Ben Lawers
Encyclopedia
Ben Lawers 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 4,000 ft in height; accurate measurement in the 1870s showed it to be some 17 ft 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.
s "suggests it was a very significant landscape in prehistory." 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 sheilings 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.
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 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.
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
. The Trust owned a visitor centre located at the western end of the range, from where a much-eroded
path leads to the summit. The visitors centre had an exhibition that explained the geological formation of the mountain, but unfortunately closed and was demolished in 2010. The nature trail does however survive. A slightly different path also leads from the centre, heading for the summit by way of the intermediate peak of Beinn Ghlas
.
due to the abundance of rare alpine plant
s. It is regarded by botanists as one of the richest areas for alpine fauna in the UK, this is 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 clayey soil which retains moisture. Some of the plants found on Lawers include Alpine Forget-me-not
, roseroot
, 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
, ptarmigan, dipper
s and curlew
s. Other rare species include the Viviparous lizard
and the Wildcat
.
. 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 ("loch of the cat"), then heading straight to the summit by way of the east ridge.
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...
. It lies to the north side of Loch Tay
Loch Tay
Loch Tay is a freshwater loch in the central highlands of Scotland, in the district of Perthshire.It is a long narrow loch of around 14 miles long, and typically around 1 to 1½ miles wide, following the line of the valley from the south west to north east...
, and is the highest point of a long ridge that includes seven Munro
Munro
A Munro is a mountain in Scotland with a height over . They are named after Sir Hugh Munro, 4th Baronet , who produced the first list of such hills, known as Munros Tables, in 1891. A Munro top is a summit over 3,000 ft which is not regarded as a separate mountain...
s. Ben Lawers was long thought to be over 4,000 ft in height; accurate measurement in the 1870s showed it to be some 17 ft short of this figure. In 1878, a group of twenty men spent a day building a large 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...
in the hope of bringing the summit above the "magic" figure. The cairn is no longer there; in any case the Ordnance Survey
Ordnance Survey
Ordnance Survey , an executive agency and non-ministerial government department of the Government of the United Kingdom, is the national mapping agency for Great Britain, producing maps of Great Britain , and one of the world's largest producers of maps.The name reflects its creation together with...
ignored it as an artificial structure that was not truly part of the hill.
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 markCup and ring mark
Cup and ring marks or cup marks are a form of prehistoric art found mainly in Atlantic Europe and Mediterranean Europe although similar forms are also found throughout the world including Mexico, Brazil, Greece, and India, where...
s "suggests it was a very significant landscape in prehistory." 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 sheilings on the hillside. The fertile limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
and schist
Schist
The schists constitute a group of medium-grade metamorphic rocks, chiefly notable for the preponderance of lamellar minerals such as micas, chlorite, talc, hornblende, graphite, and others. Quartz often occurs in drawn-out grains to such an extent that a particular form called quartz schist is...
soils on these southern slopes have been farmed since very early times and there are many Bronze Age
Bronze Age
The Bronze Age is a period characterized by the use of copper and its alloy bronze as the chief hard materials in the manufacture of some implements and weapons. Chronologically, it stands between the Stone Age and Iron Age...
remains.
Prior to the 14th century, the mountain stood on the lands of Clan MacMillan
Clan MacMillan
Clan MacMillan is a Highland Scottish clan.-Origins of the clan:The MacMillans are one of a number of clans - including the MacKinnons, the MacQuarries, and the MacPhees - descended from Airbertach, a Hebridean prince of the old royal house of Moray who according to one account was the...
. Chalmers of Lawers obtained the land by force from the clan in the mid 14th century in the reign of David II
David II of Scotland
David II was King of Scots from 7 June 1329 until his death.-Early life:...
. The land was confiscated from the Chalmers family in 1473 by James III
James III of Scotland
James III was King of Scots from 1460 to 1488. James was an unpopular and ineffective monarch owing to an unwillingness to administer justice fairly, a policy of pursuing alliance with the Kingdom of England, and a disastrous relationship with nearly all his extended family.His reputation as the...
and given to Sir Colin Campbell of Glenorchy after Thomas Chalmers was implicated in the murder of James I
James I of Scotland
James I, King of Scots , was the son of Robert III and Annabella Drummond. He was probably born in late July 1394 in Dunfermline as youngest of three sons...
. 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.
National Trust for Scotland
Most of the south side of the Ben Lawers range has since 1950 been owned by the National Trust for ScotlandNational Trust for Scotland
The National Trust for Scotland for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, commonly known as the National Trust for Scotland describes itself as the conservation charity that protects and promotes Scotland's natural and cultural heritage for present and future generations to...
and was purchased through the generosity of Percy Unna, a mountaineer and one time president of the Scottish Mountaineering Club
Scottish Mountaineering Club
The Scottish Mountaineering Club is Scotland's second oldest mountaineering club. Founded in 1889, in Glasgow, the private club, with about 400 members, publishes guidebooks and runs a list of Munroists.-History:At the time of the club's founding there were a number of experienced Alpinists...
