8 Easy Munros Near Fort William

Britain's highest mountain at 1,344m. It's not a technical climb, the Mountain Track (originally built as a pony path to supply the summit observatory) is walked by around 120,000 people a year. But don't underestimate it. It's 9 miles and 1,300m of ascent, mostly on stone-built zigzags with no view of the exciting north face. The summit is in cloud more often than not, and even in summer it'll be two clothing layers colder at the top than the car park. Allow 7 hours. The real danger is navigation off the summit. The plateau is vast, featureless, and has sheer cliff drops on the north and east sides. People have walked off the edge in poor visibility, take a compass and know how to use it before you go. In winter, cornices overhang massive drops and the mountain requires ice axe and crampons. All that said, on a clear day the views from the top are extraordinary and the sense of achievement is real. The ruins of the old observatory sit on the summit, from 1883 to 1904, volunteers lived up here year-round recording weather. There's a shelter, a trig point, and usually a crowd.

Two Munros for the price of one, and they couldn't be more different. Stob Ban (999m), 'the white peak', is all craggy ridges and sparkling quartzite that catches the sun. Mullach nan Coirean (939m) next door is smooth and rounded. The contrast is brilliant. You start from Achriabhach just down Glen Nevis and climb into Coire a' Mhusagain, a proper hidden corrie with a small lochan tucked in. As you gain height, Stob Ban starts to tower above you, great scree ramparts and buttresses with that white summit glinting. On the descent you'll notice the rock changes from white quartz to red granite, which is a lovely geological quirk. Significantly quieter than Ben Nevis next door, and the views across to Glencoe and the Mamores are superb on a clear day. Around 14km and 1,200m of ascent, a proper day out but nothing technical. Pronounce it 'stop bahn' and 'moo-lahk nan corran'.

The 'Little Shepherd of Etive', Buachaille Etive Beag lives in the shadow of its famous big sibling across the road, but it's a cracking hill in its own right. Two Munros here: Stob Dubh (958m) and Stob Coire Raineach (725m), connected by a fine ridge. It's a powerful-looking mountain, especially from Glen Etive. The route climbs through the Lairig Eilde pass between the two peaks. Stob Coire Raineach is a fine little summit with big views across to Bidean nam Bian. Stob Dubh is the higher top and the views down Glen Etive from there are some of the best in Glencoe. Much quieter than Buachaille Etive Mor. A proper two-Munro day without any of the scrambling or exposure you'd get on the bigger hills nearby.

Carn Mor Dearg ('carn more jerrack', big red cairn) sits at 1,220m directly opposite Ben Nevis's North Face. The summit view across to the cliffs is probably the best mountain view in Britain, you're looking straight into the massive rock face with Tower Ridge, Observatory Gully, and the whole dramatic architecture right there. The two peaks share the same cirque but they're completely different mountains. It's a straightforward hike from the North Face car park at Torlundy, directly accessible from Highwinds. The terrain gets boggy after leaving the main track and the final pull is steep and pathless, but nothing technical. The far side of CMD has three fine ridges cut by steep corries, the East Ridge gives through access to Aonach Mor and Aonach Beag, and Pinnacle Ridge offers easy but exciting scrambling if you fancy something extra. If you're tempted by the CMD Arête continuing to Ben Nevis, that's a much bigger and more serious day, save it for when you've planned for it.

At 742m the Pap of Glencoe (Sgorr na Ciche) isn't a Munro or even a Corbett, it's classified as a Graham, but its distinctive conical shape makes it one of the most recognisable mountains in the Highlands. It sits at the western end of the Aonach Eagach ridge system above Glencoe village. The approach is boggy and eroded lower down but the path improves as you gain height, and the final section to the summit is an enjoyable rocky scramble. It's a relatively short day but steeper than you'd expect. The views from the top are well worth the effort, with the Mamores ridges, Beinn a' Bheithir above Loch Leven, and the Ardgour mountains all spread out in front of you. On a clear day you can see a long way. Consider stopping at the Clachaig Inn afterwards for food and a pint.

Two big mountains right next to Ben Nevis and both visible from the house. Aonach Mor at 1,221m and Aonach Beag at 1,234m are part of the same volcanic complex as Ben Nevis and Carn Mor Dearg. The names are a bit confusing because Mor means big and Beag means small, but Beag is actually 13m taller. The names refer to the bulk of each mountain rather than its height. You can skip a big chunk of the ascent by taking the gondola from Nevis Range up to 650m, which makes this much more manageable if you ascend from the Nevis Range rather than Glen Nevis. The summits are exposed though, with cliff edges on Aonach Beag's east side and a vast featureless plateau on Aonach Mor, so good navigation skills are essential in cloud. A good head for heights is needed too. About 2 miles northeast of Ben Nevis so you're looking right across at the North Face the whole way.