref name="FWO">{{cite web|url=http://www.visit-fortwilliam.co.uk/mf_race.html|title=Ben Nevis Race – a brief history|access-date=25 November 2006|publisher=Fort William Online| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20070102174814/http://visit-fortwilliam.co.uk/mf_race.html| archive-date= 2 January 2007 | url-status= live}}</ref> It starts and finishes at the [[Claggan Park, Fort William|Claggan Park]] football ground on the outskirts of Fort William, and is {{convert|14|km}} long with {{convert|1340|m}} of ascent.<ref name="SHR">{{cite web|url=http://www.scottishhillracing.co.uk/RaceDetails.aspx?RaceID=RA-0098|title=Ben Nevis Race|website=www.scottishhillracing.co.uk|access-date=2 January 2019}}</ref> Due to the seriousness of the mountain environment, entry is restricted to those who have completed three hill races, and runners must carry waterproofs, a hat, gloves and a whistle; anyone who has not reached the summit after two hours is turned back.<ref name="kopac">{{cite web|url=http://www.mhrrc.org/kopacs_corner/other_races/199803_ben_nevis.html|title=For Sport Alone: The Ben Nevis Race|access-date=2009-06-02|author=Bob Kopac|publisher=MHRRC Online|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130603222427/http://www.mhrrc.org/kopacs_corner/other_races/199803_ben_nevis.html|archive-date=3 June 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref> As of 2018, the record for the men's race has stood unbroken since 1984, when [[Kenny Stuart]] of [[Keswick, Cumbria|Keswick]] Athletic Club won with a time of 1:25:34. The record for the women's race of 1:43:01 was set in 2018 by [[Victoria Wilkinson]].<ref name="SHR"/>

=== Extreme sports ===
Ben Nevis is becoming popular with ski mountaineers and boarders. The Red Burn ({{lang|gd|italic=no|Allt Coire na h-Urcaire}}) just to the North of the tourist path gives the easiest descent, but most if not all of the easier gullies on the North Face have been skied, as has the slope once adorned by the abseil poles into {{lang|gd|italic=no|Coire Leis}}. No 4 gully is probably the most skied. Although Tower scoop makes it a no-fall zone, Tower Gully is becoming popular, especially in May and June when there is spring snow.<ref>Kenny Biggin, ''Scottish Offpiste Skiing and Snowboarding: Nevis Range and Ben Nevis'' (Spean Bridge: Skimountain, 2013), pp. 64–84</ref>

[[File:Ski Ben Nevis.jpg|thumb|A skier [[Ski skins|skinning]] towards the summit]]

In 2018 Jöttnar pro team member Tim Howell BASE jumped off Ben Nevis which was covered by BBC Scotland.<ref>[https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-scotland-47214717 "Base jumper Tim Howell leaps from Ben Nevis"]. ''BBC Scotland'', 12 February 2019</ref>

In May 2019, a team of highliners completed a crossing above the Gardyloo Gully, a new altitude record for the UK.<ref>{{cite news |title=In pictures: UK's highest altitude highline completed on Ben Nevis |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-48880463 |access-date=6 July 2019 |work=BBC News |agency=BBC |date=5 July 2019}}</ref> Also in May 2019, a team of 12, led by Dundee artist [[Douglas Roulston]] carried a {{convert|1.5|m|ft|abbr=off|adj=on}} tall statue of the DC Thomson character [[Oor Wullie]] to the top of the mountain. The statue, which had been painted by Roulston with a 360-degree scene of the view from the summit was later sold at the Oor Wullie Big Bucket Trail charity auction to raise money for a number of Scottish children's charities.<ref name="rooney">{{cite news |last1=Rooney |first1=Richard |title=Oor Wullie on Ben Nevis: How a 'superstar' team united two Scottish icons for charity |url=https://www.thecourier.co.uk/fp/entertainment/whats-on/890741/oor-wullie-on-ben-nevis-how-a-superstar-team-united-two-scottish-icons-for-charity/ |access-date=27 October 2024 |work=The Courier |date=14 May 2019}}</ref><ref name="maclennan">{{cite news |last1=MacLennan |first1=Chris |title=Oor Wullie statue which was taken to top of Ben Nevis finds new home in Inverness |url=https://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/fp/news/highlands-islands/1775156/oor-wullie-statue-which-was-taken-to-top-of-ben-nevis-finds-new-home-in-inverness/ |access-date=27 October 2024 |work=Press and Journal |date=17 June 2019}}</ref>

