Scotland is the destination in the UK for mountains. It's just on another level to England, Wales and Northern Ireland, with vast expanses of wild, remote and rugged mountainous terrain seen nowhere else in this parts of the world.
Put it this way: there are 282 peaks over 3,000ft (914m) high in Scotland, but only eight in England, and while Scotland boasts 137 mountains over the magical 1,000m (3,281ft) mark, Wales is home to just five.
Or, in other words, when it comes to mountains, Scotland is in the Premier League, while England and Wales are floundering in the lower leagues.
Known as the Munros, Scotland’s famed 282 mountains over 914m high are mostly located in the north and west of the country, as well as in the iconic Cairngorms National Park to the north-east.
Some of these peaks are much-celebrated mountains which attract big visitor numbers, such as Buachaille Etive Mor in Glen Coe, Blaven on the Isle of Skye, Ben Lomond on the shores of Loch Lomond and Beinn Narnain in the Arrochar Alps.
Others are remote, farflung, bog-fest hills in the middle of nowhere, with very few visitors other than the most hardened of Munro-baggers.
But which is the highest mountain in Scotland and what are the top 10 tallest peaks in Scotland? Here’s everything you need to know.
What is the highest mountain in Scotland?
The highest mountain in Scotland is Ben Nevis, the mightiest peak in the sprawling Grampian mountain range. It can found in the Lochaber region of the north-west Scottish Highlands, about 5km to the south-east of the town of Fort William.
Rising to 1,345m (4,413ft) above sea level, Ben Nevis is the tallest mountain in Scotland – and the tallest mountain in the whole of the UK. Ben Nevis is significantly higher than both Snowdon/Yr Wyddfa (1,085m), the tallest mountain in Wales, and Scafell Pike (978m), the tallest mountain in England.
There are nine mountains over 4,000ft (1,219m) high in Scotland, but Ben Nevis is the tallest of them all. It's 36m taller than Ben Macdui, the second highest mountain in Scotland, and 49m higher than Braeriach, which is third on the list.
Our list of the top 10 highest mountains in Scotland is published in full below, including descriptions of each peak and, in most cases, links to guides on how to climb them.
How to climb the tallest mountain in Scotland
Ben Nevis (or simply just ‘The Ben’) is an iconic mountain and reaching its 1,345m summit is a bucket-list item for almost every hiking enthusiast.
It’s easy to see why. Standing atop the roof of Scotland, and the highest point in the UK, is not only an epic achievement, but the escapism, adventure and ruggedness of the Nevis range are sure to get your adrenaline flowing.
The views from the summit are spectacular and, being a busy mountain, there’s often a good sense of camaraderie and friendship on Ben Nevis’s trails. But what is the best route up the highest mountain in Scotland?
There are three main route options, with varying degrees of difficulty, if you’re interested in climbing Ben Nevis, the Tourist Track, the CMD Arete and the Ledge Route are likely to be your main options. Here’s a brief summary of each of these routes.
The Tourist Track
Sometimes also known as the Mountain Path, Mountain Track or Pony Track, this multiple-named route is the easiest and most popular way up Ben Nevis.
The paths are well-maintained and well-trodden, navigation is relatively simple, there’s no technical terrain and you’ll be surrounding by hundreds of fellow hikers ticking off ‘The Ben’.
But don’t get the wrong impression. This isn’t a walk in the park. The going is tough, with over a vertical kilometre to ascend over rocky ground, so good fitness is still required.
Read our full Ben Nevis Tourist Track route guide for more.
The CMD Arete
Widely regarded as one of the finest mountain routes in the UK, tackling Ben Nevis via the Càrn Mòr Dearg (CMD) arête offers an exhilarating ridge walk with breathtaking rock formations.
The arete, a dramatic and curving rocky spine with sheer drops on either side, is classified as a grade one scramble.
Read our full Ben Nevis CMD Arete route guide for step-by-step instructions.
The Ledge Route
Ben Nevis’s imposing north face, with its fractured cliffs and towering crags, is often reserved for skilled climbers. However, adventurous scramblers can venture into this rugged terrain by taking on the renowned Ledge Route.
This clever path weaves its way up the formidable buttress through a network of zig-zagging ledges, offering a thrilling ascent. As a grade one scramble, the Ledge Route presents a greater challenge than the CMD arête, demanding both confidence and careful navigation.
Fancy taking on this route? Read our Ben Nevis Ledge Route guide here, including digital maps, directions, difficult ratings and starting points.
The 10 highest mountains in Scotland
In 1891, Sir Hugh Munro – the 4th Baronet – compiled a list of mountains in Scotland with a height over 3,000ft (914m). More than a century later, his list remains the bible of Scottish hillwalking and the definitive authority on the peaks of Scotland.
A Munro is defined as a mountain in Scotland over 3,000ft (914m) high, which is also on the official list of Munros managed by the Scottish Mountaineering Club (SMC). There are 282 Munros and ticking off all of them is the UK’s best-known and most-respected peak-bagging challenge.
Sir Hugh’s original list has been subject to variations over time. For example, due to technological advancements in measuring the heights of mountains, Beinn a' Chlaidheimh was demoted from Munro status in 2012. There have been no changes since then, however, and the official list remains at 282 Munros.
Interestingly, there is no explicit topographical prominence requirement for Munros – a measure of how much a mountain's summit stands out relative to other peaks.
