Ben Chonzie is widely regarded as the “easiest” Munro hike. And of the 40-something I’ve done so far, I would have to agree with that sentiment (though I have a long way to go yet).
However, let’s just touch on “easy munros” as a concept for a moment.
So many things come into play with mountain hiking of any type of complexity:
- Your fitness
- Your footwear/clothing
- The conditions
The latter there is absolutely phenomenally important. I hiked up Ben Chonzie on a sunny, clear day (cloudy early but visibility was ok). It had been dry for almost 2 weeks prior so the ground was dry.
In winter or even in Spring/Summer low visibility conditions, it would be a totally different undertaking regardless of which mountain it is.
So I am always a little loathe to talk about “easy” Munro or mountain hikes at all.
But what was incredibly straightforward about this one was the navigation. You’ll still need a reasonable level of fitness – there’s a decent up hill hike here. Anyway, let’s get into the details.
Ben Chonzie Hike in Summary
| Hike date | 9th April 2025 |
| Weather conditions | A tad cloudy early on, sunny soon after though |
| Distance hiked | 13.02km |
| Total time | 3 hours 49 minutes |
| Time moving | 3 hours 22 minutes |
| Elevation Gain Total | 746m |
| Terrain | Gravel paths most of the way followed by slightly muddier grassy paths up top |
Ben Chonzie Hiking Route
I followed this route for my Ben Chonzie hike:
In reality, in high visibility conditions, you could follow this without a map (digital or otherwise) but as ever, ensure you have a map on you just in case!
The route up Ben Chonzie is rather well shown in my short Tiktok here:
@staceyhikes A solo hike up Ben Chonzie. I have not been particularly excited to buy this Munro. I’ve heard it is relatively boring and given the amount of gravel tracks and (which probably looks lovely all purple in the late summer) I found this one quite a dull hike on the way up. However, dramatic clouds on the summit more than made up for it and I had a much greater appreciation of the views when hiking back down largely because I was walking towards Forest and Hills and could see them all under blue sky this time. on the hall though, I did find this one a little laborious. However, it is in the bag and I’m planning a hike for tomorrow that I’ve very much been looking forward to. ##hiketok##HikingUK##ScotlandHiking##GetOutside##AdventureTime##SoloHiker##SoloHiking##MunroBagging##walkitoff ♬ Heartbeats – Jose Gonzalez
In short though:
1. Ben Chonzie Parking
There’s a small lay-by type car park near the route start. It’s not huge though, so on busy days (like sunny weekends or school holidays) it’s worth getting there early.
2. Past the Houses and onto the Gravel Tracks
From the parking area, you’ll follow the path past some houses and through a gate and then you’ll be right on the gravel tracks which will take you most of the way to the Ben Chonzie summit.
You’ll pass a dam and walk alongside a little stream for part of it, but essentially there’s very little of interest here other than the gravel tracks and brown heather. Perhaps in late July and August when the heather is purple it would make for a more scenically interesting hike. But I found this really quite dull, in truth.
3. On the Gravel Tracks Until a Turn off to Your Left
Eventually you will turn off the gravel track to your left and start ascending steeply up the hillside. This can be boggy under foot. It had been dry for well over a week before I hiked and sunny too many days (though my photos highlight the fact I appeared to have found the only cloudy summit in the area to walk that day – fail!). Still it was boggy in parts.
4. Ascend and Follow the Path Right to the Summit
This is where it got more interesting for me. For a start, I got above the cloud that had added to the dullness of the day and started to see some inversions.
From here, it was a fairly pleasant and very gentle walk to the summit marker.
5. Hit the Ben Chonzie Summit and Go Back the Way You Came
This is an out and back. It was a quick summit selfie, a little snack and back down the way I came for me.
The Route Back
I have to admit though that I actually enjoyed the scenery more on the way back. The sun had found its way out but also, walking back towards woodland and other hills made for a much more interesting view:
Would I Hike Ben Chonzie again?
No. I very much doubt I’ll do this one again unless one of my children decides they want to do it.
Not my favourite at all. So let’s wrap up with some of the common questions…
Yes, in my view. This is always going to depend on the child though. It’s a long walk for little legs but very manageable and the navigation is simple with no scrambling required.
Yes. If your dog is able to walk a reasonable distance there’s no reason why they wouldn’t be able to complete this one in decent conditions. There’s no scrambling and the path is straightforward terrain.
I was 3 hours and 49 minutes car back to car. I was moving for 3 hours and 22 minutes. It will depend on fitness and conditions (and if you’re like me, on how many times you stop to take photos and generally faff).
