Eve and I have had Ben A’an on our radar for a hike and camp for a while now. We have climbed Ben A’an countless times over the years and know the hill path well. If you've ever looked at our Facebook page, you will have seen a picture of Eve standing on a peak, arms spread, with a loch behind her. That photograph was taken on the summit of Ben A’an when Eve was about five years old. That was where we were going back to camp. We even tried to recreate the photo.
Ian Alderman
But first... on the way to Ben A’an, we had to stop at the Coop in Aberfoyle to pick up some last-minute supplies. This vital resupply consisted of buying a pack of chocolate biscuits (chocolate biscuits are a serious business) and a can of fish to mix into our one-pot dinner! From Aberfoyle, Ben A’an is a short drive up Dukes Pass towards Callander.
The Forestry Commission car park for Ben A’an was notably quiet. The local authorities have recently (post-Covid) upgraded the car park, making it larger and improving the surface. This has, however, come at a cost. Parking is now charged at £5 for the day. I was slightly concerned when I bought the ticket as it was only valid until midnight that day. We were not planning on coming back until the following day. I just hoped the ticket inspector would give us some 'grace', or if we did get a fine, our grounds for appeal would be sufficient!
Ben A’an is a rocky hill in the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park. Its summit can be seen for miles around as it stands proud at the head of Loch Katrine. It’s not an exceptionally high hill at just 454 metres and has no formal classification such as a Graham or Corbet. Ben A’an is ‘just a hill'. Ben A’an is, however, one of the busiest wee hills in the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park, along with Conic Hill on the West Highland Way and the Munro, Ben Lomond on the shores of Loch Lomond.
With packed bags, we set off, crossing the busy A821 to ascend the hill path. Our bags were heavy, as we carried extra layers due to the cold weather and all the water we would need. I was carrying just over 4 litres and Eve 2 litres. There are plenty of water sources up Ben A’an, however, with the hill being so busy and popular, evidence of human contamination is everywhere. I felt the effort of carrying our water was preferential to getting an upset stomach!
The hill path up Ben A'an has been upgraded substantially in recent years. It is one of the easiest hill paths to follow, albeit extremely rocky. The path was upgraded to try and prevent damage to the hillside ecosystem, which struggles to survive and thrive under the weight of the number of walkers every year. Evidence of this damage can be seen higher up the hill and around the summit. There have also been attempts to help support the regeneration of the flora and fauna.
The hill path up Ben A’an immediately starts steep, but this is the easy part. It took Eve and I a while to get into our stride and catch our second wind as we puffed and panted. A few hillwalkers going the other way passed us, making comments such as “not far now”. I hoped I didn’t look that exhausted, but then I forgot I'm in my 40s and not in my 20s anymore—a fact Sarah is too keen to remind me of!
Eve wasn’t struggling aerobically as much as I was but would repeatedly stop at the most inopportune moments to tie her shoelaces, adjust her clothes, or pick a blackberry out of the hedge. It was always at these moments, just as I took my eyes off her for a split second with my ‘head down and arse up’, I would nearly collide with her sending us both flying! We must have looked like a ridiculous pair to any passing walker!
The path up Ben A’an continues to climb over rocks and a small bridge until it plateaus for a few hundred metres. This wee section of trail is a beautiful rest bite as the path flattens through recently felled woodland. Here, we were rewarded with the first sight of the rocky summit of Ben A'an, which sits like a giant upside-down cone. Eve and I walked, catching our breath and taking in the views behind us.
This was when it happened—the most remarkable sight we have seen on a hill.
A young girl passed us, coming the opposite way. There was nothing unusual about that until she had passed us. It was then that I saw a glimpse of her unusual backpack! The young girl carried no hiking backpack like I had ever seen before. She was carrying a solid perspex backpack with a fully grown cat inside, who sat on a fleece blanket looking all around and appearing to be having the time of its life! We have seen countless dogs on hills but never a cat in a backpack! The only issue is… Eve now wants one for our cats!!!
We paused and stared momentarily, hoping the young girl didn’t notice as Eve cooed over the sight of a cat in a backpack! It was a remarkable sight and good for her! I hope they both have a long, happy life hiking trails together! "meow"
A little further on, we reached a small wooded area where we paused for a break on a couple of giant boulders. This was a busy spot, with other people making the most of the rocks to sit on. After watching me struggle to take a selfie, a couple asked if we would like a photograph together, and I accepted with thanks! We didn’t pause for too long, keen to get to the top, which was now getting closer.
The following section of Ben A'an is steep and becomes more and more rocky underfoot, changing from rocky steps to natural rock that has smoothed over the years from previous hikers. It’s also here where you must make the only actual decision regarding the route. The trail can become slightly less obvious over a slight burn, fooling people into climbing up the right-hand side when the trail follows the slightly less distinct route on the left. Luckily, we knew about this, so we weren't caught out. However, due to how well-worn this false trail is, it catches many people out.
The going was slightly slower here as we took great care with each footstep and let people coming the opposite way pass us as we stood to the side. However, it was a fun section to climb!
Eventually, the trail circles around the back of the summit along a flat earth-trod trail. This is where the evidence of damage caused by years of hikers ‘trailblazing’ their own routes becomes all too apparent. Work is going on to keep hikers on the main trails and allow the area to regenerate. How effective this will be is still unknown. With rope fences trying to keep people on the main hill path and countless information boards asking people to be respectful, we can hope this magnificent wee hill can return to its original glory!