But the Scottish Mountaineering Club maintains both a list of mountains with full Munro status, as well as a list of ‘Munro Tops’ – a Scottish summit over 914m tall, but that is considered a subsidiary top of a nearby full Munro. There are 227 ‘Munro Tops’.
In our list of the top 10 highest mountains in Scotland, we are focusing on the main Munro list and excluding ‘Munro Tops’. From mighty Ben Nevis to Ben Macdui, the king of the Cairngorms, here is our summary of the tallest peaks in Scotland.
1. Ben Nevis, Nevis Range
Height: 1,345m
Ben Nevis is the overlord of Scotland’s sprawling mountain ranges. It's the king, the chieftain, the big daddy – all courtesy of its superior 1,345m height, which is taller than all other contenders.
It's the highest peak in Scotland and the tallest peak in the UK. Known affectionately as just ‘The Ben’, climbing to its summit is a must-do adventure, with over 130,000 people visiting each year.
Here's our pick of the best routes up Ben Nevis.
2. Ben Macdui, Cairngorms – 1,309m
Height: 1,309m
Always the bridesmaid, never the bride, Ben Macdui is destined to forever be number two, a perennial silver medallist in the height stakes behind mighty Ben Nevis.
It is, however, the tallest peak in the Cairngorms National Park, dominating the high plateau with its vast, windswept summit. It's a hulk of a mountain: burly, remorseless and violently inhospitable in the height of winter.
Read our Ben Macdui route guide for step-by-step instructions.
3. Braeriach, Cairngorms
Height: 1,296m
The bronze medallist is Braeriach, the third-highest mountain in Scotland and the UK. It's a monumental, sprawling peak with dramatic corries and snowfields that almost linger year-round.
Hard-won from any direction, Braeriach is always a long, committing hike. So why not make a weekend of it, bagging multiple Munros on the plateau before sleeping at Corrour bothy?
Find a way to the top with a route guide that's found in our Trail 100 mountain bucket list.
4. Cairn Toul, Cairngorms
Height: 1,291m
It might be the fourth highest peak in Scotland, but Cairn Toul is rarely the sole objective of a peak-bagger. Instead, the best way to experience this remote, rugged mountain is as part of long, multi-summit mission.
Positively the finest option is to take in the legendary mountain pass of Lairig Ghru, before climbing west at Corrour Bothy to bag a quartet of vigorous peaks: The Devil's Point, Cairn Toul, Sgòr an Lochain Uaine and the mighty Braeriach.
Find the full, mapped route in our list of the best walks from Aviemore.
5. Sgòr an Lochain Uaine, Cairngorms
Height: 1,258m
Located just a short distance from nearby Cairn Toul, Sgòr an Lochain Uaine – which is also known as the Angel’s Peak – is a striking, beautiful mountain located deep within the Cairngorms high plateau.
As above, it is commonly climbed as part of a classic four-peak loop, starting with the Lairig Ghru and ticking off The Devil's Point (1,004m), Cairn Toul, Sgòr an Lochain Uaine and Braeriach.
6. Cairn Gorm, Cairngorms
Height: 1,245m
It might be the smallest of the five Cairngorms National Park mountains in Scotland’s top 10, but it’s actually the peak that gives the national park its name.
It's often synonymous with the ski resort on its lower slopes, but Cairn Gorm also has loads to offer to hillwalkers, from expansive views and dramatic terrain to superb accessibility and good paths.
Find one of our favourite ways up Cairn Gorm here.
7. Aonach Beag, Nevis Range
Height: 1,234m
If you want to climb a very high mountain and you’re staying in or near Fort William, but want to escape the touristy crowds of Ben Nevis, then Aonach Beag and Aonach Mòr are the answer.
These twin Munros, located a short distance to the east and north-east of Ben Nevis, offer superlative hillwalking terrain, with a quieter, more remote feel to their more famed neighbour.
8. Aonach Mòr, Nevis Range
Height: 1,221m
Forever bonded to its brother Aonach Beag, Aonach Mòr is one half of a duo: two majestic but often-overlooked Munros in the Nevis Range that are muscular, hard-won and rough-hewn.
Confusingly Aonach Beag (which means Little Ridge in Gaelic) is actually 13m higher than Aonach Mòr (Big Ridge), but it doesn’t really matter which is higher. They're almost always climbed as a pair.
9. Càrn Mòr Dearg, Nevis Range – 1,220m
Very few hillwalkers will think of Càrn Mòr Dearg as a mountain in its own right. Instead it’s far more synonymous with its much-loved, famed ridge – the CMD arête – which is a nerve-jangling, adrenaline-inducing way to the top of Ben Nevis, Scotland’s highest peak.
The arete itself is a curved, knife-edge, rocky spine with precipitous drops on both sides, boasting a grade one scrambling rating. But at the northern end of this ridge is a 1,220m summit, which is officially the ninth tallest mountain in Scotland.
10. Ben Lawers, Loch Tay
Height: 1,214m
Rising as the highest peak in a vast massif to the north of Loch Tay, Ben Lawers is a well-loved destination – and for good reason. Its renowned alpine flora, breathtaking panoramic views, a high-altitude car park at nearly 500m, and the opportunity for an epic multi-Munro ridge walk make it a standout attraction.
Remember, bigger doesn't always mean better... See our list of the best walks in the Scottish Highlands to find some of our favourite routes.
About the author
James Forrest is one of the UK's most experienced and knowledgeable outdoor writers. As well as being one of our primary freelance writers on LFTO and Trail Magazine, he's known for climbing all 1,001 mountains across the UK and Ireland in the fastest known time.