Ben Nevis Estate, Lochaber

For 25 years, the John Muir Trust has cared for land at the Ben Nevis estate - home to an extraordinary range of habitats, from exposed mountain crags to ancient woodland and carbon-rich blanket bogs. It supports one of the UK’s richest and rarest collections of wildlife.

Among the areas we protect is the beautiful Steall Gorge - a densely wooded wild place that contains the remnants of ancient Caledonian pine forest, of which only 2% remains today. We care for and maintain the main path from corner 1 to the summit of Ben Nevis, a route used by over 250,000 visitors each year.

Nevis offers a unique opportunity for your organisation to safeguard these rare habitats, ancient woodland, and threatened wildlife. But as a popular destination for walkers and adventurers, the landscape faces immense pressure - pressure we work hard to reduce.

Your organisation can help protect this precious wild place by volunteering. You’ll be able to follow its progress for years to come - and return to see the difference you and your team have made.

What activities are available to us? 

Peatland maintenance

Peatland is a key piece of land that stores and sequesters carbon, which needs to be repaired and maintained  to prevent that carbon from being released into the atmosphere. Your organisation can directly impact carbon sequestration positively by working with us to restore and maintain peatlands. This activity will include repairing wooden dams and maintaining coir bundles that may also need to be relocated. It takes place in a remote location and will involve walking 10km on low-level but rough, uneven ground whilst carrying some tools such as spades and hammers.

• Level of difficulty: High

Litter picking – Steall path

Steall is one of the UK’s most popular walking routes – and with good reason! Weaving through one of the last remaining areas of temperate rainforest, with cascading waterfalls on one side and a steep gorge to the other. The path is as wild as it gets; rocky, uneven and sometimes goes across mountain streams. Volunteers should be comfortable walking on uneven ground, carrying small to medium sized bags of rubbish for up to 2 km. Unfortunately, a lot of litter is dropped and campsites abandoned so these are the areas we will be focusing on.

We will be sure to count the bags of litter collected for you to use in your own reporting.

• Level of difficulty: Medium

Litter Picking - Ben Nevis Path

Fancy bagging a Munroe while you carrying some conservation volunteering? With over 2500,000 visitors each year, the path to the top of Ben Nevis often accumulates rubbish that needs to be removed to protect the lives of the rare species of birds, mammals, reptiles and insects, as well as the plant life. Climb 16 km to a height of 1352m for breathtaking views of the highlands.

Volunteers should be prepared for a full day on the hill and be comfortable walking and carrying bags of litter in mountainous terrain.

We will be sure to count the bags of litter collected for you to use in your own reporting.

• Level of difficulty: High

Path maintenance on Ben Nevis path

Fancy bagging a Munroe while you carrying some conservation volunteering? With over 250,000 visitors each year, the path to the top of Ben Nevis often erodes and requires maintenance and repairs to ensure the safety and access to the top of Ben Nevis. This involves removing larger stones and boulders that have rolled onto the mountain path, and clear stone and silt from cross drains and other sections of the path. Volunteers should be prepared for a full day in mountainous terrain walking up to 16 km distance with over 1000m of height gain carrying and using tools such as spades and mattocks.

• Level of difficulty: High

Path maintenance in Steall Gorge

Steall is one of the UK’s most popular walking routes – and with good reason! Weaving through one of the last remaining areas of temperate rainforest, with cascading waterfalls on one side and a steep gorge to the other. The path is as wild as it gets; rocky, uneven and sometimes goes across mountain streams. Volunteers should be comfortable walking on uneven ground, and the work involves clearing stone and silt from cross drains and repairing areas of wear and tear along the footpath where people deviate from the footpath.

• Level of difficulty: Medium

River monitoring (April-October)

Your organisation can support our Guardians of Our Rivers Project – which aims to monitor the health of our rivers in Nevis. Your organisation will take part in surveying and identifying target invertebrate groups, spot signs of pollution, and record vital data. We’ll survey different locations along the beautiful River Nevis. We’ll provide you with a simple methodology to identify the invertebrates on the river edge or gathering the samples themselves. This volunteering opportunity is likely to be a half day.

• Level of difficulty: Low or Medium depending on location

What do I need to prepare?

We’ll provide everything you need, including a full kit lists so you know what to bring, logistical details, risk assessments, and a tailored plan for your visit.

Transport

• Please consider carpooling where possible to reduce carbon emissions.
• Parking is plentiful - please be aware there are charges for parking.