Hiking Ben Lomond, the Perfect First Munro: Chasing the Sunset

Hiking Ben Lomond, while (accidentally) chasing the sunset, was the best first Munro experience I could imagine. From the peak of Scotland’s southern gem of a Munro, the orange sunset glow dazzled the otherwise clear blue sky above Loch Lomond, showing off its beauty below. It was nothing short of magical.

Ben Lomond is one of Scotland’s most popular Munros, and for good reason. With close proximity to Glasgow and the Central Belt, an easy to follow path which climbs gradually, alongside beauty that captures you throughout, this walk welcomes both experienced hikers and beginner Munro climbers. Hiking Ben Lomond is a Scotland must do and a fantastic introduction to the Munro mountains. 

So, as I had such a great time, I want to share a little of the Munro magic by giving you an insight into hiking Ben Lomond (at sunset). Whether you wish to do this hike at sunset/sunrise or any point with full daylight like the majority of people, this is a Scotland hike well worth doing. This post will hopefully inspire you to get out there and, like me, wonder why you hadn’t sooner!

ACCOMMODATION: Accommodation is available near Ben Lomond. I always check out Booking.com for the best deals and widest range of options. If you’re travelling solo and/or on a budget, check out Hostelworld – there is a hostel in Rowardennan offering cheap dorm rooms just a 10 minute walk from the beginning of the hike.

CAR HIRE: Ben Lomond is most easily reached by car. You can search for rental cars here.

ACTIVITIES: For more activities around Loch Lomond and Scotland, I recommend checking out GetYourGuide.

This post contains affiliate links.

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Brief Overview of Hiking Ben Lomond

In this post I will focus on hiking Ben Lomond on the most popular trail, the ‘tourist route’, as opposed to the longer and more challenging Ptarmigan Ridge route.

Where is Ben Lomond?

Ben Lomond is located in Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park, at the most southern end of such. Meaning, it is easily accessible from the likes of major cities, Glasgow and Edinburgh. It is actually one of Scotland’s most accessible Munros.

How high is Ben Lomond?

Ben Lomond is 974 meters high.

What is the distance of the Ben Lomond hike?

The Ben Lomond hike is 11km.

Is climbing Ben Lomond difficult?

Ben Lomond is known to be an excellent choice for a first Munro experience, thanks to its less challenging route. I chose it as mine as my first Munro! That being said, it IS a Munro, one of Scotland’s mountains over 914m. It’s not a ‘walk in the park’, but for someone of relative fitness, it is very achievable. This is one of the technically easiest Munros for beginners.

I personally did find it ‘easy’ thanks to its gradual path, and thought it was a great distance of a hike. But bare in mind that I am used to hiking/walking/running.

How long does it take to hike Ben Lomond?

The average time to complete the hike (out-n-back) is 4-6 hours. That being said, if you’re pretty fit and an experienced hiker, you could definitely do it in under 4!

How to get to Ben Lomond?

Driving is the best way to reach Ben Lomond. It is around an hour drive to Ben Lomond car park from Glasgow, or around a 1 hour 45 minute drive from Edinburgh. If you wish to hire a car, you can check for car rental options here.

Is there a car park?

There is a car park at the beginning of the hike, which costs £5 for all day parking.

There is also an overflow car park, which is a little further from the start of the walk. So yeah, there is a reason for this – it can get very busy, especially on weekends and/or very sunny days. That’s where an extra bonus of a sunset hike (or sunrise if that’s more your style) can come in handy! At these times, either very early or later in the day, you won’t struggle to get parked (at least in the late spring/summer months when the sun is setting late and rising very early).

Are there any facilities?

Toilets, free of charge, are available in the main Ben Lomond car park.

Accommodation near Ben Lomond

The closest accommodation to Ben Lomond is in Rowardennan. This is a very small village just a 3 minute drive/10 minute walk from the Ben Lomond car park.

Stay in Rowardennan

– Rowardennan Lodge Youth Hostel

• Great choice if travelling solo and/or on a budget. Shared dorm rooms are available, helping keep costs down. You can book it here.

