Millions of people have been drawn to the majesty of Ben Nevis, and it is not difficult to see why.
Easily the tallest point on the whole British Isles, with its peak at 1,345m above sea level, people have been drawn to the mountain for Ben Nevis walking trips since 1771, with several different routes available depending on your fitness and experience.
With a mountain so large comes a lot of fascinating events and facts about it, so here are some of our favourite facts about Ben Nevis.
A Car Was Once Driven Up It
When we think of scaling Ben Nevis, it usually involves trekking up the Pony Route. However, in 1911, the Ford Motor Company dared to drive their flagship Model T up the mountain as a publicity stunt.
The team at Ford took five days to reach the summit, which is impressive given the car had wooden wheels and no actual suspension. A five-minute newsreel exists of the car driving down the mountain also exist, which is impressive given the snow and rocky terrain the car had to traverse.
The First Hiker On Ben Nevis Wanted To Collect Plant Samples
In 1771, James Robinson climbed Ben Nevis, but he was not attempting to reach the summit. Instead, Mr Robinson, a botanist from Edinburgh was collecting specimens and decided to climb the mountain for reasons that have been lost to history.
The first study of the mountain itself was made in 1774 by John Williams, but it was only in 1847 after the mountain had already been climbed several times, that the Ordinance Survey confirmed it was the highest mountain in the British Isles.
Nobody Knows Where Its Name Came From
Ben Nevis is an anglicised form of the original Scottish Gaelic name Beinn Nibheis. However, it is not commonly agreed as to what the name translates to.
Literally translated, the name translates to either “venomous mountain” or “malicious mountain”, but this is unlikely to be the origin of the name.
One theory claims that it is derived from the god Lugh, who was worshipped on the tops of mountains, and another theorises that the name itself comes from “beinn néamh-bhathais”, or “the mountain with its head in the clouds”.
It Has Been Climbed In Less Than Two Hours
Whilst it can often take several hours or even days depending on the weather, an annual race on Ben Nevis has seen some incredibly quick times.
The first speed record for climbing Ben Nevis was set in 1895 by William Swan, a hairdresser from Fort William. He ran from the local post office to the summit and back in 2 hours 41 minutes.
The current record was set in 1984, when Kenny Stuart completed the race in just 1 hour, 25 minutes and 34 seconds, with Pauline Howard setting the women’s record of 1 hour, 43 minutes and 25 seconds.
These records are sensational given the challenging terrain and distance of the race. Not only is it about a third of a marathon, but it also involves a staggering ascent and descent.