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Coordinates: 56°32′44″N 4°13′15″W / 56.54556°N 4.22083°W / 56.54556; -4.22083
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{{Short description|1214m high mountain in Scotland}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2019}}
{{Infobox mountain
{{Infobox mountain
| name = Ben Lawers
| name = Ben Lawers
| other_name ={{lang|gd|Beinn Labhair}}
| photo = Ben Lawers.jpg
| photo = Ben Lawers in Scotland - 2008.jpg
| photo_caption = Ben Lawers seen from [[Beinn Ghlas]]
| photo_caption = Ben Lawers seen from [[Beinn Ghlas]]
| elevation_m = 1214
| elevation_m = 1214
| elevation_ref = <ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.hill-bagging.co.uk/mountaindetails.php?rf=141 |title=Ben Lawers (Beinn Labhair) |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |year=2019 |publisher=Hill Bagging - the online version of the Database of British and Irish Hills (DoBIH) |access-date=20 June 2019}}</ref>
| elevation_ref =
| prominence = ''c.'' 909 m
| prominence = {{c.|915 m}}
| prominence_ref = <small>[[List of mountains of the British Isles by relative height|Ranked 11th]] in [[British Isles]]</small>
| prominence_ref = <br/><small>[[List of mountains of the British Isles by relative height|Ranked 11th]] in [[British Isles]]</small>
| parent_peak = [[Ben Nevis]]
| parent_peak = [[Ben Nevis]]
| listing = [[Munro]], [[Marilyn (hill)|Marilyn]], [[List of Scottish council areas by highest point|Council top]] ([[Perth and Kinross]]), [[List of Scottish counties by highest point|County top]] ([[Perthshire]])
| listing = [[Munro]], [[Marilyn (hill)|Marilyn]], [[List of Scottish council areas by highest point|Council top]] ([[Perth and Kinross]]), [[List of Scottish counties by highest point|County top]] ([[Perthshire]])
| translation = mountain of the loud stream<ref name="ainmean">{{cite web|url=https://www.ainmean-aite.scot/placename/ben-lawers/ |title=Ben Lawers |work=[[Ainmean-Àite na h-Alba]]: Gaelic Place-Names of Scotland}}</ref>
| translation = Hill of the loud stream
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| pronunciation = {{IPA-gd|peɲ ˈl̪ˠavɪɾʲ|lang}}
| language = [[Scottish Gaelic language|Gaelic]]
| location = [[Perth and Kinross]], [[Scotland]]
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| pronunciation = {{IPA-gd|peɲˈlˠ̪avəɾʲ|lang}}
| location = [[Perth and Kinross]], {{SCO}}
| range = [[Grampian Mountains]]
⚫
| range =
| coordinates = {{coord|56|32|44|N|4|13|15|W|type:mountain_region:GB|display=inline,title}}
| coordinates = {{coord|56|32|44|N|4|13|15|W|type:mountain_region:GB|display=inline,title}}
| grid_ref_UK = NN636414
| grid_ref_UK = NN636414
Line 19: Line 21:
| easiest_route =
| easiest_route =
}}
}}
'''Ben Lawers''' ({{langx|gd|Beinn Labhair}})<ref name="ainmean"/> is the highest mountain in the [[Breadalbane, Scotland|Breadalbane]] region of the [[Scottish Highlands]]. It lies north of [[Loch Tay]] and is the highest peak of the 'Ben Lawers group', a ridge that includes six other [[Munro]]s: [[Beinn Ghlas]], [[Meall Garbh (Lawers Group)|Meall Garbh]], [[Meall Corranaich]], [[An Stùc]], [[Meall Greigh]] and Meall a' Choire Leith.<ref name=munro/> It is also the highest peak in [[Perthshire]],<ref name=sssi-mng/> and the [[List of Munro mountains in Scotland|tenth highest Munro in Scotland]]. Ben Lawers was long thought to be over {{convert|4,000|ft|m|abbr=off|0}} in height, but accurate measurement in the 1870s showed it to be only {{convert|3983|ft|m}}.<ref name=SMC>D. Bennet (ed.) The Southern Highlands. Scottish Mountaineering Club District Guides - Scottish Mountaineering Trust. 2nd edition (August 1986). p. 161</ref> It is formed of [[metamorphic rock]], most notably [[calcareous]] [[Schist|mica-schist]]s, and lower down, schistose grits.<ref>{{cite book |last=Johnstone |first=Scott |editor-last=Mardon |editor-first=David |date=1986 |chapter=Formation of the Ben Lawers Range |edition=Revised |title=Ben Lawers |location=Edinburgh |publisher=The National Trust for Scotland |isbn=090162554X |pages=8–9}}</ref>
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[[File:Prelucrare 3D pentru Meall Garbh, An Stuc, Ben Lawers - Scotia.jpg|270px|right|thumb|Ben Lawers 3D map]]