Ben Nevis is one of the three mountains climbed in the [[National Three Peaks Challenge]], where participants aim to climb Ben Nevis, [[Scafell Pike]] and [[Snowdon]], often within 24 hours and using motor transport between them. The total height climbed is {{cvt|3064|m}} and the distance walked {{cvt|23|miles}}, with about {{cvt|460|miles}} of driving.<ref>{{cite web |title=National Three Peaks Challenge |url=https://www.threepeakschallenge.uk/national-three-peaks-challenge/ |publisher=Three Peaks Challenge Ltd |access-date=12 November 2024}}</ref> It has been estimated that some 30,000 people attempt the challenge each year, often as part of organised groups, and the impact on the local areas has been criticised.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Three Peaks Challenge – what do you think? |url=https://services.thebmc.co.uk/the-three-peaks-challenge--what-do-you-think |website=services.thebmc.co.uk |publisher=British Mountaineering Club |access-date=12 November 2024 |date=4 October 2013}}</ref> Various records have been set for the challenge, including James Forrest's fastest self-supported completion in 16 days, 13 hours, 59 mins in 2021<ref>{{cite news |last1=Bailey |first1=Dan |title=James Forrest on the Self-Supported 3 Peaks Record |url=https://www.ukhillwalking.com/articles/features/james_forrest_on_the_self-supported_3_peaks_record-14046 |access-date=12 November 2024 |work=www.ukhillwalking.com |date=6 December 2021 |language=en}}</ref> and Imogen Boddy's fastest female completion on foot, with support, in 6 days 5 hours 43 mins, in 2024.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Pilastro |first1=Eleonora |title=UK runner completes National Three Peaks Challenge in less than a week |url=https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/news/2024/6/uk-runner-completes-national-three-peaks-challenge-in-less-than-a-week |publisher=Guinness World Records |access-date=12 November 2024 |date=26 June 2024}}</ref> In 2022 the Nevis Landscape Trust introduced a registration system for charity events on Ben Nevis.<ref>{{cite news |title=Ben Nevis registration system for charity walks |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-63135016 |access-date=12 November 2024 |work=BBC News |date=4 October 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Organised Events |url=https://www.nevislandscape.co.uk/visiting-the-area/group-events |website=www.nevislandscape.co.uk |publisher=Nevis Landscape Partnership |access-date=12 November 2024 |language=en}}</ref>

=== Safety ===
{{see also|Mountains and hills of Scotland#Injuries and deaths|Buachaille Etive Mòr#Injuries and deaths}}
Ben Nevis's popularity, climate and complex [[topography]] contribute to a high number of [[mountain rescue]] incidents resulting in several deaths annually on Ben Nevis.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Arnette |first=Alan |title=About Ben Nevis |url=http://www.alanarnette.com/climbs/bennevisfaq.php |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220703044922/http://www.alanarnette.com/climbs/bennevisfaq.php |archive-date=3 July 2022 |access-date=3 July 2022}}</ref> There have been over 100 fatalities recorded on the mountain since record keeping began in 1849.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ben Nevis Deaths - Ben Nevis |url=https://bennevis.co.uk/deaths/ |access-date=2025-04-21 |website=bennevis.co.uk |language=en-GB}}</ref> Fatalities on the mountain occur most regularly due to avalanches and climbing accidents on more difficult routes. In March 2025, a 22-year-old climber died after falling in a climbing accident in the Moonlight Gully in challenging weather conditions.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-03-31 |title=Climber, 22, dies after falling from Ben Nevis |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cq5weeglq3jo |access-date=2025-04-21 |website=BBC News |language=en-GB}}</ref>

