A three-day trip north to Suthlerland included a walk up Corbett ben Hee from West Merkland. The route is relatively easy to find, especially on a good day, and is a mostly gentle hike.
My friend Ben and I had already hiked a few other Corbetts in the area so we were looking for a quieter day. We also enjoyed a beautiful sun.
Ben Hee Walk
We parked in a large deck area in West Merkland and then walked a little over 1km to reach a track heading north. After about 1.5 km on this wide, flat track, the route to Ben Hee climbs up a beautiful gorge. You will see a small cairn next to the track indicating the path.
From here, there is a narrow path that follows the edge of a fire to a beautiful promenade. The creek is very pretty and there are several lovely waterfalls that cascade into the pools. Looking over our shoulders, we could see the silhouette of Ben Stack behind us.
Higher up, the route climbs up the open side of the mountain and the path goes back and forth. There are some small cairns that show the way, but in bad weather you will have to navigate with a map and compass.
The general route is to head up and east and towards a beach east of the Drochaid Coire nam Mang ridge. This is the steepest section of the hike, but still not arduous if you take your time.
The final hike to the summit at 873m is north on a gently ascending grassy slope. At higher elevations, the grass is covered with large rocks and boulders.
There is a trig pillar and wind shelter at the top and the views are fantastic, from Ben Hope, the northernmost Munro, as well as Quinag’s trio of Corbetts.
Ben and I sat for a while enjoying the sun and views before heading back via a similar route to the van. We enjoyed a great view of ben stack for most of the way back.
Ben Hee is an excellent half day walk from Corbett.
Details of the Ben Hee route:
Distance: 13.5km
total ascent: 804m
Bagged Corbetts: 121
