Ben Lomond (, ), , is a mountain in the Scottish Highlands. Situated on the eastern shore of Loch Lomond, it is the most southerly of the Munros. Ben Lomond lies within the Ben Lomond National Memorial Park and the Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park, property of the National Trust for Scotland.

Its accessibility from Glasgow and elsewhere in central Scotland, together with the relative ease of ascent from Rowardennan, makes it one of the most popular of all the Munros: it is estimated that around 30,000 people reach the summit each year. On a clear day, it is visible from the higher grounds of Glasgow and across Strathclyde. Ben Lomond's summit can also be seen from Ben Nevis, the highest peak in Britain, over away. The West Highland Way runs along the western base of the mountain, by the loch.

Ben Lomond's popularity in Scotland has resulted in several namesakes in the former British colonies Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, and the United States – see this list. The mountain is mentioned directly in the popular folk song "The Bonnie Banks o' Loch Lomond".

Etymology

The name Ben Lomond is generally agreed to mean "beacon mountain" or "beacon hill". Lomond is of Brittonic origin and derived from the element lumon meaning "a beacon" (Welsh llumon). This element, preserved in Scots as lum meaning "chimney", The mountain comprises two parallel south-southeasterly ridges: the Sròn Aonaich ridge to the east and the Ptarmigan ridge to the west. North of the summit these ridges come together and lead to a col with Cruin a' Bheinn, a Graham. The summit is grassy and rocky and is marked by a triangulation pillar.

Ben Lomond's geology is dominated by granite, mica schist, diorite, porphyry and quartzite. Ben Lomond lies on the Scottish watershed, the drainage divide which separates river systems that flow to the east from those that flow to the west.

Ascent routes

The usual route up Ben Lomond is via the 'tourist path', a wide, eroded in Scotland and climbs the gentle Sròn Aonaich ridge, before ascending a steeper section to the rocky summit ridge.

An alternative route follows the Ptarmigan ridge to the summit along a steeper and rockier path. A dedicated Lomond Mountain Rescue Team has existed since 1967 to assist walkers and climbers on Ben Lomond and other surrounding peaks.

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Image:Ben Lomond - summit ridge.jpg|A walker descending by the tourist route, seen from the summit in January 2010.

Image:Ben Lomond from Ptarmigan.jpg|The summit of Ben Lomond seen from high on the Ptarmigan ridge in January 2010.

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Fauna

The higher regions of the mountain support an alpine tundra ecozone, hosting bird species including peregrine falcon, merlins, rock ptarmigan, red grouse and golden eagles. A study by the British Trust for Ornithology found that Ben Lomond may host the most southerly breeding ptarmigan population in Scotland, following the decline of populations on Goatfell and the Arran mountains, possibly as a result of climate change.

In addition to natural wildlife, the mountain area supports sheep farming. The National Trust for Scotland is tasked with maintaining a land management programme which sustains a balance of natural habitat conservation and the availability of land for grazing.

The Memorial Park was officially opened on Armistice Day in 1997 by the Rt Hon Donald Dewar, then Secretary of State for Scotland and later the first First Minister of Scotland. At the opening ceremony he unveiled a granite sculpture by Doug Cocker, a Scottish artist who had won a competition organised by the Scottish Sculpture Trust to design a permanent monument for the park. The national park includes the whole of Ben Lomond National Memorial Park.

References

  • Computer-generated virtual panorama from Ben Lomond (Panoramas index):
  • North
  • South