– Rowardennan Hotel

• If your budget is a little higher, you want more privacy or there is more than one of you to split the costs, you may wish to check out the Rowardennan Hotel.

– Lodge at Loch Lomond

• If there is a group of you travelling together, the Lodge at Loch Lomond is an excellent accommodation option. You get the whole 3 bedroom chalet, so there is plenty of space to enjoy your time by Loch Lomond.

Stay in Balmaha

Various accommodation options are also available in Balmaha. This is a lovely little village also on the eastern shore of Loch Lomond. It is a 15-20 minute drive from Ben Lomond car park.

Outwith the immediate area of Ben Lomond, you can also find accommodation in the closest, bigger towns, of Balloch and Drymen.

What to pack for hiking Ben Lomond

This is a 4-5 hour hike, so you need to be prepared! Some essentials include:

• Layers – you will be thankful for taking extra layers, even if you hike Ben Lomond on one of Scotland’s rarer warm days as I did. Especially if hiking at sunset, when the sun disappears, the heat will too. This is Scotland!!! Bring a jumper, a light anorak you can fit in your bag (if it’s too warm to wear it to begin with), warm gloves, even a warm hat. Just because it may not be winter, you will still need some ‘winter’ layers.
  • In my experience, the temperature was perfect the whole of my hike (in mid-May), until hitting the peak and the sun began to disappear. I was then freezing. As in, couldn’t stop shaking, couldn’t use my hands kind of freezing. I wasso glad I had packed a long sleeve top, jumper and light anorak in my bag, as well as warm gloves. (I hiked to the peak in short shorts and a cropped sports top!).
• Portable charger – always safest to have one of these. You will want to snap plenty of pics on route, and maybe even use your phone torch on the return if hiking at sunset. Don’t risk running out of battery in case of an emergency.
• Food – bring snacks. You don’t want to run out of energy or get hangry and not enjoy the hike because of this!
• Water – bring more water than you think you will need, hydration is key!
• Headlamp – if hiking at sunset, it would be a good idea to bring a headlamp for the return. I didn’t do this, but it would have been very smart so I’ll tell you to!
• Torch – similar to the last point. I hadn’t thought it through and just used my phone torch, but if I were to sunset hike again, I would take an actual torch, even just a small one. Better to have as much light as possible. By the end of the hike, when darkness had fully descended, light was absolutely essential.

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Hiking Ben Lomond at Sunset

Since I hiked Ben Lomond at sunset, let’s look a little deeper at doing that in-case you wish to hike at this time, too!

Why hike Ben Lomond at sunset?

Hiking Ben Lomond at sunset makes for a unique experience. The beauty is even more outstanding, at least if the weather holds up for the perfect sunset as it did for me! DO plan accordingly, weather-wise, for the best experience.

Being one of the most popular Munro’s, means it’s one of the busiest. A sunset hike however provides a certain sense of tranquility. For example, there were just three others at the peak when I reached it right before the sun set. I’m pretty sure that in itself was somewhat unique. Not many people were passed on the climb and certainly not on the return – all had been and gone already!

Best time of year to hike at sunset

Late spring to early autumn can be considered the best time of year for a sunset hike, or even if not a sunset hike!

In late spring-summer the sun sets pretty late in Scotland. This is great in that you can start the hike late – you can spend the day by Loch Lomond, or go after work and still have time to do a sunset hike. That being said, it will be a ‘late’ night (unless you stay nearby) – I got home around 2:30am (I had a 2.5 hour drive) after my sunset hike. So keep that in mind for your plans for the next morning!

For a rough guide, in mid-late may the sun sets around 9:30pm-9:55pm, June can be as late at 10:10pm by the end of July around 9:30pm, August sees a bigger shift where the sun sets at 8:15pm by the end of the month, and September going down to 7pm.

I hiked Ben Lomond in late May, which I found to be a great time of year to do so!

Weather considerations

Clear skies are of course important to witness the sunset and not have it masked by clouds. So you will want to consider weather conditions even more so than if you’re hiking during the day. That being said, this is Scotland and anything can happen weather-wise! But if you can, wait until the best looking weather day. Remember to check for what it’s saying around the time of sunset!!

