Ben Vorlich – Up Glen Vorlich and the North Ridge

The walk

The usual way up Ben Vorlich, the one above Loch Earn, starts on the South Loch Earn Road at Ardvorlich and comes back the same way. By our map it is about 10 km (6 miles) there and back, with about 900 metres of climb. Allow about 4 to 6 hours, more with stops, in poor weather or under snow, and leave plenty of daylight for the way down. The national park says the hill suits people new to Munros, so long as they have the right kit and navigational skills. Many walkers go on to Stuc a' Chroin, the next Munro to the south-west, by a steep, rough way with some scrambling. This walk does not, and keeps to the summit of Ben Vorlich and back.

Ardvorlich is about 5 km east of Lochearnhead along the South Loch Earn Road, which is one lane wide with passing places. There is no car park: walkers leave cars on the roadside near the bridge over the Ardvorlich Burn, and the spaces fill early on fine weekends. The national park's Loch Earn Code asks drivers to park without blocking access and never in a passing place. It also asks for extra care on narrow country roads. From 1 March to 30 September you need a permit or a campsite booking to camp round Loch Earn, the park says.

Before you set off, check the mountain forecast, and under snow the snow and avalanche conditions too, as Mountaineering Scotland advises for every trip. A walk to the top of any Munro needs a good level of fitness and navigational skills, the national park says, and you should be ready for changeable weather. Conditions on the hills are often much colder and windier than at the loch, Forestry and Land Scotland warns. Wear good walking boots and carry warm, waterproof clothing, plenty of food and drink, and a torch in case the day runs long. Carry a map and compass and know how to use them, and do not rely only on a phone or GPS. Leave word with someone of where you are going and when you will be back.

The way starts up the drive on the east side of the burn, and signs lead walkers round Ardvorlich House to the east, onto a track that climbs above it. Ardvorlich is a working estate, and deer stalking can take place on the estate hills: follow any signs at the access points, the national park asks. Keep a dog under close control where there is livestock, and keep away from fields with lambs, the national park asks. Through gates and stiles the track climbs up Glen Vorlich beside the burn, through parkland to the edge of the trees and on up the open glen. By our map it crosses several side burns on small bridges, and one at a ford with no bridge. The ground beside the track can be wet and boggy after rain.

A little over 2 km up, by our map, a footbridge crosses the Allt a' Choire Bhuidhe, and the track gives way to the hill path. The path climbs south up the broad north ridge, and it grows steeper towards the top. About 3.5 km up, by our map, a path goes off to the right, round below the summit towards Stuc a' Chroin. Keep on up the ridge. The last stretch is the steepest part of the walk, on loose stones that can roll underfoot.

The ridge is the place to decide. If the cloud is coming down, the wind is rising or anyone is tiring, turn back: Forestry and Land Scotland asks walkers to turn back if they get tired. Out on the hill there are no waymarks, and paths can be hard to follow in cloud. Under snow it is a winter mountain, and no avalanche forecast covers Ben Vorlich. The Scottish Avalanche Information Service forecasts six other areas, from Lochaber and Glencoe to the Cairngorms and Torridon. That is no sign there is no risk here.

The summit is 985 metres, the park says, and the top is marked by a trig point. A broad path runs on along the summit ridge to a second top a little to the east, about a metre lower. Ben Vorlich lies close to the Highland Boundary Fault, the park says, and its views reach across both the Highlands and the Lowlands. The name means the hill of the bay.

The way down is the way you came, down the north ridge, over the footbridge and down the track past the house to the road. In cloud, check the line with your map and compass before you leave the top: the summit ridge has paths going off in several directions. If someone is hurt, dial 999 and ask for the police, the park says, and give an exact location, a grid reference if you can.