Avalanches occur regularly on Ben Nevis in the winter season.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2023/aug/07/bodies-of-three-hillwalkers-recovered-from-ridge-in-scottish-highlands|title=Bodies of three hillwalkers recovered from ridge in Scottish Highlands|last=Badshah|first=Nadeem|date=7 August 2023|quote=Avalanches during the winter are usually the primary cause of death in the Scottish mountains. The first avalanche deaths in three years were recorded on the country’s mountains in the 2018-19 season, when three climbers died on Ben Nevis.|work=The Guardian|access-date=5 November 2025}}</ref> In December 1998, an avalanche on Aonach Mor swept away a group of 7 climbers resulting in the deaths of four of the climbers, whilst three of them survived after being trapped under the snow for 16 hours.<ref name="1999 Gerard">{{Cite news |last=Seenan |first=Gerard |last2= |first2= |last3= |first3= |date=1999-01-02 |title=1,500ft fall on Ben Nevis brings death toll to five |url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk/1999/jan/02/gerardseenan |access-date=2025-04-21 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}</ref> Two days after this avalanche on Aonach Mor a fifth climber died on Ben Nevis after slipping on the ice.<ref name="1999 Gerard"/> Two [[avalanche]]s occurred on Ben Nevis in 2009<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2009/dec/30/ben-nevis-avalanche-kills-climbers|title=Ben Nevis avalanche kills two climbers|last=Carrell|first=Severin|date=30 December 2009|work=The Guardian|access-date=|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220703054600/https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2009/dec/30/ben-nevis-avalanche-kills-climbers|archive-date=3 July 2022}}</ref> and 2016,<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/14381209.missing-ben-nevis-couple-hit-massive-avalanche/|title=Missing Ben Nevis couple were hit by 'massive avalanche'|date=24 March 2016|work=The Herald (Glasgow)|access-date=4 July 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220704031625/https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/14381209.missing-ben-nevis-couple-hit-massive-avalanche/|archive-date=4 July 2022}}</ref> causing the deaths of two people on each occasion. In another two avalanches that occurred in 1970<ref name="scotsman 25 Jan 2009">{{cite news |url=http://www.scotsman.com/news/scotland/top-stories/rescuer-tells-of-horror-as-glencoe-avalanche-kills-three-climbers-there-were-hundreds-of-tons-of-snow-1-1303498 |title=Rescuer tells of horror as Glencoe avalanche kills three climbers: "There were hundreds of tons of snow" |work=The Scotsman |date=25 Jan 2009 |access-date=23 December 2013 |archive-date=24 December 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131224103057/http://www.scotsman.com/news/scotland/top-stories/rescuer-tells-of-horror-as-glencoe-avalanche-kills-three-climbers-there-were-hundreds-of-tons-of-snow-1-1303498 |url-status=live }}</ref> and 2019,<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2019/mar/12/ben-nevis-avalanche-climbers-police-scotland|title=Ben Nevis avalanche kills three people|last=Carrell|first=Severin|date=12 March 2019|work=The Guardian|access-date=3 July 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220703055612/https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2019/mar/12/ben-nevis-avalanche-climbers-police-scotland|archive-date=3 July 2022}}</ref> three people died on each occasion. An experienced climber died in an avalanche on the north face of the mountain in 2022.<ref>{{Cite news |date=5 January 2023 |title=Bristol teacher killed in Ben Nevis avalanche |language=en-GB |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-bristol-64169190 |access-date=5 January 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230105153101/https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-bristol-64169190 |archive-date=5 January 2023}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Driscoll |first=Alex |date=2024-04-13 |title=Thousands raised in memory of Bristol teacher killed in avalanche |url=https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/news/bristol-news/bristol-teacher-killed-ben-nevis-9211557 |access-date=2025-04-21 |website=Bristol Live |language=en}}</ref> 

==== Navigation ====
[[File:Ben Nevis cornice.jpg|thumb|right|View south-west from the summit in early April. When the cliff edges are [[cornice (climbing)|corniced]], accurate navigation is critical.]]
Some incidents arise over difficulties in [[navigation|navigating]] to or from the summit,<ref name="MCofS Newsletter"/> especially in poor visibility. The problem stems from the fact that the summit plateau is roughly [[kidney]]-shaped and surrounded by cliffs on three sides; the danger is particularly accentuated when the main path is obscured by snow. Two precise [[compass]] [[bearing (navigation)|bearings]] taken in succession are necessary to navigate from the summit cairn to the west flank, from where a descent can be made on the Pony Track in relative safety.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.mcofs.org.uk/ben-nevis-navigation.asp |title=Navigation on Ben Nevis  |publisher=[[Mountaineering Scotland]] |website=www.mcofs.org.uk |access-date=30 October 2016}}</ref>

