Just past Callander the start of the walk can be found off the A84. We pulled in at the sign for Strathyre Forest Cabins and parked in the carpark to the left when over the bridge. There is a rough map and information board in the car park about Ben Ledi. The walk starts along the path you've just driven, next to the bridge. Then head upwards through what was once woodland but is now felled apocalyptic type land. The path is very clear for most of the walk and involves some steep steps and strenuous climbing.
We regularly passed other walkers (well, other walkers regularly overtook us...) which helped make the path clear. From the start of the walk beautiful views of Loch Lubnaig and across Callander are clear. You quickly gain height on this climb and soon we were inside a cloud. Luckily the weather wasn't too bad for us and there was only some drizzly rain with some strong winds, but the fog was very thick the further up the hill you ascend. At this point it was difficult to judge how high we were or how far we had to walk, this possibly being a good thing. There are a number of false summits but the path continued to be clear. We continued on and finally noticed the cross, a memorial which is very close to the summit. Spotting the cross through the fog was an eerie moment and something I can imagine featuring in a Gothic Victorian novel. Keep going a very short distance and you will come to the cairn and trig point which mark the mountain's peak. Here we had a brief stop and took a picture. Unfortunately, at this point we had no view, but from photos and other people's descriptions I believe that on a clear day the view is stunning with vistas including Ben Lomond, the Arrochar Alps and all the way to the Wallace Monument and Stirling.
Heading back we retraced our steps down the hill. It was a relief to get out of the strong winds and fog of the summit and emerge to the views of the loch below. Altogether this is one of the most challenging hills we have walked and probably the highest (at 879m according to google). Although a very popular and accessible mountain many people we passed had sticks and proper walking equipment. Even if the weather seems nice I think things could quickly change on Ben Ledi and I'd recommend taking some extra water, snacks and possibly some waterproof trousers. After this climb my legs ached for a good 2 days but it was worth it.
The Facts on Ben Ledi:
- We started from the car park just to the left of the bridge at the Strathyre Forest Cabins turn off (just outside of Callander).
- There weren't any toilets in the carpark but there are free ones in Callander.
- Walking at a steady pace this walk altogether took us around 5 hours.
- According to my pedometer (ooo technical!) I done around 20,000 steps/ 14.5km.
- Difficult points: Throughout the walk there are steep sections and on the hill side we walked up a small burn which had a lot of loose stones. Walking back down I slipped once due to wet slab stones. The walk is also quite long.
- Wear: Weather appropriate clothing. Hill walking boots, jackets, possibly sticks if you use them.
- Perfect for someone wanting a challenge and, on a good day, a beautiful view. There were also a number of mountain bikers up the hill when we were there.
For further information on Ben Ledi I'd recommend this page.