'''Ben Lawers''' ([[Scottish Gaelic|Gaelic]]: '''Beinn Labhair''') is one of the highest mountains in the southern part of the [[Scottish Highlands]]. It lies to the north side of [[Loch Tay]], and is the highest point of a long ridge that includes seven [[Munro]]s. Ben Lawers was long thought to be over {{convert|4000|ft|m|1}} in height; accurate measurement in the 1870s showed it to be some {{convert|17|ft|m|1}} short of this figure. In 1878, a group of twenty men spent a day building a large [[cairn]] in the hope of bringing the summit above the "magic" figure. The cairn is no longer there; in any case the [[Ordnance Survey]] ignored it as an artificial structure that was not truly part of the hill.
Ben Lawers lies on the [[Drainage divide|watershed]] between the rivers [[River Tay|Tay]] and [[River Lyon|Lyon]]. Since the 1950s, water has been captured from the numerous burns on the south face of Ben Lawers and Meall nan Tarmachan as part of the [[Breadalbane Hydro-Electric Scheme]]. The water is diverted to the Lochan na Lairige, from where it is piped to drive hydro-electric turbines at Finlarig on the banks of [[Loch Tay]].<ref name=sssi-mng/> The level of the Lochan na Lairige was raised by the construction of the 344-metre-long Lawers Dam, a buttress-type dam that is 42&nbsp;m high.

Due to its high elevation and underlying geology, Ben Lawers is home to an exceptionally rich selection of [[arctic-alpine]] plant species and habitats. Since 1964, it has been designated as a [[National nature reserve (Scotland)|National Nature Reserve]] (NNR).<ref name=sssi-mng/>


==History==
==History==
There is much evidence of former settlements and other human activity on the southern slopes of Ben Lawers above Loch Tay. The discovery of many boulders with [[cup and ring mark]]s "suggests it was a very significant landscape in prehistory."<ref>{{cite web |title=Ancient stone artwork discovered |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/tayside_and_central/8205035.stm |date=17 August 2009 |work= |publisher=BBC |accessdate=20 September 2009| archiveurl= http://web.archive.org/web/20090921102637/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/tayside_and_central/8205035.stm| archivedate= 21 September 2009 <!--DASHBot-->| deadurl= no}}</ref> There are ruins of cottages each surrounded by a small group of trees and the ridged pastures are signs of early cultivation. Overgrown tracks climb up the mountain from the valley to the peat beds and [[sheiling]]s on the hillside. The fertile [[limestone]] and [[schist]] soils on these southern slopes have been farmed since very early times and there are many [[Bronze Age]] remains.
There is much evidence of former settlements and other human activity on the southern slopes of Ben Lawers above Loch Tay. The fertile [[limestone]] and [[schist]] soils on these southern slopes have been farmed since very early times and there are many [[Bronze Age]] remains. The discovery of many boulders with [[cup and ring mark]]s led Derek Alexander, an archaeologist for the National Trust for Scotland, to note that the Ben Lawers was likely to have been "a very significant landscape in prehistory."<ref>{{cite web |title=Ancient stone artwork discovered |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/tayside_and_central/8205035.stm |date=17 August 2009 |publisher=BBC |access-date=20 September 2009| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20090921102637/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/tayside_and_central/8205035.stm| archive-date= 21 September 2009 | url-status= live}}</ref>


Overgrown tracks climb up the mountain from the valley to the peat beds and [[sheiling]]s on the hillside, and there are ruins of cottages each surrounded by a small group of trees. These, along with the remains of ridged pastures, are signs of early cultivation. This evidence of habitation, and the presence of huts associated with [[transhumance]] at high elevation, demonstrate that local people are likely to have visited most if not all of the summits of the Ben Lawers range whilst grazing animals at height during the summer.<ref name=mitchell1/> The mapmaker [[Timothy Pont]] visited the area 1590s, and writer Ian R. Mitchell considers that Pont's surveys show that he, or one of his associates, is likely to have climbed Ben Lawers, and should therefore be credited with earliest recorded ascent.<ref>{{cite book|author=Ian R. Mitchell| title=Scotland's Mountains Before the Mountaineers|publisher=Luath Press|date=2004|pages=189–190|isbn=0946487391}}</ref> Otherwise, the earliest recorded ascent was by members of a party organised by military surveyor [[William Roy]]: although it is not certain that Roy himself climbed the peak, his writings show that measurements were taken from the summit of Ben Lawers on 17 September 1776.<ref name=mitchell1>{{cite book|author=Ian R. Mitchell| title=Scotland's Mountains Before the Mountaineers|publisher=Luath Press|date=2004|pages=39–40|isbn=0946487391}}</ref>
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Prior to the 14th century, the mountain stood on the lands of [[Clan MacMillan]]. Chalmers of Lawers obtained the land by force from the clan in the mid 14th century in the reign of [[David II of Scotland|David II]]. The land was confiscated from the Chalmers family in 1473 by [[James III of Scotland|James III]] and given to Sir Colin Campbell of Glenorchy after Thomas Chalmers was implicated in the murder of [[James I of Scotland|James I]]. The lands have mainly remained in the ownership of the Campbells of Glenorchy and Breadalbane right up to the present day, with some notable exceptions. Many of the farms were sold off in the late 1940s and today some, like Tombreck, are leading the way in regenerating their homeland and learning to preserve its beauty whilst creating a sustainable environment for the people who live there.


