Ben Lomond Ranger Service

This one day course will provide you with an introduction on how to navigate in open hill country using a map and compass. If you are a beginner wanting to get to grips with the basics or you're lacking confidence and want to brush up on skills then this course will be ideal. We'll spend an hour or two inside first before heading out onto the mid slopes of Ben Lomond well away from the paths. Please bring your own compass either Silva or Suunto baseplate type. Contact us at b...enlomond@nts.org.uk for advice if you don't have one We will be walking 3-4 Kms over rough ground so a level of hill fitness will be required. Please also bring a rucksack with appropriate food and clothing for the day. This course will not provide you with certification in navigation but is led by experienced ranger staff who'll make sure you leave much more confident with a map and compass than when you arrive. Cost £25
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Jackie Robinson's Hat!!....Saturday was freezing cold on the summit with a chilly wind that blew right through you. It stole Jackie's Hat shortly after this picture was taken. It has her details inside it and she is keen to have it back. A £50 reward has been posted for the charity of the finders choice. It blew off down the Ptarmigan side o the hill...so keep your eyes peeled folks and see if we can get it back to her...

Ben Lomond Torchlight Photos, and finally...the summit!! Well done everyone involved and thanks again for making it a great night. The next Torchlight Challenge will be September 2020, but we'll be planning for it well in advance, so if you're keen to get involved keep an eye on this page as well as Arran Ranger Service and Ben Lawers NNR. Also, if you took part, haven't given us feedback yet and would like to, here's the survey link. https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/KN7L6WV

Ben Lomond Torchlight Challenge Photos, the walk up through the gloamin' to the last rest before the summit... Let us know if you're in the photo!

Ben Lomond Torchlight Challenge Photos, can you spot yourself?! - Here's the start and the first mile up the hill, more to follow... Also, a great wee poem from our pals the three ladies from Cornwall, hope you enjoy it as much as we did!
Knees hurt this morning but so worth while... To climb my first Munro and descend with a smile So cheery eery wild, So steep deep long Sparkling leaves of newly planted trees heaving lungs as the powerful get gone
throbbing feet of tired limbs All for freedom for success All for achievement Making friends I guess!
Connecting laughing chat As we pant side by side across the minor distances of flat. Marble ancient rock Marking the fault line In stairs Shouting "mind the gaps" Singing to forget the pain Thankful we are bathed cloud and not in rain.
Joyful to regain the level lochside path To dodge the potholes to reach our bed! What a way to celebrate Beltane!
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Some great torchlight challenge photos here, giving a wee flavour of the night.

