The highest peak of Great Britain is not so great - 1344 meters its height. But this is the highest point of the British Isles. Perhaps that is why she obeyed people, as the facts say, even in cars and with a piano on her shoulders. But many climbers are familiar with its austere nature. Only one wrong step in the midst of pitch fog and snow can cost a person the most expensive thing - life.
Where is Ben Nevis located? This, its features, the history of these places and many other interesting facts will be described in the article.
Location
The mountain is located at the tip of the Grampian Mountains (west, Highland region), which are part of the Highlands. Near it there is a famous tourist and shopping center - Fort William. The Fort was founded in the XVII century, for 10 years it was the only civilized area in this rather harsh region, isolated from the rest of the world. This is the shore of Loch Linne Bay.
The proximity to Fort William, the relatively small height by international standards, the seemingly uncomplicated path are the reasons for the zeal of tens of thousands of tourists to conquer this amazing peak.
About the purpose of the mountain
The mountain with the name Ben Nevis (or simply Ben) serves practically only for climbers to climb it. True, before (from 1883 to 1904) it was a place for scientific meteorological research. In those days, at its peak was the observatory of the Meteorological Society of Scotland, and there was also a hotel for tourists. The remaining ruins from the observatory are one of today's attractions in the area. Thanks to the work of the observatory, weather information for the whole of Great Britain was previously determined.
Many travel agencies and now make this route a list of basic excursions to the magnificent Scotland. Mountain tourism in the tourism industry of this country, and indeed in the world, occupies 15-20% of the total market.
Mount Ben Nevis is the most ideal option for a beginner climber, because, despite the height, small by world tourist standards, the mountain is the highest in this country. In addition, this route was laid long ago for ponies carrying cargo to the very top, so it is well established and not very dangerous.
However, it is not so simple as it seems to many at first glance. In any case, serious preparation is required, appropriate instruction, the availability of schemes, maps, etc. Statistics show that out of about 200 thousand attempts to climb within one year, about half remain incomplete. And every year several people die here.
From the history
The very first conquest of the peak was made by the botanist from Edinburgh, James Robertson in 1771. Here he collected unique samples of diverse vegetation, which Ben Nevis is rich in.
The mountain in Scotland was visited by the great poet, the Englishman John Keith. He climbed the mountain in 1818. Later he wrote that climbing this mountain is almost the same as climbing 10 St. Paul's Cathedrals without any convenient stairs.
To the north of Fort William at the foot of the mountain is an old distillation plant (founded in 1825) that produces the popular Ben Nevis whiskey (single malt).
Then, thanks to a more thorough study of the area by geologists in 1847, the cartographic society confirmed that this mountain is the highest in all of Britain.
In 1894, a railroad was built in Fort William. And around the same time, projects arose to build a cog railway leading to the top. However, not one of them was ever realized.
About the origin of the name
What is Ben Nevis? In Scotland, the locals are local, and many guests of these places call the mountain simply Ben, in a friendly manner. But, in fact, this name has little to say friendly.
It occurs according to one version from the Gaelic BeinnNibheis, where the first word means "mountain", and the second - "evil", "evil".
There is another, more romantic version. The mountain was named from beinnneamh-bhathais, which means "mountain of heaven" or "mountain with its head in the clouds."
In conclusion, a little about curious facts
An interesting fact is that in the spring of 2006 a very old piano was discovered in the process of garbage collection at the top. This tool was raised there by the Scottish lumberjack Canny Campbell (according to him) 35 years ago. The reason for this act is to attract money to the church parish, in which the organ was replaced by a piano. Even in his youth, Canny dragged both a plow and a keg of beer to the top of the mountain.
Mount Ben Nevis often climbed motorcyclists with cyclists. The year 1911 was marked by the fact that the mountain was climbed by a Ford car (advertising company). This climb was carried out using boards and ropes and took a total of several days.