Scotland is mountainous and has literally hundreds of mountains to hike, climb and explore. If you want to climb a mountain to tick it off your list, but you aren’t the most fit, or you don’t have a lot of time on your hands, we strongly recommend you climb Ben A’an.
Ben A’an, Gaelic for ‘the small, pointed peak’ by Scottish standards a small mountain, standing at just 454 metres and a track distance of 4km can be completed in around 2 hours, with a fairly easy ascend to the top, making it alone a great short hike but its not just the climb that is worth it… it is the views, which offer one of the most stunningly beautiful vistas.
Ben A‘an is positioned between Loch Katrine and Loch Achray in the Trossachs near the village of Brig o’ Turk, with the popular town of Callander located 30 minutes away, within the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park and you can drive there within 2 hours of Edinburgh and around 1 and half hours from Glasgow. There is a car park which is £1 an hour or £3 for the full day. (Type ‘Ben A‘an car park’ into google maps for directions).
The walk begins across the road from the car park and the pathway is easy to follow, with a fairly easy ascend through a lush forest – whilst enjoying views of the peak. When you are at the foot of the Ben the path starts its incline with rocky steps and starts to get slightly steeper.
As you reach the top the views afore you are simply amazing with panoramic views across The Trossachs, to the left (and another mountain to conquer) Ben Venue and the pretty Loch Katrine swallowing up the base of the surrounding mountains. On a clear day you can see the mountains of the Highlands and the Arrochar Alps
Below on the pretty Loch Katrine, you may spot the famous Sir Walter Scott Steamship which is a day tripping boat that sails on the loch and another great day out!
Enjoy your time at the top, these views will last a lifetime in your memories!
In Scotland, the weather can be unpredictable even in the summer months, and the lower trail can get quite muddy. It is recommended to wear hiking boots, but we only wore our trainers and were fine. Take a backpack with water and snacks (we love the Love Corn crunchy corn snacks which are high in fibre and low in sugar, and vegan) and wear some layers and pack and waterproof jacket, oh and most definitely your camera!!
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