Ben Wyvis – Up An Cabar and Along the Main Ridge

The walk

Forestry and Land Scotland's route up Ben Wyvis runs 4 miles (6.4 km) from its car park to the summit, it says, though on the map the path measures nearer 4½ miles (7.3 km) each way. Most people take about six hours to walk to the top and back. The path climbs steeply up An Cabar, then heads along the main ridge to the summit, Glas Leathad Mòr, 1,046 metres up. The way home is the same path. Ben Wyvis, Beinn Uais in Gaelic, stands on its own to the north of Inverness, and its high whaleback ridge is a magnet for hill walkers, Forestry and Land Scotland says.

The car park is on the east side of the A835 between Garve and Loch Glascarnoch. From Inverness, Forestry and Land Scotland says, follow the A9 north to the Tore roundabout, take the second exit onto the A835 for Ullapool and stay on it for about 21 miles (33.6 km). For a satnav, IV23 2PG is the nearest postcode, north of the car park. Parking is free, but the car park is small and can fill quickly on busy days, so share a lift if you can. A layby about ¼ mile (400 metres) along the road takes a few more cars. Power lines run beside the car park, so it has a height barrier with 2.5 metres of headroom. Forestry and Land Scotland lists no toilets at the car park. The nearest are the Highland Council's at Silverbridge and at Rogie Falls, and its Rogie Falls page says those open from April to October. Contin and Strathpeffer have shops and places to eat.

Before you set off, Forestry and Land Scotland asks for good walking boots, warm and waterproof clothing, plenty of food and drink, and a torch in case the day runs longer than you expect. Leave word with someone of where you are going and when you will be back. The weather can change quickly, and even on a clear summer day it is often much colder and windier on the hill than down by the road. Check the mountain forecast before you go: the Mountain Weather Information Service's forecast for the Northwest Highlands takes in Ben Wyvis.

The lower slopes are forested, and aspen, birch and rowan grow beside a tumbling burn there, Forestry and Land Scotland says. Above the trees the route is on the open hill, where there are no waymarkers or signposts and the path is not always clear to follow, Forestry and Land Scotland warns. Carry a map and compass and know how to use them. Do not rely only on a phone or a GPS: if the battery fails, you still need to know where you are.

The route climbs steeply up An Cabar, the top at the south-west end of the main ridge. This is the place to take stock. If the cloud is coming down, the wind is rising or anyone is tiring, turn back here: Forestry and Land Scotland asks walkers to turn back if they get tired. It is still checking how recent storms have affected its land, so follow any local signs, and turn back if anything looks unsafe.

From An Cabar the route heads along the main ridge to the summit. Dotterel, a rare migratory bird, nest in the fragile carpet moss of the summit ridge, Forestry and Land Scotland says. From April to July ground-nesting birds such as dotterel and ptarmigan are at their most vulnerable to disturbance from dogs, Mountaineering Scotland says. Keep a dog under close control, and on a lead if it is inclined to chase birds.

Under snow, no avalanche forecast covers Ben Wyvis. The Scottish Avalanche Information Service forecasts six other areas, from Lochaber and Glencoe to the Cairngorms and Torridon, and that is no sign there is no risk here.

The summit, Glas Leathad Mòr, is 1,046 metres up, at grid reference NH 462 683, by the Database of British and Irish Hills. On a clear day the top has views to the Cairngorms and the Fannichs, Forestry and Land Scotland says.

The way down is the way you came, back along the ridge, down An Cabar and through the lower slopes to the car park. Most people take about six hours to the summit and back, Forestry and Land Scotland says, so leave plenty of daylight for the walk home. When you get back, check for ticks and take any off quickly: they can carry Lyme disease, Forestry and Land Scotland warns.