In the late 1990s, Lochaber Mountain Rescue Team erected two posts on the summit plateau to assist walkers attempting the descent in [[fog]]gy conditions. These posts were subsequently cut down by climbers, sparking controversy in mountaineering circles on the ethics of such additions.<ref name="MCofS Newsletter">{{cite journal |author=The Mountaineering Council of Scotland |year=1997 |title=Ben Nevis—The Future |journal=Newsletter |volume=33 |url=http://www.mountaineering-scotland.org.uk/nl/33b.html}}</ref><ref name="Cairns debate">{{cite web |url= http://www.mountaineering-scotland.org.uk/bendebate/index.html|title= Summit Safety and Ben Nevis Cairns: The MCofS seeks a resolution |access-date= 26 October 2006 |author= The Mountaineering Council of Scotland |format=also see sub-pages| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20060927152330/http://www.mountaineering-scotland.org.uk/bendebate/index.html| archive-date= 27 September 2006 | url-status= live}}</ref> Critics argued that cairns and posts are an unnecessary man-made intrusion into the natural landscape, which create a false sense of security and could lessen mountaineers' sense of responsibility for their own safety.<ref name="Cairns debate"/>

In 2009, the Nevis Partnership moved and erected a number of {{convert|6|ft|m|adj=on}}-tall [[cairn]]s on the summit plateau to aid navigation.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ukclimbing.com/news/2009/10/ben_nevis_navigation_-_cairns_moved-49797|title=Ben Nevis Navigation - Cairns Moved|author=Nevis Partnership|publisher=UK Climbing|date=14 October 2009}}</ref> Subsequently, the John Muir Trust cleared a number of smaller informal cairns in 2016 which had been erected by visitors, which were seen as dangerous as they could confuse walkers using them for navigation.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Shute |first1=Joe |title=The deadly secret of Ben Nevis's man-made cairns |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/earth/countryside/12182557/The-deadly-secret-of-Ben-Neviss-man-made-cairns.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220112/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/earth/countryside/12182557/The-deadly-secret-of-Ben-Neviss-man-made-cairns.html |archive-date=12 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |date=6 March 2016}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

==In popular culture==
The [[Ben Nevis Distillery]] is a [[single malt Scotch|single malt whisky]] distillery at the foot of the mountain, near Victoria Bridge to the north of Fort William. Founded in 1825 by John McDonald (known as "Long John"), it is one of the oldest licensed distilleries in Scotland,<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.bennevisdistillery.com/|title=Ben Nevis Distillery|access-date=25 November 2006| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20061125072703/http://www.bennevisdistillery.com/| archive-date= 25 November 2006 | url-status= live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dcs.ed.ac.uk/home/jhb/whisky/smws/78.html|title=Ben Nevis|publisher=Edinburgh Malt Whisky Tour|access-date=25 November 2006| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20061010212903/http://www.dcs.ed.ac.uk/home/jhb/whisky/smws/78.html| archive-date= 10 October 2006 | url-status= live}}</ref> and is a popular visitor attraction in Fort William. The water used to make the whisky comes from the {{lang|gd|italic=no|Allt a' Mhuilinn}}, the stream that flows from Ben Nevis's northern [[cirque|corrie]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.scotchwhisky.net/distilleries/ben_nevis.htm|title=Ben Nevis Distillery|publisher=Scotchwhisky.net|access-date=25 November 2006| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20061229171048/http://www.scotchwhisky.net/distilleries/ben_nevis.htm| archive-date= 29 December 2006 | url-status= live}}</ref> "Ben Nevis" 80/‒ organic [[ale]] is, by contrast, brewed in [[Bridge of Allan]] near [[Stirling]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bottledbeer.co.uk/index.html?beerid=2403|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071022175602/http://www.bottledbeer.co.uk/index.html?beerid=2403|url-status=dead|archive-date=22 October 2007|title=Ben Nevis ale|access-date=11 December 2006}}</ref>