In 1878, a group of twenty men led by Malcolm Ferguson spent a day building a {{convert|20|ft|m|0|order=flip|adj=mid|-high}} [[cairn]] nearly {{convert|50|ft|m|0|order=flip}} in diameter in the hope of bringing the summit above the "magic" figure of {{convert|4000|ft|m|1}}. The cairn, which was topped with a massive block of white quartz is no longer there; in any case the [[Ordnance Survey]] ignored it as an artificial structure that was not truly part of the hill.<ref name=SMC/><ref>{{canmore|num=279696|desc=Ben Lawers}}</ref>
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==National Trust for Scotland==
Most of the south side of the Ben Lawers range has since 1950 been owned by the [[National Trust for Scotland]] and was purchased through the generosity of Percy Unna, a mountaineer and one time president of the [[Scottish Mountaineering Club]]. The area of land under Trust ownership was extended in 1996 by the purchase of the neighbouring [[Meall nan Tarmachan|Tarmachan range]]. The Trust owned a [[visitor centre]] located at the western end of the range, that had an exhibition that explained the geological formation of the mountain, but unfortunately closed and was demolished in 2010.


==Ownership==
A new car park has ben built on the opposite side of the road, from where a much-[[erosion|eroded]] path leads to the summit of Ben Lawers by way of the intermediate peak of [[Beinn Ghlas]]. The nature trail on the lower section of this path is also still there, with information leaflets available in the car park.
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Prior to the 14th century, the mountain stood on the lands of [[Clan MacMillan]]. Chalmers of Lawers obtained the land by force from the clan in the mid-14th century in the reign of [[David II of Scotland|David II]]. The land was confiscated from the Chalmers family in 1473 by [[James III of Scotland|James III]] and given to Sir Colin Campbell of Glenorchy after Thomas Chalmers was implicated in the murder of [[James I of Scotland|James I]]. The lands have mainly remained in the ownership of the Campbells of Glenorchy and Breadalbane up to the present day, with some notable exceptions. Many of the farms were sold off in the late 1940s.<ref>{{cite book |last=Campbell |first=M. S. |editor-last=Mardon |editor-first=David |date=1986 |chapter=History and Legend |edition=Revised |title=Ben Lawers |location=Edinburgh |publisher=The National Trust for Scotland |isbn=090162554X |pages=4–7}}</ref>{{acn|date=August 2024}}


Most of the south side of the Ben Lawers range has since 1950 been owned by the [[National Trust for Scotland]],<ref>NTS Guide (2018).</ref> and was purchased through the generosity of Percy Unna, a mountaineer and one time president of the [[Scottish Mountaineering Club]]. The area of land under trust ownership was extended in 1996 by the purchase of the neighbouring [[Meall nan Tarmachan|Tarmachan range]].<ref name=sssi-mng/> The trust built a [[visitor centre]] at the western end of the range that had an exhibition explaining the geological formation of the mountain, but this was closed and demolished in 2010.<ref>{{canmore|num=103356|desc=Ben Lawers Visitor Centre}}</ref> A new car park has been built on the opposite side of the road, from where a path leads to the summit of Ben Lawers by way of the intermediate peak of [[Beinn Ghlas]]. There is a nature trail on the lower section of this path, with information leaflets available in the car park.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/news/new-visitor-facilities-planned-for-ben-lawers/001752/|title=New visitor facilities planned for Ben Lawers|date=2010-06-08|access-date=2004-09-16|publisher=Walk Highlands}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/perthshire/ben-lawers.shtml|title=Ben Lawers and Beinn Ghlas|access-date=2004-09-16|publisher=Walk Highlands}}</ref>
==Flora and fauna==
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Ben Lawers is designated as a [[National Nature Reserve]] due to the abundance of rare [[alpine plant]]s. It is regarded by botanists as one of the richest areas for alpine fauna [does the writer mean flora?] in the UK, due to the schist rocks of the mountain which are situated at the correct altitude for the plants. The rocks supply an adequate amount of calcium, magnesium, sodium, potassium and iron to the plants and breaks down to a clayish soil which retains moisture. Some of the plants found on Lawers include [[Myosotis alpestris|Alpine Forget-me-not]], [[Rhodiola rosea|roseroot]], [[Salix reticulata|Net-leaved Willow]] and most of the [[Saxifrage]]s. The mountain is also of interest to zoologists. Some of the bird species include [[raven]]s, [[ring ouzel]]s, [[red grouse]], [[rock ptarmigan|ptarmigan]], [[dipper]]s and [[curlew]]s. Other rare species include the [[Viviparous lizard]] and the [[Wildcat]].<ref name="test2">"Ben Lawers (NTS Guide)" Pages 24 & 25 (Gives biology details).</ref>


