Ben Alder Wild Camping Map: The Long Way In
Ben Alder is one of the hardest Munros to reach — a guide to the walk-in options, the bothy situation and camping on Scotland's remotest plateau.
Ben Alder Wild Camping Map: The Long Way In
Ben Alder is not a hard hill. It is a hard approach. The mountain sits in the middle of a roadless block between Loch Ericht and Loch Laggan, and every route to it involves a long walk, a bike, or a train to a station with no road. That is precisely why people go. This guide is based on desk research: the Scottish Outdoor Access Code, Mountain Bothies Association material, ScotRail timetables and Ordnance Survey mapping rather than first-hand testing. Below you will find the access options, where to pitch, the bothy situation, and why this is a trip to over-plan rather than improvise.
Quick Reference
| Route in | Distance to the hill | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Dalwhinnie along Loch Ericht | around 14km of track | The standard approach; ideal on a bike |
| Corrour station | around 12km | Train to a station with no public road |
| Loch Rannoch / Bridge of Gaur | around 15km | Quietest, from the south |
The Legal Position
The Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003 gives a statutory right of responsible access to most land and inland water in Scotland, and it explicitly includes wild camping. There are no camping byelaws here — the permit scheme applies only to seasonal zones in Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park.
Responsible camping under the Scottish Outdoor Access Code means lightweight, small-scale and short-duration: a small tent, a night or two, carried in on foot, away from buildings and roads. In Ben Alder country the “away from roads” part is automatic — there are none.
Getting In
From Dalwhinnie. The usual approach. A private estate track runs south-west down the shore of Loch Ericht for roughly 14km to the Culra area. It is a good surface and this is genuinely excellent bike terrain — many parties ride in, stash the bikes and walk the last section. On foot it is a long, dull but easy start to the day.
From Corrour. The most characterful option. Corrour is the highest mainline railway station in Britain and has no public road access at all — you arrive by train on the West Highland Line and walk out of the station into open moor. From there it is roughly 12km north-east past Loch Ossian to the Ben Alder massif. Arriving by train and walking into a wilderness with no road behind you is one of the better experiences in British hillwalking.
From Loch Rannoch. From the Bridge of Gaur end, north through the Ben Alder Forest. Longest and least used.
Where to Camp
The Culra area. The traditional base, where the Allt a’ Chaoil-reidhe comes down from the Bealach Dubh. Flat, watered ground and direct access to Ben Alder, Aonach Beag and Beinn a’ Chlaidheimh’s neighbours. Exposed — there is little natural shelter at this altitude on open moor.
Loch Ossian. For a Corrour-based trip, the ground around Loch Ossian is more sheltered and considerably prettier, with the loch and some planting. There is a youth hostel at the east end. A reasonable first night before pushing on.
Bealach Dubh. The pass between Ben Alder and Aonach Beag. High, dramatic and completely exposed. Superb in settled weather, grim otherwise.
Loch a’ Bhealaich Bheithe. Beneath Ben Alder’s eastern flank, a good sheltered option with water and a fine outlook to the plateau.
Ben Alder plateau itself. A large, flat, high summit area at around 1,148m. Camping up here is possible and memorable, but it is genuinely arctic in character, holds snow late and has no shelter whatever. Only with the kit and experience to match.
The Bothy Situation — Check Before You Rely On It
This matters more here than almost anywhere, because the obvious plan depends on it.
Culra bothy has been closed since 2014 owing to asbestos in the building fabric. For decades it was the base for this group of hills, and a great deal of older guidebook and forum advice still assumes it is open. Check the Mountain Bothies Association’s current listing before building a trip around it, and in any case carry a tent.
Ben Alder Cottage (often called McCook’s, after a former stalker) sits on the south shore of Loch Ericht beneath the mountain. Remote, atmospheric, and the subject of a good deal of ghost-story folklore. Also unlocked, free and first-come.
The Bothy Code applies wherever you end up: never bookable, so always carry a tent; take all rubbish out; bring your own fuel; leave it cleaner than you found it; share cheerfully.
What Makes This Trip Serious
Distance from help. You are a long way from a road in every direction. Phone signal is absent across most of the area. Leave your route with someone.
Commitment. Once you have walked or ridden 14km in, walking out in bad weather is a half-day in itself. Build a spare day into the plan.
Weather on the plateau. Ben Alder’s summit area is high, flat and featureless — one of the easier places in Scotland to lose your bearings in cloud. Navigation practice, not just a GPS, is what gets you off it.
Winter conditions run long. Full winter kit and skills are routinely needed from October into May at this altitude.
Deer stalking runs roughly July to late October for stags. The access right continues, but the Code asks you to take reasonable account of it — check the Heading for the Scottish Hills service before an autumn high route.
Midges and ticks. Bad from late May to September, worst in still damp conditions near water. Ticks are abundant in the long grass and bracken lower down.
Responsibilities
- Toilet waste buried at least 30m from water, or carried out.
- No open fires. Peat smoulders underground for weeks.
- One or two nights, then move on.
- Everything out, food waste included.
- Small groups. The Code is written around a small tent.
FAQ
How do you get to Ben Alder? Three ways, all long. The standard route is a roughly 14km estate track from Dalwhinnie along Loch Ericht, which is excellent on a mountain bike. Alternatively take the West Highland Line to Corrour — the highest mainline station in Britain, with no public road — and walk about 12km past Loch Ossian. The southern approach from Bridge of Gaur on Loch Rannoch is the quietest.
Is Culra bothy open? It has been closed since 2014 because of asbestos in the building, and a lot of older advice still assumes otherwise. Check the Mountain Bothies Association’s current listing before planning around it. Ben Alder Cottage on Loch Ericht is the other shelter in the area. Either way, carry a tent — bothies are never bookable.
Do I need a permit to wild camp at Ben Alder? No. Scotland’s Land Reform Act 2003 makes responsible wild camping a statutory right, and there are no camping byelaws in this area. The permit scheme people ask about applies only to seasonal management zones in Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park, well to the south.
How long should I allow? Two nights minimum, three is more comfortable, and build in a spare day. The walk or ride in is a half-day at each end before you have climbed anything, and if the weather closes in on the plateau you want the option to sit it out rather than navigate off a featureless summit in cloud.
