Ben Hee

Ben Hee as mist forms and high frontal clouds move in from the west - 2, Northern Sutherland

Ben Hee is a big mass of a Corbett with several ridges and corries radiating from its central 873 metre highest peak. It lies at the southern end of the Reay Forest group of hills in Northern Sutherland. It is most easily accessed from West Merkland, on the A838 road north of Lairg and Loch Shin where a track heads north east from the road up to the Bealach nam Meirleach and on over to Gobernuisgach Lodge in Strath More and the Hope to Altnaharra road at Allnabad. The mountain can therefore also be readily approached via this track from the east – made much easier by bike. The mountain occupies a grand position at the south end of Strath More when viewed from Ben Hope to the north.

Accommodation can be booked in the Durness, Tongue or Lairg areas, any of which are ideal locations for exploring the area.

Read on to see and find out more about this fine hill or jump straight to one of the options below:

  • Brocken Spectre, Glory and Fog Bow on the North Ridge of Ben Hee, Northern Sutherland

Gallery of all Ben Hee images

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Interactive map of Ben Hee

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Ben Hee
Ben Hee from the north east ridge of Beinn Direach, Northern Sutherland
Ben Hee from the north east ridge of Beinn Direach
Ben Hee from the Gobernuisgach Lodge to West Merkland Track, Northern Sutherland
Ben Hee from the Gobernuisgach Lodge to West Merkland Track
Ben Hee as mist forms and high frontal clouds move in from the west - 2, Northern Sutherland
Ben Hee as mist forms and high frontal clouds move in from the west
The North East Top of Ben Hee, Northern Sutherland
The North East Top of Ben Hee
Table of Ben Hee summit details
DoBIHIDMountainHeightClassificationImage 1Image 2Image 3
1126Ben Hee873m/2864ftCorbettContext ImageDetail ImageSummit Image
3283Ben Hee North Top851m/2792ftSimmContext ImageDetail ImageSummit Image

Adapted from The Database of British and Irish Hills (DoBIH) under CC BY 4.0

Explore Ben Hee with the interactive map of the mountain, photos and indicative routes below. Click on a feature to see photos and more information; see a legend by toggling the side panel and switch layers on and off. View a larger map here. Please let me know what you think!

Interactive map of Ben Hee including the Corbett summit and photos
View larger map

Important note: Routes on this map are provided as an indication only in good faith. They are approximate and indicative and should not be relied on for navigation or as a guarantee that any specific person will be capable of completing them. Read more

Climbing Ben Hee from West Merkland

Start up the track on the east side of the Allt nan Albannach river from West Merkland. After about 1.5 kilometres a path branches off east into Ben Hee’s Coir’ a’ Chruiteir. The path climbs quite far into the corrie before petering out in its upper reaches. Here the ground is not too steep and the broad rounded ridge south of Ben Hee’s summit can easily be gained. Rocky ground leads to the summit, named as Sithean Liath nam Peithirean on the OS 1:25k map – which has grand views all round.

The same route makes the quickest and most straight forward descent, alternatively, stay high for longer and follow the south west ridge to Meallan Liath Mor before descending in a north westerly direction towards the access track over some steeper, rough, pathless ground. The west ridge to Sail Gharbh can also be followed, again to a steep, rough, pathless descent off the hill.

West Merkland and the A838 Lairg to Laxford Bridge Road, Northern Sutherland
West Merkland and the A838 Lairg to Laxford Bridge Road
West Merkland and the Allt nan Albannach Stream, Northern Sutherland
West Merkland and the Allt nan Albannach Stream
Meall a' Chleirich from the Track Above West Merkland, Northern Sutherland
Meall a’ Chleirich from the Track Above West Merkland
A Stunning November Afternoon on the Summit of Ben Hee, Northern Sutherland
A Stunning November Afternoon on the Summit of Ben Hee

Ascent from the Bealach nam Meirleach

An alternative ascent or descent line that might be preferable from the north eastern Strath More/Gobernuisgach approach takes a moorland path along the thin strip of ground between Loch an t-Seilg and Loch an Aslaird midway along the wide Bealach nam Meirleach. The path doesn’t go far up the northern slopes of the mountain but the ground isn’t too bad, the Allt Gharbh-choire Bhig waterfalls scenic, and the Garbh-choire Beag (small rough corrie) can be quite quickly gained. From here the north ridge of Ben Hee leads easily but roughly to the summit.

A Panoramic View of Ben Hee and Bealach nam Meirleach, Northern Sutherland
A Panoramic View of Ben Hee and Bealach nam Meirleach
Stepping stones between Loch an t-Seilg and Loch an Aslaird, Northern Sutherland
Stepping stones between Loch an t-Seilg and Loch an Aslaird
Waterfall on the Allt a' Garbh-choire Bhig - Ben Hee, Northern Sutherland
Waterfall on the Allt a’ Garbh-choire Bhig – Ben Hee
Fine Mist - North Ridge of Ben Hee, Northern Sutherland
Fine Mist – North Ridge of Ben Hee
Brocken Spectre, Glory and Fog Bow on the North Ridge of Ben Hee, Northern Sutherland
Brocken Spectre, Glory and Fog Bow on the North Ridge of Ben Hee
Brocken Spectre and Glory on the North Ridge of Ben Hee, Northern Sutherland
Brocken Spectre and Glory on the North Ridge of Ben Hee
Afternoon Light on the North Ridge of Ben Hee, Northern Sutherland
Afternoon Light on the North Ridge of Ben Hee
Enjoying a Different World - Summit of Ben Hee, Northern Sutherland
Enjoying a Different World – Summit of Ben Hee
Ben More Assynt, Conival and Na Tuadhan Alone Above the Clouds from Ben Hee, Northern Sutherland
Ben More Assynt, Conival and Na Tuadhan Alone Above the Clouds from Ben Hee
Descending into November afternoon gloom - a panorama of Bealach nam Meirleach, Northern Sutherland
Descending into November afternoon gloom – a panorama of Bealach nam Meirleach

Ben Hee’s north east top (point 851m)

Ben Hee’s north east top is about 1.5 kilometres from the main summit and can be reached by following the ridge in a northerly and then north easterly direction from the summit around the rim of the easterly An Gorm-choire. It can also be ascended or descended via its north north east ridge. This can be accessed by a long, boggy moorland path from the brilliantly named Chicken Dhu Plantation, on the Hope to Altnaharra road, a couple of kilometres north west of Mudale. One very damp day I had a masochistic walk this way ascending Ben Hee via An Gorm-choire, traversing the north east top, descending north then east to re-join the path out. Unfortunately damp got inside my camera lens and the photos were unusable.

The North East Top of Ben Hee, Northern Sutherland
The North East Top of Ben Hee
Above the Clouds - Ben Hee, Northern Sutherland
Above the Clouds – the ridge to Ben Hee’s north east top
A Panorama from Ben Hee Over An Gorm-choire, Northern Sutherland
A Panorama from Ben Hee Over An Gorm-choire

View a single gallery of all Ben Hee images

Discover and explore more through the articles and links below.

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