Ben Hope
| Ben Hope | |
| Sutherland | |
|---|---|
 Ben Hope from the west shore of Loch Eriboll | |
| Summit: | 3,041 feet NC477502 |
Ben Hope is a mountain in Sutherland. It is the most northerly Munro, a mountain of over 3,000 feet, and it stands alone in the Flow Country, a region of bumpy, peat-covered moorland, south-east of Loch Hope.
The mountain is a roughly triangular wedge, with a great crag on the west, with two lower shoulders to the south and northeast. Alpine flowers are abundant in season, although the ground is very rocky.
The mountain's name is a mixture of Gaelic and Norse, meaning "Mountain of the Bay".
Ascent
The principal route to the summit starts in Strathmore, to the west of the mountain, where there is parking off a small road. The route lies along the Allt-na-caillich burn which flows down through a gap in the west-facing crags. The route is steep, but well-marked with occasional cairns and not exposed. There is little available scrambling.
Approach from the east is rare, as there is a wide expanse of heather-covered moorland with no roads in that direction. Approach from the north is not possible for walkers, as there is no path between the crags.
On a clear day the view from the summit includes the Pentland Firth, Loch Eriboll and the nearby mountains of Arkle and Foinaven. The islands of Orkney are visible on a clear day.
Just south of the Allt-na-caillich burn on the Strathmore road is the Dùn Dornaigil Broch.