I waited for a day when the weather forecast said nothing but sun, and wow I was not disappointed! This can be kind of rare in Scotland though and you could be waiting a while. So if you’re on a shorter Scotland trip, don’t stress it too much, just be aware it may not be as amazing as it could be (but don’t go on a full cloudy/rainy day hoping for a magical sunset!).

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My First Munro Experience: Chasing the Sunset on Ben Lomond

Let’s take a closer look at the actual hike!! I won’t delve into it too deep so as to not ‘ruin’ it for you, but hopefully just enough that you feel inspired to get outdoors and go experience bonnie Scotland through the Ben Lomond hike!

I’d thought about hiking Ben Lomond for a WHILE. It wasn’t the hike that kept putting me off, but rather the semi-long drive I had to get there (coming from the very east coast of Scotland), knowing the car parks can get very busy, and I’m a sucker for wanting a beautiful sunny day etc etc. There will always be excuses not to do something but on this day, setting out way later than I ever would have intended to, I was overtaken by my adventurous side (which I often leave behind when I’m in my home country of Scotland). Anyway in short, all the stars aligned this one day and it was perfect!!!

SO…

I quite literally ‘chased the sunset’ for my first Munro experience. I never set out to do a sunset hike, that just came with being classic me, a late in the day type of person. Never would I have considered starting this hike at 7pm, but hey, that’s what ended up happening! I had no idea if I would even make it to the peak in time. You know when you just have a good feeling though? Well, I had a good feeling, and it turned out to be right.

I’ll give you a brief low-down of the hike, so you can get a rough idea of what to expect from this trail!!

From the car park

Leaving my car at the car park and paying for my ticket, I made sure to use the free facilities as there would be no other chance. Then, it was time to start the hike. The path begins from the car park, just next to the toilets. There is a big sign ‘Ben Lomond hill path this way’ – you can’t miss it!

The conditions were perfect – it was warm, even at 7pm and later, with blue skies above. This was not the Scotland I’m used to, but one I am SO here for!

Beginning of the trail

From the start, the trail is very obvious, and it remains this way throughout, although changes to a bit more of a rocky terrain later in the hike.

The first part is quite sheltered, among the trees. The path climbs very gradually, then becomes a little flatter, with nothing but greenery surrounding you! At a certain point there is a gate you go through, which is followed by a pretty easy path before some bigger, rocky steps appear.

First views

A little way up some of the big steps, Loch Lomond begins to appear below, through the trees behind you! Do turn around for a little glance!

The steps don’t continue for the whole hike, and before you know it the path is flat again and there is even a cheeky little downhill part (not really what you want when you’re meant to be going up, though!).

This is followed by more easy path, enclosed by trees, before reaching a little bridge.

After the bridge

A little beyond the bridge are some more steps, from which you should again turn around just after for a bigger glimpse, but still just a sneak peak, of some Loch Lomond views.

Some bushes line the otherwise easy, but gradually climbing, path (no steps now).

While this first part is very easy and enjoyable (despite the lack of views), I found the return a bit creepy! That is because, being on a sunset hike, it was very much dark, especially with the trees blocking any light from the sky getting in. So this is your reminder, DON’T forget a torch, or at least keep your phone with battery for the phone torch for the return if hiking at sunset!!

Second gate

A second gate is reached and actually THIS the ‘real’ start to the Ben Lomond hike?! Here, there is a ‘Welcome to Ben Lomond’ sign, with a map and more information.

From here, it gets good!! There are some more steps, but you soon forget about them as the trees disappear, creating a more open space, and the Loch Lomond view distracts you from the little climb here. Already these views are nice, so you can only imagine what’s to come! I was very much in my element at this point!

The sky was so blue around here, the sun fully shining (after being masked by the trees on the previous section). It was a VIBE. There was basically no one around, just me (my Mum who I was with), and a few people passed by on their way down.

The path of course keeps climbing, but it’s nothing too step and the terrain is all pretty good! The views just continue to get better and better, too.

Third gate

Eventually a third gate is reached, and while there were a lack of people around when I hiked Ben Lomond thanks to it being late in the day, there were plenty of sheep for company!