The Torchlight Challenge - we made it! Well done to the 72 folks who came together, along with the NTS ranger service and Lomond Mountain Rescue Team, for a night of torchlit adventure. We got to the summit by 9.15pm, just as it got dark, and knew from phone contact that our fellow walkers were on the tops of Goatfell and Ben Lawers at the same time. A shame the cloud cover was against us, and there was no chance to see the distant lights on the other summits, but it was fun ...at the top none the less. We didn't get much in the way of photos (just 4 or 5 from Alasdair's phone below), so we look forward to sharing those that Stu and David, the two photographers were taking, but until then any that folks want to share it would be great to see them on this page. Many thanks again to the LMRT volunteers for their calm and sure presence, and the good craic; to the staff at Rowardennan Youth Hostel who stayed open late to provide us with a welcome and refreshments after the walk, and especially thanks to all of you who came along, made sure you got up and down the mountain no matter what, and made it such a great night.
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Three days to go to the Torchlight Challenge now! Many thanks to all those who have registered and been fundraising for this great event, which raises funds for the essential mountain conservation work carried out by the National Trust for Scotland on Ben Lomond, and for the invaluable work of the Lomond Mountain Rescue Team. The conservation work includes repair and maintenance of the hill paths to prevent and reduce erosion scars, projects to improve natural habitat cover o...n the hill - from woodlands to montane species, peatland restoration and other tasks. The weather is looking a bit rougher than it's been of late but still good for the walk, and here's hoping for enough clear spells to see the lights of the folks doing the same event on both Goatfell and Ben Lawers at the same time. If you can see any of those summits on Saturday night, keep an eye out for the torch beacons at around 9.15pm or so!
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Well done to the Fire & Rescue Service for dealing promptly with a potentially dangerous fire in the woods just north of Rowardennan last night. A total of 4 fire vehicles with their crews attended, putting out a fire which had spread rapidly under the Oak wood, through the bone dry vegetation. In the end the fire was contained to a few thousand square metres, but could have been a lot worse. No thanks at all go to the 4 or 5 males who were seen leaving the vicinity of the wo...ods where the fire took hold, then disappeared without reporting it or seeking help of any sort. The Fire Service were also hindered by the amount of vehicles parked along the access track north of the car park, beyond the end of the public road. These restricted the width of the track, causing one Fire service vehicle to sustain damage from rocks as it tried to get by the cars. Cars were parked here despite signage indicating vehicles shouldn't be on the track, and this is why, to try and keep the access clear. It is completely understandable though that people want to get out and enjoy the great weather, and get out to experience places like Ben Lomond and Loch Lomondside, and that after travelling out the last thing they want to do is turn around and go home because there's nowhere to park. How can we stop situations like this happening though, when the combination of great weather and public holiday leads to these narrow, rural roads being overwhelmed with traffic? If the fire had occured on Saturday it is unlikely the Fire & Rescue Service would have been able to get to Rowardennan at all due to the number of cars both on the road and parked on the verges. A better public transport solution, along with bigger parking areas further down the lochside, would seem to be a way to go, but this would be difficult to keep viable through the quieter periods. It is a perennial problem, which seems difficult to address, but thankfully didn't lead to a much worse situation last night.
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Warning to anyone coming to our Easter Egg Hunt here at Ben Lomond! Also potential Ben Lomond hillwalkers! The good weather is bringing lots of people out to Loch Lomondside, and yesterday the traffic was brought to a standstill and the road closed. Check the google live traffic feed (type in Rowardennan traffic and click in the first map box on the search feed), it'll show you in colour what the traffic build up is like so you can decide whether to drive up or not. Good luck!

Nuthatches are small birds with big personalities and they have slowly been expanding Northward over the past 30 years. They were first recorded in Scotland back in 1989. They are versatile colourful characters able to climb up, down and around trees looking for insects. They lodge acorns and hazelnuts in cracks in the tree bark, then use their powerful beaks to gain access to the kernels. They are however another sign that the climate is changing.

Join us on the journey from the Old Ardess Township to the Shielings where historically people stayed for the Summer when the cattle were taken up the hill to graze on fresh pasture. We will take in the views, listen to birdsong and stop to look at wild flowers. We'll enjoy a cup of tea and a bannock at the Shieling, talk more about the old ways then slowly return home. The 4 Km walk will be uphill, off path and across rough ground, a good level of fitness will be required and stout footwear advised. £15 per person Maximum of 8 people It is possible to book online if you follow the link below https://www.nts.org.uk/visit/places/ben-l omond/events

In 1456 the Laird of Buchanan earned the right to pay his taxes to the King of Scotland in Iron! To make Bronze you need Copper and Tin ...to make Iron you can ...if you have the Magic ...extract it from the subsoil.......Walkers on the Ben Lomond main path are at certain points walking over man made lava....the story of the mountain is a long one..................During the recent Ben Lomond Archaeology Thistle Camp we tried to recreate the workings of our ancestors .....did we succeed?.....read on.....

A great photo over Loch Tay from our colleagues at Ben Lawers this morning.

We were joined by a great team of volunteers last week to carry out the first exploration of the big iron smelting bloomery site on the Ardess Hidden History Trail. Some determined digging and trowelling in mixed, and at times totally lousy, weather! We were all amazed at the quantity of slag material revealed by the trenches, showing the amount of activity, and effort, that had been put in on this site during use. Small samples of charcoal were collected from lower layers of the site which will be sent off to give a date range for when iron was being smelted on the site. You can visit the area any time on the self-guided Ardess Hidden History Trail, and this is site number 6 on the trail. With https://www.facebook.com/NTSArchaeology/< br>

Well done to the Lomond Mountain Rescue team volunteers helping out these folks on Ben Lomond in the middle of the night away up on the hill. Hope you've had a Sunday lie in to make up for it!