Reaching the rocky summit felt amazing, liberating, and exhilarating. It has been years since we last visited Ben A’an, and it still has all of its character and excitement from our last visit. The summit was busy, as we had expected, but with only a couple of hours of daylight left, we were hoping to have it all to ourselves before long!
A few photographs from the the top of Ben A’an. The large loch is Loch Katrine and the smaller one behind the tent is Loch Achray.
The last family left the summit just before it started to get dark and the wind began to drop. We had pitched the tent by now, taken countless photographs and FaceTimed Sarah several times to show her the views. As is often the way with hills, as we climbed, our phone signal was intermittent at best, but once at the summit, we had full signal and mobile data! It was nice to see Sarah and try to share some of the night with her!
The view from the top of Ben A’an
The weather had been predicted to be cloudy with a chance of rain in the morning. We knew we might get wet, but we try not to let the weather dictate our schedule too much unless safety is a concern. We also knew a sunset and sunrise like the one on Dumgoyne Hill a few days ago would be very unlikely, but things like this are always a bonus. However, I was secretly hoping for an inversion. It didn’t happen, but we can always hope!
At last light, we got dinner on. A pot noodle each that we had decanted into a zip-bag before we hiked with a couple of cans of fish to mix in. I know it sounds revolting, but it's surprisingly good. All food on the trail (or a hill) can taste amazing. Chocolate biscuits followed this! Although the wind had settled, there was still a breeze, and it was cold. With clouds preventing us from seeing the lights below or the sky above, we retreated to the tent and watched Christmas Chronicles on Netflix together from the warmth of our sleeping bags. This is one of the things I love so much about wild camping and hiking; it takes you away from the everyday jobs and responsibilities, allowing us, father and daughter, to be together uninterrupted and have quality time together. I will remember these times forever, and I hope Eve does too!
We went to bed at about 9 pm, tired and feeling refreshed by the cool hill air, and Eve drifted off to sleep almost immediately. I, however, was being inflicted with insomnia. I don’t often suffer from it outdoors or camping, but it was there with a vengeance that night. I was so busy thinking about the future, from how life would look over the next few months to what I wanted to do with the website, my mind struggled to switch it off! It was lovely to lie there and listen to Eve breathing slowly and deeply while the wind blew outside.
Now and again throughout the night, I would open the tent and peek outside. It was like a window into another world—a hill summit that a few hours ago was so busy that we now had all to ourselves. I feel so privileged to have the opportunity to do this stuff and then be able to share it with you. That's truly special!
At about 5 am, it started to rain. I love the sound of rain on the tent, and within a few minutes, I had drifted off to sleep for the first time that evening. The Alarm went off at 6 am!
The plan was to get up early while it was still dark to see if we could catch a sunrise. I had forgotten to turn the alarm off before I drifted off an hour earlier. The alarm was loud and abrupt. I was annoyed at myself for forgetting, but with Eve immediately keen to get up and get outside, I couldn't stay annoyed for long, even with myself. Eve's enthusiasm is not for a phone or the latest gadget, but for seeing a sunrise, which is contagious!
Then we heard the rain... We lay talking and looking outside into the darkness for the next hour, hoping for a break in the rain. By this point, we were dressed and ready to leave the tent if the weather allowed. Eventually, the rain became intermittent, so we escaped the tent, which had started to feel claustrophobic. The cloud was low, but the views across Loch Katrine were spectacular. We could make out the tiniest slither of sun through the clouds, which we took as our sunrise! Ben A’an is well known for its stunning sunrises and inversions! Just not that morning, unfortunately.
Our morning's breakfast was a porridge pot and a coffee, with Eve having tea. It was nice not to wash the cooking pot out in the morning, which I always dread doing. We packed up the tent and headed off just as the first people were making their way to the summit of Ben A’an, having walked through the rain.
A wet morning on the summit of Ben A'an!
The climb down was slow. Over the last few hours, the rain had made all the rocks wet and slippy. We always find the descent harder and slower than the ascent, and that morning was no different.
The descent is always more challenging, regardless of the terrain. Most accidents happen going downhill, not up, so we always try to give ourselves extra time to be safe! We had all day for the decent of Ben A'an!
We made slow progress, but with light packs, having eaten our food and drank most of our water, we didn't feel weighed down by the backpacks. Eve snacked on sweets, and I had the occasional Werthers Original for a sugar hit.
The motivation to get down and off Ben A’an was twofold. First, I was keen to see if I had a parking ticket; second, we each had a mince pie waiting for us in the car! I love Christmas!
Reaching the car at about 10.30 am was a relief but not for the end of the adventure. Leaving the car overnight in a remote car park in the middle of a forest always worries me. Seeing the car in the morning was a good feeling… and there was no parking ticket either!
The car park was busy—a lot busier than the previous day. A large group of walkers gathered, and small groups headed up Ben A’an. They were all in for a great day.
The rain clouds had all blown away, and the sky was clearing with blue visible through the clouds. It had been a great night on a magnificent and popular hill in the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park!
There you have it—another wee adventure on another hill in Scotland. We’re loving these mini adventures and hope you are too.
Until next time
Ian
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I've added a few extra photographs, including our favourite image from the summit of Ben A’an looking down Loch Achray in the twilight!
