Glen Nevis

Glen Nevis does two different things well and people sometimes visit only for one. The lower glen — the visitor centre, the cafe, the wide grassy floor — is the launch pad for Ben Nevis via the Mountain Track. It is busy, it is well-managed, and it is the correct place to start if you are going for the summit. The upper glen is something else entirely: a limestone gorge carved by the Water of Nevis, a path that threads through tight walls of rock and tree, and at the end a high flat valley with the Steall Falls dropping 120m from the cliff above.

Ben Nevis at 1345m is the highest point in the British Isles. The Mountain Track is not technically difficult in summer conditions — it is long, steep, and relentless. In winter, from roughly November to May, the upper mountain holds significant snow and ice and the summit plateau navigation in whiteout conditions has killed experienced mountaineers. Treat it with respect in any season. The Steall gorge walk, by contrast, is one of the finest low-level walks in Scotland: 4km each way, spectacular throughout, and manageable for families with older children.