Iron smelting! and Archaeology in Action at Ardess, Rowardennan. Starting tomorrow! If you're interested in anything to do with archaeology and history, there's a chance to get a glimpse into the past at the National Trust for Scotland's Ben Lomond Ranger Service base at Ardess Lodge, Rowardennan. Volunteers and staff will be doing a dig on an iron smelting bloomery site, thought to date back to the late 1500's, on the Ardess Hidden History Trail which starts at Ardess Lodge, and mid-week we'll be resurrecting the ancient art of iron smelting, using raw materials and ore all sourced from the local area. Park at the Rowardennan car park (£3 charge to the Forestry Commission) and walk 700m up the west highland way track, following the brown signs for Ben Lomond Ranger Service. You can also email us on benlomond@nts.org.uk for any queries.

Bring the whole family together this Easter and treat your loved ones to the fun and magic of our Cadbury Easter Egg Hunt. Follow the clues and complete your adventure to win a delicious chocolately prize...It is £2.50 per prize contestant. 😃
***** Easter Sunday and Easter Monday**** only! But other NTS properties are running their own trails over the whole Easter weekend check www.nts.org.uk for details
Our Easter Egg Trail follows the route of the Ardess Hidden... History Trail and takes you on a journey through the Old Ardess Township. It is a circular route 1.5 km, there is a bench with nice views every 500 metres. There are some short steep gradients on narrow paths with occasional stepping stones across the wet ground. Stout footwear is advised. We ask that you park at Rowardennan Forestry Commission car park £3 for the day and walk the 500 metres from there along the West Highland Way to the Ben Lomond Ranger Base at Ardess Lodge. Phone 01360 870224 for more details or just turn up on the day😊
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Help ... Hill Walker Rob Powell found a camera with photos of good looking people on it ....loads of photos from travels abroad ...camera lost in snow on Ben Lomond 8th March ....who are they do you know them ....look at their bone structure ...aye they could be Scottish....are they from Paisley, Peterhead or Paraguay?... New York? New Zealand?..or NewHailes? Help us Help Rob solve the mystery please share......

Well worth it hard but make u more determined to get up to the top Wat a feeling one of the best experiences of my life and lots of good memories especially the good friends I climbed it with

The highlight of our little trip to Loch Lomond, the Ardess Hidden History trail really nice & Ranger was friendly & helpful

The Ardess Lodge is not only a lovely bunkhouse for groups or tired WHW-Hiker, who are looking for a warm and cosy place to relax, but even a great place to learn about nature, history and especially the Ben Lomond. The two rangers Fraser and Alasdair are happy to show you the cruck barn, the start of the Hidden History Trail, a self guided walk with stunning views of the Loch. I'll definitely come back :-)

Thanks guys for a great navigation course on Fri! Learned a lot & practical experience using map & compass was really useful. Loved the wee snippets of historical & botanical info too especially seeing the reconstructed house. �

Thank you so much to Fraser who took the time to show my friend Mirsie and I around. Your knowledge and enthusiasm was inspiring.

We'll definitely be back. Katy and Mirsie

Learnt some interesting things from Fraser today when I met him at the summit of Ben Lomond. Took some extra rubbish home that I found on the way back down the hill ...inspired Fraser, inspired.

It was a great place and the rangers were so friendly and helped me learn a lot off new skills and the people on the group were a great bunch of people and the accommodation was great and so much room and it was a great weekend will be comeing back to this lodge again

Had some great adventures with Rangers Alasdair, Fraser and wee Pepe here. Great knowledge, great stories and poetry - all round guid fowk

Had an amazing evening in the company of the Ben Lomond Ranger Service and the Lomond Mountain Rescue Team -

Ben Lomond Torchlight Challenge 2017 �

Fraser and pepe thanks for making our visit enjoyable and welcoming. You have so much knowledge and skills that you shared with us. Without your kind friendly support we'd have struggled. You are a credit to the national park. Thanks again jess and vikki

A great team maintaining the path up Ben Lomond and looking after the landscape

Superb welcome at the bunkhouse. Cheap midge free accommodation on the banks of Loch Lomond. Hot showers and a log fire. Great for West Highland Way walkers.