. The area of land under Trust ownership was extended in 1996 by the purchase of the neighbouring Tarmachan range
Meall nan Tarmachan
Meall nan Tarmachan is a mountain in the Southern Highlands of Scotland near Killin just west of Ben Lawers. It is often climbed as part of the Tarmachan ridge, the other peaks of which are Meall Garbh , Beinn nan Eachan and Creag na Caillach ; these three peaks are Tops rather than Munros, and...
. The Trust owned a visitor centre located at the western end of the range, from where a much-eroded
Erosion
Erosion is when materials are removed from the surface and changed into something else. It only works by hydraulic actions and transport of solids in the natural environment, and leads to the deposition of these materials elsewhere...
path leads to the summit. The visitors centre had an exhibition that explained the geological formation of the mountain, but unfortunately closed and was demolished in 2010. The nature trail does however survive. A slightly different path also leads from the centre, heading for the summit by way of the intermediate peak of Beinn Ghlas
Beinn Ghlas
Beinn Ghlas is a mountain in the Southern Highlands of Scotland. It lies on the north shore of Loch Tay and is part of the Ben Lawers Range. It lies on the popular path to Ben Lawers from the National Trust for Scotland visitor centre, with the result that many walkers traverse the summit of Beinn...
.
Flora and fauna
Ben Lawers is designated as a National Nature ReserveNational Nature Reserve
For details of National nature reserves in the United Kingdom see:*National Nature Reserves in England*National Nature Reserves in Northern Ireland*National Nature Reserves in Scotland*National Nature Reserves in Wales...
due to the abundance of rare alpine plant
Alpine plant
Alpine plants are plants that grow in the alpine climate, which occurs at high elevation and above the tree line. Alpine plants grow together as a plant community in alpine tundra.-Alpine plant diversity:...
s. It is regarded by botanists as one of the richest areas for alpine fauna in the UK, this is 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 clayey soil which retains moisture. Some of the plants found on Lawers include Alpine Forget-me-not
Myosotis alpestris
Myosotis alpestris or Alpine Forget-me-not is a herbaceous perennial plant of the genus Myosotis.The Alpine Forget-me-not is the county flower of Westmorland in the United Kingdom and the state flower of Alaska....
, roseroot
Rhodiola rosea
Rhodiola rosea is a plant in the Crassulaceae family that grows in cold regions of the world. These include much of the Arctic, the mountains of Central Asia, the Rocky Mountains, and mountainous parts of Europe, such as the Alps, Pyrenees, Carpathian Mountains, Scandinavia, Iceland, Great...
, Net-leaved Willow
Salix reticulata
Salix reticulata, the Net-leaved Willow, is a dwarf willow, occurring in the colder parts of Northern Europe, Greenland, North America and Northern Asia...
and most of the Saxifrage
Saxifrage
Saxifraga is the largest genus in the family Saxifragaceae, containing about 440 species of Holarctic perennial plants, known as saxifrages. The Latin word saxifraga means literally "stone-breaker", from Latin + ...
s. The mountain is also of interest to zoologists, some of the bird species include raven
Raven
Raven is the common name given to several larger-bodied members of the genus Corvus—but in Europe and North America the Common Raven is normally implied...
s, ring ouzel
Ring Ouzel
The Ring Ouzel is a European member of the thrush family Turdidae.It is the mountain equivalent of the closely related Common Blackbird, and breeds in gullies, rocky areas or scree slopes....
s, red grouse
Red grouse
The Red Grouse is a medium sized bird of the grouse family which is found in heather moorland in Great Britain and Ireland. It is usually classified as a subspecies of the Willow Grouse but is sometimes considered to be a separate species Lagopus scoticus...
, ptarmigan, dipper
Dipper
Dippers are members of the genus Cinclus in the bird family Cinclidae, named for their bobbing or dipping movements. They are unique among passerines for their ability to dive and swim underwater.-Description:...
s and curlew
Curlew
The curlews , genus Numenius, are a group of eight species of birds, characterised by long, slender, downcurved bills and mottled brown plumage. They are one of the most ancient lineages of scolopacid waders, together with the godwits which look similar but have straight bills...
s. Other rare species include the Viviparous lizard
Viviparous lizard
The viviparous lizard or common lizard is a Eurasian lizard. It lives farther north than any other reptile species, and most populations are viviparous , rather than laying eggs as most other lizards do.-Identification:The length of the body is less than...
and the Wildcat
Wildcat
Wildcat is a small felid native to Europe, the western part of Asia, and Africa.-Animals:Wildcat may also refer to members of the genus Lynx:...
.
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 at the village of LawersLawers
Lawers is a village situated in rural Perthshire, Scotland. It lies on the banks of Loch Tay and at the foot of Ben Lawers. It was once part of a vibrant farming industry in the area....
. 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 ("loch of the cat"), then heading straight to the summit by way of the east ridge.
External links
- Computer generated summit panoramas North South Index
- NTS Ben Lawers page
- Ben Lawers Historic Landscape Project
- Ben Lawers NNR
- Ben Lawers walking Route Head-start at 1400 feet
