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A cairn on the ridge, a green ridge running on beyond it and a lochan below.
Ben Lawers and Glen Lyon

Ben Lawers

A Munro of 1,214 metres, number 10 of the 282.

On the hill todayI was up today
The hill

Ben Lawers, 1,214 metres, stands above Loch Tay: the highest mountain in Tayside, in its owner's words, and the name of a National Nature Reserve.

The National Trust for Scotland bought the massif in 1950 to protect the arctic-alpine plants on its heights. More than 40,000 people now explore these hills each year.

Summit
Grid reference NN 635 414
Underfoot
Fragile mountain plants. The Trust asks walkers to keep to the path as far as possible, and to leave the plants where they grow.
Under snow
No avalanche forecast is issued for Ben Lawers. The service forecasts for six other areas, which does not mean there is no risk here under snow.
Car park
On the Ben Lawers National Nature Reserve, kept by the National Trust for Scotland. Ask the Trust about the charge and the toilets before you set out: 01567 820988 or benlawers@nts.org.uk.
On the hill today
−1° to 3°Drizzle on the summit, 1,214 m. Feels like −5° in the wind.

North-west wind to 13 mph, gusting 28
Dry, or nearly
Light from 7.50am to 6.14pm, ten hours

Sat 17Some cloud−3° to 2° on top · 8 mph, gusts 19
Sun 18Clear−4° to 2° on top · 7 mph, gusts 14
Mon 19Drizzle−7° to 4° on top · 6 mph, gusts 14

A weather model's forecast for the height of the summit, not a report from the hill. Read the mountain forecast the evening before: Southeastern Highlands forecast, Ben Lawers.

October2026

MTWTFSS

Going another day?

Choose the day you mean to climb.Near or far: the light you will have, and what the summit is likely to be doing.

Photographs by Ahmed Salah and Patryk Zieliński, via Google

Vegetation is easily damaged by repeated trampling, so please keep to the path as far as possible.The National Trust for Scotland, which owns the hill
Before you go

Carry

  • A paper map and a compass, and the skill to use them
  • Waterproofs, warm layers, hat and gloves
  • Food and drink
  • A head torch, a whistle and a first aid kit
  • A survival bag
  • Boots with a good grip

Under snow and ice this is a different day, with short light and the risk of avalanche. It needs an ice axe, crampons, winter boots and the skill to use them.

If something goes wrong

  • Dial 999, ask for the police, then mountain rescue
  • Give a six-figure grid reference: the summit is NN 635 414
  • Say how many are hurt, how many are with you, and your number
  • Register to text 999 before the day: text the word register to 999

The summit is optional. Turning back is the right decision whenever the cloud, the wind or the light say so.

How to call for help in the hills · Safety and skills for the hills · ThinkWINTER

From our readers

Nobody has written from Ben Lawers yet. If you were up, yours would be the first.

Tell the next person

Were you up? Three words is enough.A free account, a word for the weather and a line if you like.

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From the magazine
Read more elsewhere

For the route itself, take the map and read these.

Sleep and eat at its foot

Next along: Beinn Ghlas, An Stuc, Meall Corranaich, Meall Garbh. Checked on 9 October 2026. The facts on this page are the National Trust for Scotland's; the forecasts are the Mountain Weather Information Service's and the Met Office's. Height and position from The Database of British and Irish Hills, v18.3, adapted, CC BY 4.0. This page is not a route description and does not replace a map.