Ben Ledi from the Pass of Leny

Ben Ledi is the mountain that dominates the skyline from Callander, and Walkhighlands calls it probably the most prominent summit in the Trossachs, its position on the edge of the Highlands giving it contrasting views north and south from the top. At 879m it is a Corbett rather than a Munro; Forestry and Land Scotland manages the land to the north-east of the ridge.

From the parking area over the bridge from the A84, the path climbs steeply through young woodland past a grove of trees planted to commemorate Callander men lost in the First World War, then continues up stone steps with views opening back over Loch Lubnaig and Callander toward the Wallace Monument and Stirling Castle on a clear day. Higher up the ridge broadens and grasses over, crossing a couple of false summits before the true, rockier top comes into view, marked by an iron cross erected as a memorial to Sergeant Harry Lawrie of Killin Mountain Rescue Team, killed on duty in 1987, a short distance from the summit cairn and trig point.

The easiest way down retraces the ascent, but the route described here descends instead via Stank Glen, a rougher path with boggy sections that demands more careful navigation around Lochan nan Corp before a clearer track leads down through forestry to the car park. The round is 10km with 770m of ascent and takes four to six hours by Walkhighlands’ count, and the parking area is often full in high season. Ben Ledi gives a walker a big hill close to Callander without a long drive, but it does not suit a short day or a careless descent, where Walkhighlands notes that walkers who miss both the bealach and Lochan nan Corp end up in difficulty on the crags of Creag na h-Iolaire. For a low-effort outing from the same town, Bracklinn Falls takes about an hour and a half on Walkhighlands’ figures and climbs very little.