Ben Wyvis (Scottish Gaelic: Beinn Uais)[2] is a mountain in Easter Ross, in the northern Highlands of Scotland.
Ben Wyvis is a large winding and undulating ridge running roughly north–south for about 5 km, the highest point of which is Glas Leathad Mòr at 1,046 metres (3,432 ft).
[10] Ben Wyvis is a large winding and undulating ridge running roughly north–south for about 5 km, the highest point of which is called Glas Leathad Mòr ("the great green slope") at 1,046 metres (3,432 ft) above sea level.
Loch Glass lies to the northeast, whilst the land to the northwest is mountainous and largely uninhabited, and crossed by no roads until the A837, some 30 km to the north.
[11] Ben Wyvis is primarily composed of Moine schist, which was formed as sediment around 1,000 to 870 million years ago during a period when the landmass that is now Scotland was covered by shallow seas.
[14] The Battle of Bealach nam Broig was fought between rival clans near the pass that separates Ben Wyvis from the lower summit of Carn Mòr, which lies to the northwest.
The sites of buildings (including iron workings) found along the Allt á Bhealaich Mhòir are also thought to date from this period.
[23] The summit ridge of Ben Wyvis is carpeted moss-heath, forming one of the longest single tracts of this habitat anywhere in Britain.
[24] The summit plateau is dominated by the woolly hair-moss Racomitrium lanuginosum, whilst little shaggy moss Rhytidiadelphus loreus is found in areas that experience regular snow cover due to drifting.
[7] Ben Wyvis is usually climbed from the west, starting just south of Garbat on the A835 road, where there is a car park maintained by Forestry and Land Scotland.
[10][29] The popularity of Ben Wyvis with visitors, coupled with the fact that moss-heath is much more susceptible to damage than grass or heather, has led to significant erosion on the main ascent route.
Since 2011 NatureScot have been undertaking restoration work; on slopes leading to the summit plateau this has involved the use of traditional path-building techniques.
On the summit plateau, however, NatureScot have trialled an alternative method, encouraging the use of a single route to allow bare areas to recover by removing loose stones and transplanting small sections of vegetation.