The northern side of the Ben Lawers range comprises three privately owned estates, at Roroyere, Roromore, and South Chesthill. All three cover land extending from Glen Lyon to the watershed of the ridge.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.whoownsscotland.org.uk/property.php?p=5075|title=Property Page: Roroyere|access-date=2018-11-14|publisher=Who Owns Scotland|date=2004-09-16}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.whoownsscotland.org.uk/property.php?p=5093|title=Property Page: Roromore|access-date=2018-11-14|publisher=Who Owns Scotland|date=2004-09-16}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.whoownsscotland.org.uk/property.php?p=5059|title=Property Page: South Chesthill|access-date=2018-11-14|publisher=Who Owns Scotland|date=2004-09-13}}</ref> As with all land in Scotland, there is a [[freedom to roam]] on the hills regardless of whether the land is in public or private ownership, provided that access is exercised responsibly, in accordance with the [[Scottish Outdoor Access Code]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nature.scot/sites/default/files/2018-05/Publication%202005%20-%20Scottish%20Outdoor%20Access%20Code.pdf|title=Scottish Outdoor Access Code|publisher=Scottish Natural Heritage|date=2005|access-date=2018-01-16}}</ref>
==Ascents==

Alternative routes that avoid the erosion caused by the popularity of the two routes described above usually start by following Lawers Burn, which meet the [[A827 road|A827]] at the village of [[Lawers]]. Heading north from the burn allows the walker to climb the peaks to the northeast of Ben Lawers on the way. The most direct route from Lawers is to continue along the burn until ''Lochan nan Cat'' ("small loch of the cats"), then heading straight to the summit by way of the east ridge.
==Nature and conservation==
{{Infobox protected area
| name = Ben Lawers National Nature Reserve
| alt_name =
| iucn_category = II
| iucn_ref = <ref name=planet/>
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| photo =
| photo_alt =
| photo_caption =
| photo_width =
⚫
| map = Scotland Perth and Kinross
| relief = 1
| map_alt =
| map_caption =
| map_width =
| location = [[Perth and Kinross]], [[Scotland]]
| nearest_city =
| coordinates = {{coords|56|32|44|N|4|13|15|W|region:GB_scale:20000|display=inline}}
| area_km2 = 44.4
| area_ref = <ref name=nnr/>
| established = 1964<ref name=planet/>
| designation = [[NatureScot]]
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| owner = [[National Trust for Scotland]]
| url = [https://www.nts.org.uk/visit/places/ben-lawers Ben Lawers National Nature Reserve]
| embedded =
}}
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Ben Lawers is regarded by botanists as one of the richest areas for [[Alpine plant|alpine flora]] in the UK, due to the schist rocks of the mountain which are situated at the correct elevation for the plants. The rocks supply an adequate amount of calcium, magnesium, sodium, potassium and iron to the plants and breaks down to a clayish soil which retains moisture. Some of the plants found on Lawers include [[Myosotis alpestris|alpine forget-me-not]], [[Rhodiola rosea|roseroot]], [[Salix reticulata|net-leaved willow]] and most of the [[saxifrage]]s.<ref name=sssi/> ''[[The Sunday Times]]'' reported on 15 February 2021 that efforts are being made on Lawers to save the rare flower ''Sabulina rubella,'' also known as Mountain Sandwort, from extinction.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Watson|first=Jeremy|title=Botanists in race to save rare flower from extinction|newspaper=[[The Times]] |language=en|url=https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/botanists-in-race-to-save-rare-flower-from-extinction-ls7l0nfm7|access-date=2021-02-16|issn=0140-0460}}</ref>

The mountain is also of interest to zoologists. Some of the bird species include [[raven]]s, [[ring ouzel]]s, [[red grouse]], [[rock ptarmigan|ptarmigan]], [[golden eagle]], [[peregrine falcon]], [[Eurasian dotterel|dotterel]], [[European golden plover|golden plover]], and [[short-eared owl]]s.<ref name="nts">{{cite web|url=https://www.nts.org.uk/visit/places/ben-lawers|title=Ben Lawers National Nature Reserve|publisher=National Trust for Scotland|access-date=2018-11-13}}</ref><ref name="sssi-mng">{{cite web|url=https://apps.snh.gov.uk/sitelink-api/v1/sites/185/documents/3|title=Ben Lawers SSSI Site Management Statement|publisher=Scottish Natural Heritage|access-date=2018-11-13|date=2011-03-25}}</ref> Other rare species include the [[viviparous lizard]] and the [[Scottish wildcat|wildcat]].<ref name="test2">"Ben Lawers (NTS Guide)" Pages 24 & 25 (Gives biology details).</ref>

