Scotland
Ben Venue East Top
728M
2389FT
About Ben Venue East Top
Often overshadowed by its slightly higher western sibling, this craggy summit in the Trossachs offers a rugged alternative to the main peak. Rising above the forestry of Loch Achray, the terrain is a classic mix of heather and schist, providing a specific vantage point over the steamer-traversed waters of Loch Katrine.
Key Statistics
Rank
122nd Highest in Region
Parent Range
Loch Lomond and the Trossachs
Prominence
?
35.7m
Nearest Town
Stirling
Geology
You are walking across ancient, hardened sandstone. These layers are pierced by veins of volcanic rock, which together form the mountain’s rugged foundation.
Find It
OS Grid Reference
NN477061
Latitude
56.2230°N
Longitude
4.4579°W
Did You Know?
- •The name Ben Venue is derived from the Scottish Gaelic 'A' Bheinn Mheadhoin', meaning 'the middle mountain', referring to its central position between the heights of the southern Highlands and the Lowlands.
- •While most walkers focus on the 729m West Top, the East Top offers the superior perspective for looking directly down the length of Loch Katrine toward the distant peaks of the Arrochar Alps.
- •The summit sits within the Great Trossachs Forest, one of the UK’s largest woodland restoration projects, which aims to return the slopes to their natural state of oak, birch, and rowan.
- •To the east, the view is dominated by the massive profile of Ben Ledi and the sharp, rocky prow of Ben A'an, which appears surprisingly diminutive from this 728-metre vantage point.
- •It is a peculiar Scottish tradition for walkers to reach the higher West Top, look across the short saddle at this summit—just 90 centimetres lower—and decide that the extra five-minute stroll is a bridge too far.