Sunlight on Ben Ledi

Out walking this afternoon- between the snow showers- I saw the late afternoon light on snow-covered Ben Ledi.

This is one of the few Scottish mountains I have climbed though it does not qualify as a Munro ( mountains over 3,000ft). It falls a few feet short at 2,884 ft.

However it is a Corbett ( mountains between 2,500 and 3,000ft).

It is easily accessible from Callander, and its very popular with walkers.


Ben Ledi (Beinn Leitir in Scottish Gaelic) is situated in the Trossachs hills, which are often regarded as having some of the most romantic scenery in the Highlands.
Many people are familiar with it through Walter Scott's poem Lady of the Lake.
Supposedly in ancient times, Beltane rites were observed on the summit.

In 1791 the Rev Doctor James Robertson being minister of the parish at the time, was required to write a description of the parish for the First Statistical Account of Scotland. In his report he mistakenly (due to the similarity to le dia) took the name Ben Ledi to mean 'hill of god' which suited the purposes of the kirk of the day. The name is in fact a corruption of Beinn Leitir which translates to 'the Hill of the Slope', which is a very suitable description of the long south shoulder used to access the summit.