Ben Ledi
Encyclopedia
Ben Ledi is a mountain
in Perthshire
, Scotland
. It is 879 m (2884 ft) high, and is classified as a Corbett. By road it lies about eight kilometres (5 miles) north-west of Callander
, near the village of Kilmahog
. It is situated in the Trossachs
hills, which are often regarded as having some of the most romantic scenery in the Highlands
.
Ben Ledi is particularly well known through Walter Scott
's poem Lady of the Lake
. Supposedly in ancient times, Beltane
rites were observed on the summit. In 1791 the Rev Doctor James Robertson being minister of the parish at the time, was required to write a description of the parish for the First Statistical Account of Scotland. In his report he mistakenly (due to the similarity to le dia) took the name Ben Ledi to mean 'hill of god' which suited the purposes of the kirk of the day. The name is in fact a corruption of Beinn Leitir which translates to 'the Hill of the Slope', which is a very suitable description of the long south shoulder used to access the summit.
A cairn
was built on the top in 1887 to commemorate Queen Victoria
's Golden Jubilee
. A small lochan, Lochan nan Corp, lies at 655 m above sea level about 1.5 km to the north of the summit.
The name means "the little loch of the dead", and was thought to be named for an accident to a funeral
party at which 200 lives were lost. In truth the lochan is on the old coffin road from Glen Finlas to St Bride's chapel close to Loch Lubnaig. The pass is therefore named the Bealach nan Corp - Pass of the Dead - and the lochan is named after the pass. The lochan is not deep enough to reach past your waist nor of sufficient area to accommodate any large funeral party.
The eastern slopes of Ben Ledi are owned by the Forestry Commission
, and form part of the Queen Elizabeth II Forest Park. A constructed path leads from a car park on the A84 road
just south of Loch Lubnaig
to a fence at about 270M where a rough track continues to the summit via the south shoulder, a distance of just over 3 km. An alternative route following Stank Glen leaves the shores of Loch Lubnaig about 1.5 km north of the start of the main route, reaching the summit ridge near Lochan nan Corp. The two routes may be combined to give a circular walk of about 9 km.
In addition to hiking
the Ben is occasionally used as a take-off point for paragliding
.
The Ben Ledi ridge continues north, dropping down to about 600 m before climbing again to the summit of Benvane, a Corbett not to be confused with Ben Vane
, a Munro on the west side of Loch Lomond.
Mountain
Image:Himalaya_annotated.jpg|thumb|right|The Himalayan mountain range with Mount Everestrect 58 14 160 49 Chomo Lonzorect 200 28 335 52 Makalurect 378 24 566 45 Mount Everestrect 188 581 920 656 Tibetan Plateaurect 250 406 340 427 Rong River...
in Perthshire
Stirling (council area)
Stirling is one of the 32 unitary local government council areas of Scotland, and has a population of about 87,000 . It was created under the Local Government etc Act 1994 with the boundaries of the Stirling district of the former Central local government region, and it covers most of the former...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. It is 879 m (2884 ft) high, and is classified as a Corbett. By road it lies about eight kilometres (5 miles) north-west of Callander
Callander
Callander is a burgh in the region of Stirling, Scotland, situated on the River Teith. The town is located in the former county of Perthshire and is a popular tourist stop to and from the Highlands....
, near the village of Kilmahog
Kilmahog
Kilmahog is a hamlet situated half a mile to the west of Callander, Scotland.-Geography:Kilmahog lies on the Garbh Uisge, also known as the "River Leny", at the junction of the Trossachs and Lochearnhead roads...
. It is situated in the Trossachs
Trossachs
The Trossachs itself is a small woodland glen in the Stirling council area of Scotland. It lies between Ben A'an to the north and Ben Venue to the south, with Loch Katrine to the west and Loch Achray to the east. However, the name is used generally to refer to the wider area of wooded glens and...
hills, which are often regarded as having some of the most romantic scenery in the Highlands
Scottish Highlands
The Highlands is an historic region of Scotland. The area is sometimes referred to as the "Scottish Highlands". It was culturally distinguishable from the Lowlands from the later Middle Ages into the modern period, when Lowland Scots replaced Scottish Gaelic throughout most of the Lowlands...
.
Ben Ledi is particularly well known through Walter Scott
Walter Scott
Sir Walter Scott, 1st Baronet was a Scottish historical novelist, playwright, and poet, popular throughout much of the world during his time....
's poem Lady of the Lake
Lady of the Lake
The Lady of the Lake is the name of several related characters who play parts in the Arthurian legend. These characters' roles include giving King Arthur his sword Excalibur, enchanting Merlin, and raising Lancelot after the death of his father...
