Map 56: Ben Lomond circular

15 August 2023

I used the superb Sallochy campsite on the eastern shore of Loch Lomond within an ancient woodland of 200 year old oak trees as my base camp for this walk. The only facilities are composting toilets, a couple of sinks and cold water but I really didn’t need anything else. The site is heavily used by people walking the West Highland Way. Hence on my first night there were many people there who had also been at Drymen the previous night. This included three Cambridge geography graduates on their fourth West Highland Way expedition. Their first had been when they were students in 1993 and they had impressively met and completed the walk at intervals of ten years ever since. However there were also some people with larger tents who had driven there including a Dutch couple who occupied the next pitch along from me and were touring around mainland Scotland and Skye.

Even waking relatively late, I was on my way at 08.00am as I only needed to prepare what I needed for the day and of course left my tent etc. at the site. I scrunched up my big backpacking rucksack as much as possible but it still looked enormous even with a minimum of content. I enjoyed a pleasant “warm-up” walk of just under an hour along the West Highland Way path to Rowardennan where the path up the mountain begins.

At the start of the path there’s a warning to say that although the path looks well worn and wide. it is only suitable for experienced and well-equipped walkers. Soon after setting off, two boys with their father overtook me, one of the boys saying as he passed that they might not still think it’s a good morning after a couple of hours. There were some speedy people ascending – I was overtaken by another three groups but I did overtake one couple and almost caught up with another solo walker. There were also a fair number of people heading down the mountain, even at such an early time.

The views improved as I ascended especially as the path steepened for the second time in two huge zig-zags.

As I started on the final short rise to the summit, the father and his two boys were starting their descent – it was still a good morning, partly due to the surprise chocolate that their father had handed to them at the summit.

Despite being slower than many, I was at the top in under 2.5 hours which is faster than is suggested as the estimated time from the Rowardennan car park.

The views were outstanding although they did come and go as there was still cloud around. I stayed on the summit for at least half an hour as it wasn’t cold.

From the summit, I had the choice to descend by the way I had ascended or to take the rougher route as suggested by “Walk Highland” and go over Ptarmigan. More people seemed to be ascending than descending by that route. However the best views are obtained when descending on the Ptarmigan route. The weather looked good, the forecast was fine and I had plenty of time so I opted for the rougher descent.

There were a few difficult steps on this descent but the exposure wasn’t too great and it did turn out to be a safe but slow descent. There are superb views of Loch Lomond and also of the Arrochar Alps on the west side of Loch Lomond.

Two women were ascending and told me they were climbing their first Munro!

I descended further. I spotted a young girl almost running up the mountain. Her father and younger brother were a long way behind. When I reached the father he explained that he was catching up with his daughter (who would wait at some point) as his wife had decided she couldn’t manage to go further. The girl’s mother was sitting on a rock and wondering how her young daughter managed to be so good at going up hills – she explained that they lived in a very flat part of The Netherlands.

I found the descent much harder than the ascent. it took me over three hours from the summit, although that did include stopping for lunch.

Having reached the Clansman bar at the Rowardennan Hotel, I stopped for a celebratory pint of beer sitting outside in the beer garden, especially given that alcohol is banned at the campsite and indeed anywhere other than on licensed premises along the shore of the loch.

I walked back to Sallochy along the road which was quicker and less hilly than the footpath. However after my meal in the evening I still had sufficient energy to walk on the waymarked path to the viewpoint above the campsite. I enjoyed seeing the evening sunlight on the hills. it would have been a grand spot to watch the sunset but I returned to the campsite as I hadn’t taken my headtorch with me. It was a lovely end to an excellent walking day.

This climb up Ben Lomond was a superb Munro walk and not too crowded despite being a lovely day during the peak holiday season. The option of descending on a different path to the ascent made it a much more satisfying walk than an out and back trek.