''Ben Nevis'' was the name of a [[White Star Line]] [[packet ship]] which in 1854 carried the group of immigrants who were to become the [[Wends of Texas]].<ref name='wends'>{{cite web |url=http://www.texaswendish.org/2010/01/who-are-the-wends/ |title=Texas Wendish Heritage Society: Brief History |last=Lammert |first=Ron |publisher=Texas Wendish Heritage Society  |date=January 2010 }}</ref> At least another eight vessels have carried the name since then.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.miramarshipindex.org.nz/|title=Miramar Ship Index|access-date=18 March 2016}}</ref>

A mountain in [[Svalbard]] is also named [[Ben Nevis (Svalbard)|Ben Nevis]], after the Scottish peak. It is {{convert|922|m|ft|abbr=off}} high and is south of the head of [[Raudfjorden]], Albert I Land, in the northwestern part of the island of [[Spitsbergen]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://stadnamn.npolar.no/stadnamn/Ben%20Nevis?lang=en |title=Place names in Norwegian polar areas |access-date=11 March 2009 |publisher=Norwegian Polar Institute }}</ref> [[Hung Fa Chai]], a {{convert|489|m|ft|abbr=off|adj=on}} hill in Northeast [[New Territories]] of [[Hong Kong]] was given the name Ben Nevis by British surveyors in 1901.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Pang |first1=Diana |title=Around the world in a day with Hong Kong's street names |url=https://hongkongfp.com/2023/08/27/foreign-influence-part-3-around-the-world-in-a-day-with-hong-kongs-street-names/ |work=Hong Kong Free Press |access-date=5 November 2024 |date=27 August 2023}}</ref>

[[Wee Ben Nevis]] was a character appearing in ''[[The Beano]]'' comic for a few years from 1974, drawn by [[Vic Neill]],<ref>{{cite book |last1=McLaughlin |first1=Iain |title=The History of the Beano |date=21 April 2022 |publisher=White Owl |isbn=978-1-5267-7786-7 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=G33GEAAAQBAJ&dq=%22wee+ben+nevis%22&pg=PT100 |access-date=5 November 2024 |language=en |via=Google books}}</ref> in a feature described by [[Auberon Waugh]] as having "strong undertones of Scottish Nationalism by its untrue suggestion that Scotsmen have superhuman strength despite their diminutive stature".<ref name="cook">{{cite book |last1=Cook |first1=William |title=Kiss Me, Chudleigh: The World according to Auberon Waugh |date=14 October 2010 |publisher=Hodder & Stoughton |isbn=978-1-4447-1151-6 |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yMnos35Wy9YC&dq=%22wee+ben+nevis%22&pg=PT43 |access-date=5 November 2024 |language=en |chapter=17 June 1976 |via=Google books}}</ref>

== See also ==
{{portal|Mountains}}
{{Div col|colwidth=20em}}
* [[Holme Fen]] – The lowest point in the United Kingdom. 
* [[Mountains and hills of Scotland]]
* [[National Three Peaks Challenge]]
* [[Northwest Spitsbergen National Park]] Norway - includes a mountain called Ben Nevis. Its height is {{convert|918|m|ft|abbr=off}} and it is located at Northwest Spitsbergen National Park
* [[The Remarkables, New Zealand|The Remarkables]], New Zealand – mountain range containing a peak also called Ben Nevis
* [[Scottish Highlands]]
* [[Scafell Pike]]
* [[Snowdon]]
{{div col end}}

==Notes==
{{notelist}}
{{reflist|colwidth=33em|refs=
<ref name="CIC">
  {{cite web|url=http://www.smc.org.uk/Huts/CIC.htm|title= Charles Inglis Clark Memorial Hut (C.I.C.) |access-date= 12 November 2007
 | author= Scottish Mountaineering Club website
 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070915100543/http://www.smc.org.uk/Huts/CIC.htm |archive-date = 15 September 2007|url-status=dead}}</ref>
}}