. Supposedly in ancient times, Beltane
Beltane
Beltane or Beltaine is the anglicised spelling of Old Irish Beltaine or Beltine , the Gaelic name for either the month of May or the festival that takes place on the first day of May.Bealtaine was historically a Gaelic festival celebrated in Ireland, Scotland and the Isle of Man.Bealtaine...
rites were observed on the summit. In 1791 the Rev Doctor James Robertson being minister of the parish at the time, was required to write a description of the parish for the First Statistical Account of Scotland. In his report he mistakenly (due to the similarity to le dia) took the name Ben Ledi to mean 'hill of god' which suited the purposes of the kirk of the day. The name is in fact a corruption of Beinn Leitir which translates to 'the Hill of the Slope', which is a very suitable description of the long south shoulder used to access the summit.
A cairn
Cairn
Cairn is a term used mainly in the English-speaking world for a man-made pile of stones. It comes from the or . Cairns are found all over the world in uplands, on moorland, on mountaintops, near waterways and on sea cliffs, and also in barren desert and tundra areas...
was built on the top in 1887 to commemorate Queen Victoria
Victoria of the United Kingdom
Victoria was the monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death. From 1 May 1876, she used the additional title of Empress of India....
's Golden Jubilee
Golden Jubilee
A Golden Jubilee is a celebration held to mark a 50th anniversary.- In Thailand :King Bhumibol Adulyadej, the world's longest-reigning monarch, celebrated his Golden Jubilee on 9 June 1996.- In the Commonwealth Realms :...
. A small lochan, Lochan nan Corp, lies at 655 m above sea level about 1.5 km to the north of the summit.
The name means "the little loch of the dead", and was thought to be named for an accident to a funeral
Funeral
A funeral is a ceremony for celebrating, sanctifying, or remembering the life of a person who has died. Funerary customs comprise the complex of beliefs and practices used by a culture to remember the dead, from interment itself, to various monuments, prayers, and rituals undertaken in their honor...
party at which 200 lives were lost. In truth the lochan is on the old coffin road from Glen Finlas to St Bride's chapel close to Loch Lubnaig. The pass is therefore named the Bealach nan Corp - Pass of the Dead - and the lochan is named after the pass. The lochan is not deep enough to reach past your waist nor of sufficient area to accommodate any large funeral party.
The eastern slopes of Ben Ledi are owned by the Forestry Commission
Forestry Commission
The Forestry Commission is a non-ministerial government department responsible for forestry in Great Britain. Its mission is to protect and expand Britain's forests and woodlands and increase their value to society and the environment....
, and form part of the Queen Elizabeth II Forest Park. A constructed path leads from a car park on the A84 road
A84 road
The A84 is a major road in Scotland, United Kingdom. It links the city of Stirling with Lochearnhead, running an approximate .-Road safety:The A84 between M9 Junction 10 and Lochearnhead has a poor road safety record, according to EuroRAP...
just south of Loch Lubnaig
Loch Lubnaig
Loch Lubnaig is a small loch near Callander in the Stirling council area, Scotland. It lies in the former county of Perthshire....
to a fence at about 270M where a rough track continues to the summit via the south shoulder, a distance of just over 3 km. An alternative route following Stank Glen leaves the shores of Loch Lubnaig about 1.5 km north of the start of the main route, reaching the summit ridge near Lochan nan Corp. The two routes may be combined to give a circular walk of about 9 km.
In addition to hiking
Hiking
Hiking is an outdoor activity which consists of walking in natural environments, often in mountainous or other scenic terrain. People often hike on hiking trails. It is such a popular activity that there are numerous hiking organizations worldwide. The health benefits of different types of hiking...
the Ben is occasionally used as a take-off point for paragliding
Paragliding
Paragliding is the recreational and competitive adventure sport of flying paragliders: lightweight, free-flying, foot-launched glider aircraft with no rigid primary structure...
.
The Ben Ledi ridge continues north, dropping down to about 600 m before climbing again to the summit of Benvane, a Corbett not to be confused with Ben Vane
Ben Vane
Ben Vane is a Scottish mountain situated in the southern Highlands. The underlying geology almost entirely comprises the Beinn Bheula Schist Formation - Psammite and Pelite with a Siluro-Devonian Dyke prominent round the northern and eastern face...
, a Munro on the west side of Loch Lomond.
External links
- Computer generated summit panorama Ben Ledi Index
- A walk up Ben Ledi
