One of the easiest Munros for beginners, the walk up Ben Chonzie along Glen Lednock is one of my favourite walks in Scotland – don’t let anyone tell you Ben Chonzie is the most boring of all the Munros!
One of the closest Munros to Edinburgh and Glasgow, and with a quick and easy ascent on a mountain track for most of the way up, Ben Chonzie has fabulous views over the southern Highlands and Perthshire. Here is how to climb Ben Chonzie.
How to climb Ben Chonzie
The walk up Ben Chonzie (also known as Ben-y-Hone, or in Gaelic Beinn a’ Chòinnich, which means mossy mountain) starts from Glen Lednock north of the pretty and bustling village of Comrie.
There is parking for around 10 cars on the grass at the end of the single track road – marked as Coishavachan on the map – in busy times, the farmer occasionally opens the field here for more cars. Make sure you reverse park in to the parking area, as it can be difficult to reverse back out once the car park is full.
From the parking area, follow the track towards the white cottages and turn right in front of them through a gate, following the sign to The Ben. Don’t walk between the cottages – this is private property!
Follow the wide track up the hill until you reach 700m, the climb is steady which is why this is one of the best Munros for beginners. If you reach the end of the track you have gone too far! You are looking for a small ford of the stream to your left where a rough track leads up the hill.
The track can be very boggy. You will eventually reach a fence, which, along with a series of cairns you can follow to the summit. The top of Chonzie is a wide plateau, which can be disorientating in the mist, but on a good day there are fabulous views of the Lawers Range and south to Fife. There is a circular summit cairn marking the top. The return off the hill is the same way.
Ben Chonzie route maps
- OS – You will need OL47 Crieff
- Walkhighlands – Ben Chonzie
How long does it take to climb Ben Chonzie ?
With a reasonable level of fitness, the walk up this munro will take around 4 hours from the roadside, although I’d leave around 5 hours + for the full walk. The walk up Ben Chonzie from Glen Lednock is around 8 miles, although the climb up the hill is pretty steady.
How high is Ben Chonzie?
Ben Chonzie is 931m (3054 ft) high.
Best time to climb Ben Chonzie ?
Scotland’s weather is best in May and September. Don’t attempt climbing Ben Chonzie in winter unless you have winter gear and experience. For weather forecasts, I recommend you check out:
How hard is it to climb Ben Chonzie ?
Ben Chonzie is a great Munro for beginners as there is a clear route most of the way to the top, however in mist, low cloud or fog, you can easily get disorientated on this hill.
If you are carrying a GPS or mapping app, you leave the main path at 700m and head straight up the rough path until you find the fence which will take you most of the way to the summit. Follow this fence back down – there are also helpful cairns along the way.
Whilst this is an easier hill, don’t climb up expecting a wee trip up Arthur’s Seat. You will need hill walking gear and be prepared for the weather to change in a heartbeat – mist, fog and rain can sweep in quickly.
If you haven’t hill walked before, have a look at my beginners guide to hillwalking in Scotland. My beginners guide to hill walking in Scotland.
How to get to Ben Chonzie and Ben Chonzie Car Park
Ben Chonzie is to be found north of Comrie in Perthshire. Parking for Ben Chonzie is at Coishavachan marked on the map.
Love, from Scotland x
More iconic mountains in Scotland to climb
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