== Bibliography ==
{{refbegin}}
* {{cite book |last=Butterfield |first=Irvine |author-link=Irvine Butterfield |year=1986 |title=The High Mountains of Britain and Ireland |publisher=Diadem Books |location=London |isbn=978-0-906371-71-8 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/highmountainsofb0000butt/page/96 96–99] |url=https://archive.org/details/highmountainsofb0000butt/page/96 }}
* {{cite book | last1 = Crocket| first1 = Ken| year = 2009| last2 = Richardson| first2 = Simon| title = Ben Nevis: Britain's Highest Mountain: 2nd Edition
 | publisher = The Scottish Mountaineering Trust | isbn = 978-1-907233-10-4}}
* {{cite book |last=Hodgkiss |first=Peter |year=1994 |title=The Central Highlands |edition=5th |publisher=Scottish Mountaineering Trust |isbn=978-0-907521-44-0 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/centralhighlands0000hodg/page/116 116–134] |url=https://archive.org/details/centralhighlands0000hodg/page/116 }}
* {{cite map |title=Landranger 41: Ben Nevis |year=2002 |author-link=Ordnance Survey |isbn=0-319-22641-7 |author=Ordnance Survey|url={{Ordnance Survey url|NN166712}}}}
* {{cite book |last=Murray |first=W. H. |author-link=W. H. Murray |year=1977 |title=The Companion Guide to the West Highlands of Scotland
 | publisher=Collins |location=London |isbn=978-0-00-216813-7 |pages=218–221}}
* {{cite book | last = Richardson| first = Simon| year = 2002| title = Ben Nevis: Rock and Ice Climbs
 | publisher = The Scottish Mountaineering Trust | isbn = 978-0-907521-73-0}}
{{refend}}

== External links ==
{{sister project links|auto=1|wikt=1}}
* [https://www.flickr.com/photos/151524482@N05/sets/72157719746596654/ Ben Nevis Photo Tour] – 57 images from the Car Park to the Summit and Back via the Tourist Trail
* [https://www.nevispartnership.co.uk/ Nevis Partnership] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190626163934/https://www.nevispartnership.co.uk/ |date=26 June 2019 }} – Environmental and visitor management in the Nevis area
* Computer generated digital panoramas from Ben Nevis: [http://www.viewfinderpanoramas.org/panoramas/GRW/NEVIS-North.gif North] [http://www.viewfinderpanoramas.org/panoramas/GRW/NEVIS-South.gif South] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090929132443/http://www.viewfinderpanoramas.org/panoramas/GRW/NEVIS-North.gif |date=29 September 2009 }} [http://www.viewfinderpanoramas.org/panoramas.html index]
* [https://aboutfortwilliam.com/webcams/ben-nevis-and-fort-william Ben Nevis Webcam]
*[https://360munros.co.uk/ben-nevis 360munros.co.uk] - Ben Nevis 360° Virtual Tours
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20090913010643/http://www.smc.org.uk/Munros/MunrosTable.php Ben Nevis]. ''Munros Table''. [[Scottish Mountaineering Club]].
{{Scottish Munros section 4}}
{{British hills}}
{{Highest mountains of the United Kingdom}}
{{Lochaber}}
{{Highest points of Europe}}
{{Portal bar|United Kingdom|Scotland}}
{{Authority control}}
{{good article}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ben Nevis}}
[[Category:Ben Nevis| ]]
[[Category:Climbing areas of Scotland]]
[[Category:Devonian volcanism]]
[[Category:Highest points of countries]]
[[Category:Highest points of historic Scottish counties]]
[[Category:Lochaber]]
[[Category:Munros]]
[[Category:Marilyns of Scotland]]
[[Category:Mountains and hills of Highland (council area)]]
[[Category:Mountaineering disasters]]
[[Category:Mountains and hills of the Central Highlands]]
[[Category:National scenic areas of Scotland]]
[[Category:One-thousanders of Scotland]]
[[Category:Sites of Special Scientific Interest in North Lochaber]]
[[Category:Special Areas of Conservation in Scotland]]
[[Category:Volcanism of Scotland]]
[[Category:Ring dikes]]
[[Category:Extreme points of the United Kingdom]]