The Ben Lawers range has been designated as a [[National nature reserve (Scotland)|National Nature Reserve]] (NNR) since 1964.<ref name=nnr>{{cite web|url=https://sitelink.nature.scot/site/5005|title=Site Details for Ben Lawers NNR|publisher=NatureScot|access-date=8 September 2020}}</ref> In 2005 the boundary was altered so that all NTS land at Ben Lawers (including the neighbouring [[Meall nan Tarmachan|Tarmachan range]]) was included in the NNR, which the trust now manages on behalf of NatureScot.<ref name=sssi-mng/> Ben Lawers is also designated as a [[Special Area of Conservation]] (SAC),<ref>{{cite web|url=https://sitelink.nature.scot/site/8202|title=Site Details for Ben Lawers SAC|publisher=NatureScot|access-date=8 September 2020}}</ref> and a [[Site of Special Scientific Interest]] (SSSI).<ref name=sssi>{{cite web|url=https://apps.snh.gov.uk/sitelink-api/v1/sites/185/documents/1|title=Ben Lawers Site of Special Scientific Interest Citation|publisher=Scottish Natural Heritage|access-date=2018-11-13}}</ref> The Ben Lawers National Nature Reserve is classified as a [[IUCN protected area categories|Category II]] [[protected area]] by the [[International Union for Conservation of Nature]].<ref name=planet>{{cite web|url=https://www.protectedplanet.net/1460|title=Ben Lawers|publisher=Protected Planet|access-date=29 January 2021}}</ref>

The Ben Lawers range forms part of the [[Loch Rannoch and Glen Lyon National Scenic Area]],<ref>{{cite web|url=https://sitelink.nature.scot/site/9137|title=Loch Rannoch and Glen Lyon NSA|publisher=NatureScot|access-date=8 September 2020}}</ref> one of forty such areas in Scotland, which are defined so as to identify areas of exceptional scenery and to ensure its protection from inappropriate development by restricting certain forms of development.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nature.scot/professional-advice/protected-areas-and-species/protected-areas/national-designations/national-scenic-areas|title=National Scenic Areas|publisher=NatureScot|access-date=8 September 2020}}</ref>

==Climbing==
Ben Lawers is a popular mountain, resulting in path erosion and vegetation loss from the number of visiting [[hillwalking|hillwalkers]]. Since the 1980s NTS, in partnership with other groups, have undertaken work on the path network in an attempt to control the impact of the high visitor numbers.<ref name=sssi-mng/> The simplest route of ascent starts from the NTS carpark, following a path that reaches the summit via an intermediate peak, [[Beinn Ghlas]]. Alternative routes that avoid the erosion caused by the popularity of the main route usually start by following Lawers Burn, which meet the [[A827 road|A827]] at the village of [[Lawers]]. Heading north from this burn allows the walker to climb the peaks to the northeast of Ben Lawers on the way. The most direct route to the summit of Ben Lawers from Lawers is to continue along the Lawers Burn as far as the Lochan nan Cat ("[[lochan]] of the cats"), before heading straight to the summit by way of the east ridge.<ref name=munro>{{cite book|editor=Donald Bennet & Rab Anderson|title=The Munros: Scottish Mountaineering Club Hillwalkers' Guide|publisher=Scottish Mountaineering Trust|date=2016|page=32|isbn=9780907521945}}</ref>


==Gallery of images==
==Gallery of images==
<gallery perrow="4">
<gallery>
File:Ben Lawers from Loch Tay.JPG|Ben Lawers seen from Loch Tay
Image:Ben Lawers 014.jpg|Ben Lawers in winter
Image:Ben Lawers 014.jpg|Ben Lawers in winter
Image:Lochan Nan Cat from the summit of Ben Lawers.JPG|Lochan Nan Cat from the summit of Ben Lawers
Image:Lochan Nan Cat from the summit of Ben Lawers.JPG|Lochan Nan Cat from the summit of Ben Lawers
Image:Lawers.jpg|Ben Lawers and Meall Garbh
Image:Lawers.jpg|Ben Lawers and Meall Garbh
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Image:Prelucrare 3D pentru Meall Garbh, An Stuc, Ben Lawers - Scotia.jpg|Ben Lawers 3D map
</gallery>
</gallery>

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==See also==
* [[Ben Nevis]]
* [[List of Munro mountains]]
*[[List of places in Perth and Kinross]]
* [[Mountains and hills of Scotland]]
{{portal|mountains}}


==References==
==References==
{{reflist}}
{{Reflist}}
*''Ben Lawers'', National Trust for Scotland, ISBN 090162554
*''Ben Lawers'', National Trust for Scotland, {{ISBN|978-0-901625-54-0}}


