Ben Venue from Loch Achray

Ben Venue from Loch Achray is a strenuous 14.3 km (8.9 mile) out-and-back from the lochside forest to two close summit tops and back, with about 780 m of climbing. Allow around five to six hours. The climb begins on marked woodland paths, follows forest tracks and a hillside path, then finishes on a rough, boggy ridge. The reward is a pair of very different views: Lochs Achray and Venachar to the south, then Loch Katrine, Loch Arklet and the Highland peaks from the higher top. Both summits are part of this outing; the upper one sits off the main path, so reaching it means retracing to a junction before continuing.

From Ben Venue Car Park, the route starts with glimpses through the trees toward Loch Achray and the mountain. Follow the waymarked path at the fork and cross a wooden boardwalk over marshy ground. It joins a tarmac lane beside Achray Water; a signed footpath crosses the water before forest paths and tracks begin a long, uneven climb. The woodland changes as the route rises, passing plantation, felled areas and regenerating trees, with openings back toward the lochs and ahead to Ben Venue.

The path turns along the north side of Gleann Riabhach and climbs above a waterfall. Higher up, the tread becomes less even and the ground boggier before a large cairn marks a low point on the ridge. Turn toward Ben Venue here. The summit approach steepens over eroded earth and rocky knolls. This is where the walk changes from a sustained forest ascent into rough hill walking, and where wet ground can slow progress. Keep following the established line rather than taking tempting shortcuts through the heather.

The ridge first leads to the south-east top, about 727 m high, where a broken trig point marks the summit area. From here, Lochs Achray and Venachar spread toward the Lowlands. The higher north-west summit, Ben Venue at about 729 m, is partly bypassed by the main path. To include it, retrace to the cairn and take the narrower path branching toward the small summit cairn. The extra detour is short compared with the climb, but it crosses another boggy hollow and rough rock. From the true high point, the view opens over Loch Katrine and Loch Arklet toward the surrounding Highland peaks.

The mountain also has a place in Scotland’s literary landscape: Sir Walter Scott used Ben Venue as a setting in The Lady of the Lake. The craggy outline you have climbed toward is part of what made the mountain memorable long before the forest approach became a walking route.

This is a long day with a steep climb, boggy ground and eroded, rocky steps near the summits. Confident footing and careful route-finding matter, especially around the fork between the two tops. Expect the ground to be slower after rain; the ridge is not a smooth path simply because the first miles are on tracks. Carry food and water for the full outing and leave time to visit both summits before retracing the route to the car park.

Start at the chargeable Ben Venue Car Park off the A821 at Loch Achray. Dogs may accompany walkers under Scotland’s responsible access rules, but keep them under proper control along the route. There is no shorter summit loop on this line: the lower top and the higher named summit are reached by an out-and-back with a short retrace between them.