Ben Wyvis

Ben Wyvis (Scottish Gaelic: Beinn Uais) is a mountain located in Easter Ross, Ross and Cromarty, Highland, in northern Scotland, north-west of Dingwall. It forms an undulating ridge running roughly north-south for about 5 km, the highest summit of which is Glas Leathad Mòr. Geologically, the ridge is composed of Moine pelitic gneiss.

The summit ridge is carpeted with the woolly hair moss Racomitrium lanuginosum, rather than the heather or grass found on most other Scottish mountains, whilst the lower slopes support dwarf shrub heath and boglands. The heath and bogland is home to a variety of plants, including Dwarf Birch, Cloudberry, Dwarf Cornel and Alpine Bearberry. The site is an important breeding ground for the Eurasian Dotterel, and represents at least 2.4% of the breeding population in Great Britain [1]. The site is designated as both a National Nature Reserve and a Special Protection Area.

It is usually climbed from the west, as that side is easy of access from the A835 road. The lower slopes are forested, and owned by the Forestry Commission. The summit ridge itself is a National Nature Reserve.

Ben Wyvis stands on the northern edge of the Clan Munro country. By tradition, the Munros hold their land from the Crown. The King declared that they held their lands on condition of furnishing a snowball at midsummer if required. This condition they could easily fulfil, as snow was to be found in some of the mountain corries of their property all year round.

External links

• Computer generated summit panoramas North South index
• Ben Wyvis NNR
• Ben Wyvis SPA
• Ben Wyvis route of ascent and map