==External links==
==External links==
{{Commons category|Ben Lawers}}
* Computer generated summit panoramas [http://www.viewfinderpanoramas.org/panoramas/GRW/Lawers-N.gif North] [http://www.viewfinderpanoramas.org/panoramas/GRW/Lawers-S.gif South] [http://www.viewfinderpanoramas.org/panoramas.html Index]
* Computer generated summit panoramas [http://www.viewfinderpanoramas.org/panoramas/GRW/LAWERS-N.gif North] [http://www.viewfinderpanoramas.org/panoramas/GRW/LAWERS-S.gif South] [http://www.viewfinderpanoramas.org/panoramas.html Index]
*[http://www.nts.org.uk/web/site/home/visit/places/Property.asp?PropID=10062&NavPage=10062&NavId=5113 NTS Ben Lawers page]
*[http://www.benlawers.org.uk/ Ben Lawers Historic Landscape Project]
*[https://www.nts.org.uk/visit/places/ben-lawers NTS Ben Lawers page]
*[http://www.nnr-scotland.org.uk/reserve.asp?NNRId=31 Ben Lawers NNR]
*[https://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/munros/ben-lawers Ben Lawers on Walk Highlands]
*[http://www.incallander.co.uk/walks/lawers.htm Ben Lawers walking Route] Head-start at 1400 feet

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==See also==
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*[[List of places in Perth and Kinross]]


{{British hills}}
{{British hills}}


{{Scottish Munros section 2}}
{{Scottish Munros section 2}}
{{National Nature Reserves of Scotland}}
{{Authority control}}


[[Category:Munros]]
[[Category:Munros]]
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[[Category:Mountains and hills of the Southern Highlands]]
[[Category:Mountains and hills of the Southern Highlands]]
[[Category:National Trust for Scotland properties]]
[[Category:National Trust for Scotland properties]]
[[Category:National Nature Reserves in Scotland]]
[[Category:National nature reserves in Scotland]]
[[Category:Mountains and hills of Perth and Kinross]]
[[Category:Mountains and hills of Perth and Kinross]]
[[Category:Sites of Special Scientific Interest in West Perth]]
[[Category:Sites of Special Scientific Interest in West Perth]]
[[Category:Protected areas of Highland (council area)]]
[[Category:Protected areas of Perth and Kinross]]
[[Category:Highest points of historic Scottish counties]]
[[Category:Highest points of historic Scottish counties]]
[[Category:One-thousanders of Scotland]]

Latest revision as of 16:05, 12 December 2024

Ben Lawers
Beinn Labhair
Ben Lawers seen from Beinn Ghlas
Highest point
Elevation1,214 m (3,983 ft)[1]
Prominencec. 915 m
Ranked 11th in British Isles
Parent peakBen Nevis
ListingMunro, Marilyn, Council top (Perth and Kinross), County top (Perthshire)
Coordinates56°32′44″N 4°13′15″W / 56.54556°N 4.22083°W / 56.54556; -4.22083
Naming
English translationmountain of the loud stream[2]
PronunciationScottish Gaelic: [peɲ ˈl̪ˠavɪɾʲ]
Geography
Map
LocationPerth and Kinross, Scotland
Parent rangeGrampian Mountains
OS gridNN636414
Topo mapOS Landranger 51

Ben Lawers (Scottish Gaelic: Beinn Labhair)[2] is the highest mountain in the Breadalbane region of the Scottish Highlands. It lies north of Loch Tay and is the highest peak of the 'Ben Lawers group', a ridge that includes six other Munros: Beinn Ghlas, Meall Garbh, Meall Corranaich, An Stùc, Meall Greigh and Meall a' Choire Leith.[3] It is also the highest peak in Perthshire,[4] and the tenth highest Munro in Scotland. Ben Lawers was long thought to be over 4,000 feet (1,219 metres) in height, but accurate measurement in the 1870s showed it to be only 3,983 feet (1,214 m).[5] It is formed of metamorphic rock, most notably calcareous mica-schists, and lower down, schistose grits.[6]

Ben Lawers lies on the watershed between the rivers Tay and Lyon. Since the 1950s, water has been captured from the numerous burns on the south face of Ben Lawers and Meall nan Tarmachan as part of the Breadalbane Hydro-Electric Scheme. The water is diverted to the Lochan na Lairige, from where it is piped to drive hydro-electric turbines at Finlarig on the banks of Loch Tay.[4] The level of the Lochan na Lairige was raised by the construction of the 344-metre-long Lawers Dam, a buttress-type dam that is 42 m high.

Due to its high elevation and underlying geology, Ben Lawers is home to an exceptionally rich selection of arctic-alpine plant species and habitats. Since 1964, it has been designated as a National Nature Reserve (NNR).[4]

History

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There is much evidence of former settlements and other human activity on the southern slopes of Ben Lawers above Loch Tay. The fertile limestone and schist soils on these southern slopes have been farmed since very early times and there are many Bronze Age remains. The discovery of many boulders with cup and ring marks led Derek Alexander, an archaeologist for the National Trust for Scotland, to note that the Ben Lawers was likely to have been "a very significant landscape in prehistory."[7]

