Handling the pressure on Ben Nevis Ben Nevis is a national treasure. Britain’s highest mountain, it attracts huge numbers <strong>of</strong> visitors every year but that popularity places strains on the mountain and its surroundings. 24 <strong>The</strong> <strong>Nature</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Scotland</strong>
1 A new funding package should help alleviate some <strong>of</strong> the pressures on Ben Nevis and ensure that <strong>Scotland</strong>’s most iconic <strong>of</strong> mountains is in good shape for years to come. On 23 July the Nevis Partnership announced that it had secured a funding package in the region <strong>of</strong> £4 million designed to enhance the Ben Nevis area for visitors and biodiversity. Half the money is being made available through the Heritage Lottery Fund, and the remainder will include contributions from the Highland Council, Scottish Natural Heritage and other sources. <strong>The</strong> Nevis Landscape Partnership, the new body being set up to manage the project is truly a team effort. It includes representatives <strong>of</strong> the landowners involved (Rio Tinto Alcan and the John Muir Trust), SNH, the Highland Council, Forestry Commission <strong>Scotland</strong>, the West Highland College (University <strong>of</strong> the Highlands and Islands), the Fort William Mountain Festival, the Mountaineering Council <strong>of</strong> <strong>Scotland</strong>, Sport<strong>Scotland</strong>, the Fort William and District Chamber <strong>of</strong> Commerce, Outdoor Capital UK, local residents and community councils. This sizable collaboration aims to make a major impact over the next six years through a range <strong>of</strong> projects that will tackle some <strong>of</strong> the areas experiencing the greatest visitor pressure. John Hutchison, Executive Director <strong>of</strong> the Nevis Partnership and Chairman <strong>of</strong> the John Muir Trust, summed up the optimistic mood neatly. “<strong>The</strong> Nevis Area is loved by the local community,” he explained, “and the Landscape Partnership project will pull together the drive and expertise <strong>of</strong> a variety <strong>of</strong> interested parties. When we called the first public meeting in November 1998 it was clear that a big job had to be done and so it is very satisfying that this funding award will ensure that we will still be delivering, 20 years on!” <strong>The</strong> lure <strong>of</strong> the Ben 1 Looking across the precipitous north face <strong>of</strong> Ben Nevis to the summit cairn and emergency shelter – perched on top <strong>of</strong> a huge pile <strong>of</strong> stones to stand clear <strong>of</strong> the snow in winter. Ben Nevis, the most visited mountain in <strong>Scotland</strong>, is a national icon and therefore not surprisingly features on the itinerary <strong>of</strong> many visitors to the Highlands. It receives in the region <strong>of</strong> 200,000 walkers every year, most <strong>of</strong> whom ascend via the old pony path on the south side <strong>of</strong> the mountain to the site <strong>of</strong> the old weather observatory right on the summit. <strong>The</strong> mountain also forms a focus for a number <strong>of</strong> local events including the Ben Nevis Hill Race, one <strong>of</strong> the longestrunning challenges in the country, having first been run in 1898 under Scottish Amateur Athletic Association rules. <strong>The</strong> current record, held since 1984, is 1 hour, 25 minutes and 34 seconds for a course that is 16 km long and with an ascent and descent <strong>of</strong> 2,600m. This may not be something that the average visitor can aspire to, but many do come and climb ‘the Ben’ even if they have never climbed a mountain before (and may never do so again). <strong>The</strong>re is an increasing number <strong>of</strong> events that focus on charity fundraising or similar community-orientated goals. One <strong>of</strong> the flames for the London 2012 Paralympic Games www.snh.gov.uk 25
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