Ben Venue

Walk to a low-level viewpoint or begin your high hill climb

There are delightful glimpses of Loch Achray between the trees at the car park. Here the winding hill route to Ben Venue begins. A trip to the craggy summit is hard work but rewarding for the spectacular Trossachs views. The shorter Creag Noran trail offers a great way into this much-loved landscape, without the big climb.

Sir Walter Scott immortalised Ben Venue in his famous poem, The Lady of the Lake. In it he described its craggy slopes as ‘fragments of an earlier world’. To the north of the summit, near the shore of Loch Katrine, is Bealach nam Bò, the Pass of the Cattle. This is where Highland cattle thieves once drove their stolen herds across the hills.

Walking trails

Walking

Creag Noran Viewpoint Trail

Take a walk through the heather above Loch Achray to get a flavour of the stunning Trossachs landscape without having to climb its mountains. 

Uneven gravel path with some rough rocky sections and muddy patches. Long slopes with some steep sections.

½ miles / 0.9 km

Allow ¼ hour

Activities

Ben Venue hillwalk

Ben Venue may mean 'small mountain' in Gaelic but be prepared for its steep, rugged slopes! On a clear day there are panoramic views from the twin summits. You'll have a bird's eye view over Loch Katrine and the nearby peaks of Ben A'an, Ben More and Ben Lomond, and beyond Loch Lomond to the Arrochar Alps. You may also glimpse the Firth of Forth, the Clyde, the Isle of Arran and the Paps of Jura.

Ben Venue's summit is at 2,386 feet and it's a round trip of 8½ miles. The route to the summit is a serious undertaking and suitable for fit and experienced walkers. Find our more about the route at WalkHighlands.

The Great Trossachs Forest

In 2007 Forestry and Land Scotland, RSPB and The Woodland Trust came together on a landscape scale project that covers 16,500 hectares in Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park.

The Great Trossachs Forest achievements were recognised in 2015 with the award of National Nature Reserve (NNR) status.

This 200 year partnership project will restore, protect and enhance a diverse range of habitats for the benefit of wildlife and people

Find out more

Facilities and access

Parking (charge)

Walking

The nearest public toilets, shops and places to eat are at the nearby Trossachs Pier, on the shore of Loch Katrine.

Car parking information

The charges to park at Ben Venue are:

• £2 for up to 1 hour
• £5 for all day
• £14 for minibus or coach all day

Blue Badge holders park free. Please display your Blue Badge clearly.

Payment can be made using coins, card or RingGo.

Annual parking passes are available for this site, visit our parking page for more information.

More about parking

Getting here

The car park for Ben Venue is on the A821 between Kilmahog and Aberfoyle, 200 metres South of the turning to Loch Katrine.

Using SatNav?

FK17 8HZ is the nearest postcode.

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