Overgrown tracks climb up the mountain from the valley to the peat beds and sheilings on the hillside, and there are ruins of cottages each surrounded by a small group of trees. These, along with the remains of ridged pastures, are signs of early cultivation. This evidence of habitation, and the presence of huts associated with transhumance at high elevation, demonstrate that local people are likely to have visited most if not all of the summits of the Ben Lawers range whilst grazing animals at height during the summer.[8] The mapmaker Timothy Pont visited the area 1590s, and writer Ian R. Mitchell considers that Pont's surveys show that he, or one of his associates, is likely to have climbed Ben Lawers, and should therefore be credited with earliest recorded ascent.[9] Otherwise, the earliest recorded ascent was by members of a party organised by military surveyor William Roy: although it is not certain that Roy himself climbed the peak, his writings show that measurements were taken from the summit of Ben Lawers on 17 September 1776.[8]

In 1878, a group of twenty men led by Malcolm Ferguson spent a day building a 6-metre-high (20 ft) cairn nearly 15 metres (50 ft) in diameter in the hope of bringing the summit above the "magic" figure of 4,000 feet (1,219.2 m). The cairn, which was topped with a massive block of white quartz is no longer there; in any case the Ordnance Survey ignored it as an artificial structure that was not truly part of the hill.[5][10]

Ownership

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Prior to the 14th century, the mountain stood on the lands of Clan MacMillan. Chalmers of Lawers obtained the land by force from the clan in the mid-14th century in the reign of David II. The land was confiscated from the Chalmers family in 1473 by James III and given to Sir Colin Campbell of Glenorchy after Thomas Chalmers was implicated in the murder of James I. The lands have mainly remained in the ownership of the Campbells of Glenorchy and Breadalbane up to the present day, with some notable exceptions. Many of the farms were sold off in the late 1940s.[11][additional citation(s) needed]

Most of the south side of the Ben Lawers range has since 1950 been owned by the National Trust for Scotland,[12] and was purchased through the generosity of Percy Unna, a mountaineer and one time president of the Scottish Mountaineering Club. The area of land under trust ownership was extended in 1996 by the purchase of the neighbouring Tarmachan range.[4] The trust built a visitor centre at the western end of the range that had an exhibition explaining the geological formation of the mountain, but this was closed and demolished in 2010.[13] A new car park has been built on the opposite side of the road, from where a path leads to the summit of Ben Lawers by way of the intermediate peak of Beinn Ghlas. There is a nature trail on the lower section of this path, with information leaflets available in the car park.[14][15]

The northern side of the Ben Lawers range comprises three privately owned estates, at Roroyere, Roromore, and South Chesthill. All three cover land extending from Glen Lyon to the watershed of the ridge.[16][17][18] As with all land in Scotland, there is a freedom to roam on the hills regardless of whether the land is in public or private ownership, provided that access is exercised responsibly, in accordance with the Scottish Outdoor Access Code.[19]

Nature and conservation

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Ben Lawers National Nature Reserve
Map showing the location of Ben Lawers National Nature Reserve
Map showing the location of Ben Lawers National Nature Reserve
LocationPerth and Kinross, Scotland
Coordinates56°32′44″N 4°13′15″W / 56.54556°N 4.22083°W / 56.54556; -4.22083
Area44.4 km2 (17.1 sq mi)[21]
DesignationNatureScot
Established1964[20]
OwnerNational Trust for Scotland
Ben Lawers National Nature Reserve

Ben Lawers is regarded by botanists as one of the richest areas for alpine flora in the UK, due to the schist rocks of the mountain which are situated at the correct elevation for the plants. The rocks supply an adequate amount of calcium, magnesium, sodium, potassium and iron to the plants and breaks down to a clayish soil which retains moisture. Some of the plants found on Lawers include alpine forget-me-not, roseroot, net-leaved willow and most of the saxifrages.[22] The Sunday Times reported on 15 February 2021 that efforts are being made on Lawers to save the rare flower Sabulina rubella, also known as Mountain Sandwort, from extinction.[23]

The mountain is also of interest to zoologists. Some of the bird species include ravens, ring ouzels, red grouse, ptarmigan, golden eagle, peregrine falcon, dotterel, golden plover, and short-eared owls.[24][4] Other rare species include the viviparous lizard and the wildcat.[25]

The Ben Lawers range has been designated as a National Nature Reserve (NNR) since 1964.[21] In 2005 the boundary was altered so that all NTS land at Ben Lawers (including the neighbouring Tarmachan range) was included in the NNR, which the trust now manages on behalf of NatureScot.[4] Ben Lawers is also designated as a Special Area of Conservation (SAC),[26] and a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI).[22] The Ben Lawers National Nature Reserve is classified as a Category II protected area by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.[20]

The Ben Lawers range forms part of the Loch Rannoch and Glen Lyon National Scenic Area,[27] one of forty such areas in Scotland, which are defined so as to identify areas of exceptional scenery and to ensure its protection from inappropriate development by restricting certain forms of development.[28]

