Ben Alder
The long walk in to Ben Alder is oh-so worth it, especially if you pick up the adjacent Munros too
Ben Alder is one of the most remote Munros. It requires an initial walk or bike ride on an off-road track of some nine miles from Dalwhinnie to Culra Bothy. It should be noted that the Mountain Bothies Association website says the lovely Culra Bothy is currently closed indefinitely due to asbestos. There is another bothy, Ben Alder Cottage, further south of the Munro.
Conveniently, the village of Dalwhinnie has a station on the Perth and Inverness train line. It takes a little more than an hour to reach from Perth. You can reserve a place for free carriage of your bike on the train.
The earliest northbound train reaches Dalwhinnie at 6.09am. The last return train is at 9.36pm. It will depend on your fitness and aspirations as to whether you want to attempt Ben Alder in one day. Many sensibly opt to wild camp overnight and return the following day.
In fact, many people choose to stay for a couple of nights. There are more of Munros in the Ben Alder forest area, and it makes sense to bag them all in one go. There are as many as 15 other Munros within reasonable distance of Dalwhinnie, depending on how far you are willing to walk or cycle in!
Munro baggers are never disappointed by the impressive central Highlands landscape of mountain peaks and ridges, pretty high-level lochans and fast flowing streams.
