Ben More ( gd, Beinn Mhòr, meaning "great mountain") is the highest

mountain A mountain is an elevated portion of the Earth's crust, generally with steep sides that show significant exposed bedrock. Although definitions vary, a mountain may differ from a plateau in having a limited Summit (topography), summit area, and ...

and only

Munro A Munro () is defined as a mountain in Scotland with a height over , and which is on the Scottish Mountaineering Club (SMC) official list of Munros; there is no explicit topographical prominence requirement. The best known Munro is Ben Nevis ...

(mountains in Scotland that reach an elevation of at least ) on the

Isle of Mull The Isle of Mull ( gd, An t-Eilean Muileach ) or just Mull (; gd, Muile, links=no ) is the second-largest island of the Inner Hebrides (after Skye) and lies off the west coast of Scotland in the Council areas of Scotland, council area of Arg ...

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...

. It is also the highest peak in the

Scottish isles This is a list of islands of Scotland, the mainland of which is part of the island of Great Britain. Also included are various other related tables and lists. The definition of an offshore island used in this list is "land that is surrounded by ...

– and the only Munro – apart from those on the

Isle of Skye The Isle of Skye, or simply Skye (; gd, An t-Eilean Sgitheanach or ; sco, Isle o Skye), is the largest and northernmost of the major islands in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland. The island's peninsulas radiate from a mountainous hub dominated ...

. The mountain is situated close to the centre of the island, above the shores of .

Access and climbing route

The peak is easiest reached from

Loch na Keal Loch na Keal ( gd, Loch na Caol), meaning Loch of the Kyle, or Narrows, also Loch of the Cliffs, is the principal sea loch on the western, or Atlantic coastline of the island of Mull, in the Inner Hebrides, Argyll and Bute, Scotland. Loch na Keal ...

, the walk up from the B8035 road following farm tracks, the side of a stream; , and ultimately up scree slopes to the top. From the summit on a clear day, the view encompasses the

Sound of Mull The Sound of Mull is a sound between the Inner Hebridean island of Mull and mainland Scotland. It forms part of the Atlantic Ocean. The Sound of Mull Project is a Scottish Sustainable Marine Environment Initiative (SSMEI) spatial plan of Argyl ...

Staffa Staffa ( gd, Stafa, , from the Old Norse for stave or pillar island) is an island of the Inner Hebrides in Argyll and Bute, Scotland. The Vikings gave it this name as its columnar basalt reminded them of their houses, which were built from ver ...

Ulva Ulva (; gd, Ulbha) is a small island in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland, off the west coast of Mull. It is separated from Mull by a narrow strait, and connected to the neighbouring island of Gometra by a bridge. Much of the island is formed from ...

, the Ross of Mull and

Iona Iona (; gd, Ì Chaluim Chille (IPA: �iːˈxaɫ̪ɯimˈçiʎə, sometimes simply ''Ì''; sco, Iona) is a small island in the Inner Hebrides, off the Ross of Mull on the western coast of Scotland. It is mainly known for Iona Abbey, though there ...

in the distance. From sea loch to summit is approximately a four-hour walk. The more demanding but rewarding route follows a boggy path up the banks of to the (mountain pass) between ("The Breast") and (not to be confused with its namesake in Kintail). From the the route follows South West along a steep and rocky ridge first to the peak of then on and up to Ben More itself. There is respite at the top in a circular refuge of stones. This route starts and ends on the B8035 road and is approximately a six-hour walk and

scramble Scramble, Scrambled, or Scrambling may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Games * ''Scramble'' (video game), a 1981 arcade game Music Albums * ''Scramble'' (album), an album by Atlanta-based band the Coathangers * ''Scrambles'' (album) ...

. Climbers should be cautious when using a compass in misty conditions since there is magnetic rock in places, especially near the summit of the mountain.

Geology

Around 60 million years ago, the region was volcanically active, with Ben More being the remnant of a volcano, and it was in this period that the famous rock formations of

and the basaltic columns of "The Castles" on

came into being. The lava flows are known as the "Staffa Magma Type member" and can also be seen on Mull at , , and near Tobermory on its east coast. They are particularly rich in

silica Silicon dioxide, also known as silica, is an oxide of silicon with the chemical formula , most commonly found in nature as quartz and in various living organisms. In many parts of the world, silica is the major constituent of sand. Silica is one ...

References

External links

* Computer generated summit panorama
NorthSouth
{{Mull Munros Marilyns of Scotland Mountains and hills of the Scottish islands Mountains and hills of Argyll and Bute Landforms of the Isle of Mull Volcanoes of Scotland Paleocene volcanism Extinct volcanoes

Access and climbing route

Geology

See also

References

External links