Climbing

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Ben Lawers is a popular mountain, resulting in path erosion and vegetation loss from the number of visiting hillwalkers. Since the 1980s NTS, in partnership with other groups, have undertaken work on the path network in an attempt to control the impact of the high visitor numbers.[4] The simplest route of ascent starts from the NTS carpark, following a path that reaches the summit via an intermediate peak, Beinn Ghlas. Alternative routes that avoid the erosion caused by the popularity of the main route usually start by following Lawers Burn, which meet the A827 at the village of Lawers. Heading north from this burn allows the walker to climb the peaks to the northeast of Ben Lawers on the way. The most direct route to the summit of Ben Lawers from Lawers is to continue along the Lawers Burn as far as the Lochan nan Cat ("lochan of the cats"), before heading straight to the summit by way of the east ridge.[3]

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  • Ben Lawers seen from Loch Tay
    Ben Lawers seen from Loch Tay
  • Ben Lawers in winter
    Ben Lawers in winter
  • Lochan Nan Cat from the summit of Ben Lawers
    Lochan Nan Cat from the summit of Ben Lawers
  • Ben Lawers and Meall Garbh
    Ben Lawers and Meall Garbh
  • Ben Lawers 3D map
    Ben Lawers 3D map

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Ben Lawers (Beinn Labhair)". Hill Bagging - the online version of the Database of British and Irish Hills (DoBIH). 2019. Retrieved 20 June 2019.
  2. ^ a b "Ben Lawers". Ainmean-Àite na h-Alba: Gaelic Place-Names of Scotland.
  3. ^ a b Donald Bennet & Rab Anderson, ed. (2016). The Munros: Scottish Mountaineering Club Hillwalkers' Guide. Scottish Mountaineering Trust. p. 32. ISBN 9780907521945.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g "Ben Lawers SSSI Site Management Statement". Scottish Natural Heritage. 25 March 2011. Retrieved 13 November 2018.
  5. ^ a b D. Bennet (ed.) The Southern Highlands. Scottish Mountaineering Club District Guides - Scottish Mountaineering Trust. 2nd edition (August 1986). p. 161
  6. ^ Johnstone, Scott (1986). "Formation of the Ben Lawers Range". In Mardon, David (ed.). Ben Lawers (Revised ed.). Edinburgh: The National Trust for Scotland. pp. 8–9. ISBN 090162554X.
  7. ^ "Ancient stone artwork discovered". BBC. 17 August 2009. Archived from the original on 21 September 2009. Retrieved 20 September 2009.
  8. ^ a b Ian R. Mitchell (2004). Scotland's Mountains Before the Mountaineers. Luath Press. pp. 39–40. ISBN 0946487391.
  9. ^ Ian R. Mitchell (2004). Scotland's Mountains Before the Mountaineers. Luath Press. pp. 189–190. ISBN 0946487391.
  10. ^ Historic Environment Scotland. "Ben Lawers (279696)". Canmore.
  11. ^ Campbell, M. S. (1986). "History and Legend". In Mardon, David (ed.). Ben Lawers (Revised ed.). Edinburgh: The National Trust for Scotland. pp. 4–7. ISBN 090162554X.
  12. ^ NTS Guide (2018).
  13. ^ Historic Environment Scotland. "Ben Lawers Visitor Centre (103356)". Canmore.
  14. ^ "New visitor facilities planned for Ben Lawers". Walk Highlands. 8 June 2010. Retrieved 16 September 2004.
  15. ^ "Ben Lawers and Beinn Ghlas". Walk Highlands. Retrieved 16 September 2004.
  16. ^ "Property Page: Roroyere". Who Owns Scotland. 16 September 2004. Retrieved 14 November 2018.
  17. ^ "Property Page: Roromore". Who Owns Scotland. 16 September 2004. Retrieved 14 November 2018.
  18. ^ "Property Page: South Chesthill". Who Owns Scotland. 13 September 2004. Retrieved 14 November 2018.
  19. ^ "Scottish Outdoor Access Code" (PDF). Scottish Natural Heritage. 2005. Retrieved 16 January 2018.
  20. ^ a b c "Ben Lawers". Protected Planet. Retrieved 29 January 2021.
  21. ^ a b "Site Details for Ben Lawers NNR". NatureScot. Retrieved 8 September 2020.
  22. ^ a b "Ben Lawers Site of Special Scientific Interest Citation". Scottish Natural Heritage. Retrieved 13 November 2018.
  23. ^ Watson, Jeremy. "Botanists in race to save rare flower from extinction". The Times. ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 16 February 2021.
  24. ^ "Ben Lawers National Nature Reserve". National Trust for Scotland. Retrieved 13 November 2018.
  25. ^ "Ben Lawers (NTS Guide)" Pages 24 & 25 (Gives biology details).
  26. ^ "Site Details for Ben Lawers SAC". NatureScot. Retrieved 8 September 2020.
  27. ^ "Loch Rannoch and Glen Lyon NSA". NatureScot. Retrieved 8 September 2020.
  28. ^ "National Scenic Areas". NatureScot. Retrieved 8 September 2020.
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