Fears for Ben Nevis as visitor numbers climb

Fears have been raised over the impact of rising numbers of people scaling Ben Nevis as figures show visitor numbers reached record levels last year.

A total of 160,000 people reached the 1,345 ms ummi to ft he UK’ s highest mountain in 2018.

The latest figures reveal a massive jump from 103,000 visitors just a decade earlier and almost double the numbers seen in 2007.

More than 1,000 climb - ers, ramblers and charity racers can be seen on the mountain on the busiest days, where they have been known to create long tailbacks on the main path.

Similar scenes have been witnessed on Snowdon, the highest mountain in Wales, which attracts three times as many visitors as B en Nevis – 600,000 people are expected this year.

It can be so busy that crowds of people are often seen queuing on path sand waiting patiently to take photos at the best vantage spots.

It’s thought the rise in visitor numbers is partly due to the landmarks becoming increasingly popular as a destination for fund-raising challenges.