| Ben Lui | |
|---|---|
| Beinn Laoigh | |
 Ben Lui from the north | |
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 1,130 m (3,710 ft)[1] |
| Prominence | 875 m (2,871 ft) Ranked 15th inBritish Isles |
| Parent peak | Ben More |
| Listing | Munro,Marilyn |
| Naming | |
| English translation | calf mountain |
| Pronunciation | Scottish Gaelic:[peɲˈl̪ˠɤj]ⓘ |
| Geography | |
 | |
| Location | Argyll,Scotland |
| Parent range | Grampian Mountains |
| OS grid | NN266263 |
| Topo map | OSLandranger 50 |
Ben Lui (Scottish Gaelic:Beinn Laoigh)[2] is amountain in the southernHighlands ofScotland. It is aMunro with a height of 1,130 metres (3,710 ft). Ben Lui is in northeastArgyll and is the highest peak of a mountain chain that includes three other Munros. It has five well-definedridges radiating out from the summit. Fourcorries lie between the ridges, including Coirre Gaothaich on the northeast side of the mountain.
Ben Lui is the highest and most famous of a group of fourMunros that lie south ofGlen Lochy, and about 10 km north of the top end ofLoch Lomond. The other three Munros in the group areBeinn a' Chleibh,Ben Oss andBeinn Dubhchraig.
Ben Lui stands on the main watershed of Scotland, and is a 'nodal peak',[3] with its waters draining east to the Tay and North Sea, south to Loch Lomond and the Firth of Clyde, and west to the Lochy and Atlantic. It also appears to stand at the head of Glen Fyne, but waters which may once have flowed south-west to it are now captured east with a 50-metre-wide separating bar only a few metres high. Secondary divides which radiated north-east and east before glaciers cut across them have higher peaks along them - Ben Lawers, Ben More - which are subordinate in status.[4]
A lochan on the slopes of Ben Lui has been identified as the source of Scotland's longest river, theTay.[5]
The Ben Lui range of peaks was formerly aNational Nature Reserve. The cliffs and rocky outcrops are particularly moist, with lower than normal levels ofacidity in thesoil. This leads to an unusually lush growth of mountain plants, withsaxifrages,mosses andlichens being especially evident.
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The simplest and shortest ascent of Ben Lui may be made from Glen Lochy, near the point where theburn of Eas Daimh flows into the Lochy. A path leads up through an area offorestry and then onto the northwest ridge, reaching the summit in just over 3 km. Descent may be varied by visiting Beinn a’ Chleibh, which lies 2 km to the south west.
An approach from the east allows for appreciation of the mountain's most celebrated feature, the rocky circular bowl of Coire Gaothaich. One may either start fromTyndrumLower station orDalrigh inStrath Fillan; tracks from both starting points merge, and follow Glen Cononish (notable for its goldmine) to the foot of Ben Lui. From here the route follows the northern ridge of the mountain, Stob Garbh, to the summit, the distance being about 9 km. This route is particularly treacherous in winter, even as late as April, when the final third of the ascent is often extremely icy. Furthermore, it can be extremely difficult to navigate through the crags around the upper rim of the Coire Gaothaich in poor visibility.
By descending via the south east ridge the walker may elect to include Ben Oss (and possibly Beinn Dubhcraig) in the route before returning to the start. If transport can be arranged a reasonably fithillwalker can traverse all four Munros of the Ben Lui group in a day.
56°23′49″N4°48′40″W / 56.39704°N 4.81110°W /56.39704; -4.81110
 |  | ||
| Northern Highlands (20) |    | |
|---|---|---|
| Western Highlands (20) | ||
| Central and Eastern Highlands (13) | ||
| Southern Highlands (15) | ||
| Islands (13) | ||
| Scottish Lowlands, England and Wales (13) | ||
| Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland (25) | ||
