Ben Wyvis

Ben Wyvis, at 1,046 metres, is a vast and isolated whale-backed mountain — its Gaelic name Beinn Uais translating as "Hill of Terror" — rising like an elephant from the lower moors of Easter Ross to dominate views across a wide swathe of the northern Highlands.

The route starts from the Ben Wyvis car park, signed from the A835 north of Garve, with a height barrier and space for only around 10-15 cars, filling quickly on fine days. From the car park, a path heads north across a footbridge over the Allt a' Bhealaich Mhòir, swinging right through Garbat Forest alongside the burn on a well-trodden route. Beyond the forest, the path climbs a series of zig-zags and stone steps up increasingly steep, open hillside to the first top, An Cabar, at 946 metres — the hard work of the day now largely complete.

From An Cabar, the gradient eases considerably onto a broad, mossy plateau — a designated nature reserve providing important habitat for the rare Dotterel, whose fragile thin soils are easily damaged by foot traffic, so walkers are asked to keep to a single central line along the path. The route continues over Càrn a' Chaptein and across a barely perceptible dip before a gentle final ascent to the trig point on Glas Leathad Mòr, Ben Wyvis's summit — in clear conditions, the views are vast, stretching from Torridon across to the Black Isle and Easter Ross, with the sharp cone of Sgùrr Mòr in the Fannichs easily identified.

The easiest return simply retraces the ascent route; those wanting a longer day can continue north-east along the ridge to the Munro Tops of Tom a' Chòinnich and Càrn Gorm, descending eventually to rejoin the A835 near Garbat Farm — though this requires either a car shuttle or a substantial road walk back to the start.

The out-and-back route is around 15.5 kilometres, typically five to seven and a half hours.

The plateau is broad, exposed, and genuinely featureless, making this an easy Munro to get badly lost on in mist despite the excellent path — full navigation skills should not be neglected, and the summit ridge offers no shelter from wind, which can be severe given the mountain's isolated, exposed position.

The Ben Wyvis car park is free but small; a layby 400 metres north offers overflow parking. There is no direct public transport, though buses serve nearby Garve and Dingwall.