There is a fair bit of climbing and as you can see it’s a bit rocky/step-ish. It is still a very easy to follow path. Just keep going up, up, up.

I kept getting distracted by the sheep, looking so beautiful in that evening glow, with the view to Loch Lomond showing off to the side, too. It helped make the climb easier, not that it’s that difficult of a climb – you’ll be glad to know it’s never too steep! I found it to be an enjoyable climb, expecting much worse, this being a Munro and all!!

Seeing the peak in the distance

The next most noticeable point (there is a lot of walking in between the points noted – I said I wouldn’t go into every detail!), is when you can really see the final point ahead! It still looks a bit of a distance away, but it’s not as far as it initially seems. This part is pretty easy until the final climb up the mountain top ahead!

Final section

For the final section, the climb gets a bit steeper again, but nothing unachievable! You’re so almost at the peak when you reach that last mound!

Around this point I was thinking is there actually time to get there before the sun sets?! It was clear we were cutting it fine! A man passed by and he confirmed yes, you will make it!!

Suddenly, the air got so much cooler, having been the perfect temperature throughout the entire walk. That was a sign of just how high had been climbed, even though it didn’t feel like that much elevation gain thanks to the gradual climb throughout the whole walk. It was also a sign the sun was less strong and getting ready to go!

Some views open up on the other side, which is a nice little view addition!

The peak is SO close now, and once you complete the last little ascent, you will be rewarded for the final time, with the best views yet on the hike.

The peak of Ben Lomond

Reaching the peak, I knew the walk had in fact been time to PERFECTION. Magic was in the air, and I still can’t believe how perfectly the stars (sunset) aligned this evening.

Arriving right on time to witness the sun just about to hide behind the mountains, the orange glow illuminating the sky, was magical. What made it more magical? That there were only 3 others up there, which felt insane that it could be this beautiful out, with such a stunning sunset show and most everyone had already been and gone for the day (I have no doubts on how busy it would have been earlier!). The was one of those evenings and sunsets that I will never forget!!!

Whether on a sunset hike or not, the views from the peak are amazing, with Loch Lomond and the surrounding mountains showing off. As soon as you reach the peak, you know the walk was WELL worth it! You will be impressed and left marveling at some Munro magic!

I wasn’t at the peak for too long, ideally I would have been up there earlier had I you know ‘planned’ my hike more, but it was just crazy in a sense how perfectly it all worked out. So if you do hike for sunset, do try to ensure you have enough time to chill out at the top for however long you think you will desire!

This being said, I was SO cold for the first time all hike that I ‘needed’ to leave. I could not have stayed up there any longer than I did. That kind of also added to how perfect everything worked out though! I can only imagine how cold it must get up there in the colder months. I layered up, but a little too late as the cold had already taken over me. Still, it was SO WORTH IT!!!! The cold was much more painful than any of the walk!

The sun disappearing meant darkness was going to descend soon, and the return walk was awaiting.

The return to the car park

As I, as most do, was sticking to the main path, the ‘tourist route’, the return was just back on the same path. This is good especially for a sunset hike, when the light is quickly fading, in that you at least kind of know what to expect from the path and the terrain.

For the first part, there was still enough light, but before long I had to get my torch out. I only had my phone torch – I did not go prepared to be hiking in darkness – please do go prepared!

There wasn’t really time to ‘enjoy’ or rather ‘take in’ the return, since darkness was descending. I guess that is a downside to a sunset hike (but not enough of a downside that it’s not worth it, I would 100% do it all over again!).

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Overall, chasing the sunset on Ben Lomond was more dreamy than I could have imagined. If you’re thinking of doing this hike, this is your sign, DO IT!!! Hopefully you will be just as lucky and have everything work out as well as it did for me!

For another must do Scotland hike, and one which can be used as a good starter hike before your first Munro, check out Ben A’an. I loved this short and steep hike, which I did just a couple of weeks before hiking Ben Lomond. You can check out my post here – Hiking Ben A’an & Visiting Loch Katrine – Trossachs Must Do.