Ben Alder

Ben Alder, at 1,148 metres, is one of the remotest Munros in Scotland, a spacious summit plateau surrounded by cliffs and steep slopes, widely described by regular visitors as a mountain of memorable character and an almost palpable personality.

The approach begins with a substantial walk-in of its own: from Dalwhinnie, a track follows the western shore of Loch Ericht past Ben Alder Lodge to Loch Pattack and on to the site of the former Culra bothy — this alone is around 15 kilometres. Culra bothy itself is closed due to asbestos contamination, so anyone staying overnight must carry a tent and camp nearby; a replacement building has long been promised by the Mountain Bothies Association but progress has been slow. From Culra, Ben Alder's two dramatic rocky ridges, the Short and Long Leachas, enclose a hanging corrie and offer the classic approach — the Long Leachas gives simple, enjoyable scrambling on a narrow, rocky crest, emerging suddenly onto the stony summit plateau. The summit itself is marked by a trig point in a windshelter cairn, with the ruined stone remains of a camp used by the original Ordnance Survey mapping team nearby.

Most parties combine Ben Alder with neighbouring Beinn Bheòil, descending across the plateau edge with careful navigation needed in mist, before a steep drop to the bealach and a climb to Beinn Bheòil's ridge-top cairn, with spectacular views back to Ben Alder across Loch a' Bhealaich Bheithe.

The round trip taking in both Munros from Culra is around seven hours; including the full walk-in and out from Dalwhinnie, this becomes a genuine two-day expedition for most parties, camping overnight near the former bothy site.

This is a serious wilderness undertaking rather than a single-day hillwalk for the vast majority of walkers — the approach alone crosses remote, exposed terrain far from any help, the descent from the summit plateau to the bealach is down open, potentially disorientating slopes, and full navigation, camping self-sufficiency, and fitness for a substantial multi-day trip are all genuinely required.

There is no vehicle or public transport access beyond Dalwhinnie, itself served by rail and bus; the walk-in to Culra alone is a serious undertaking.