Ben Nevis is in the Ben Nevis and Glen Coe National Scenic Area (NSA) and is in the north west Highlands of Scotland, near the town of Fort William and part of the Grampian Mountain range. The famous mountain attracts 125k walkers a year.
Taking inspiration from the unique history and geology of Ben Nevis, patterns will be created in the landscape at dusk with specially created low-impact Geolights, carried by participants called Lumenators.
If you’re interested in becoming a Lumenator you can hear from our Finale Director Mark Murphy here as he explains the creative vision behind the finale.
This event will form part of a series of extraordinary outdoor finale artworks that will be captured on camera for a short film, which will be broadcast to millions of people in a primetime BBC Countryfile special and available online on BBC iPlayer later this year. The short film will also be available later through Green Space Dark Skies’ own channels.
Below is some practical information to help you to make your decision to join us and book your place.
If you are part of or know a community group who would like to take part, please contact our Participation Coordinator, Derick Mackinnon at bennevis@greenspacedarkskies.uk.
Event information
How much time will I need to commit?
From arrival to departure, you will be at our Base Camp and on Ben Nevis for about ten hours from 12 noon to 10pm.
Will I be going to the summit?
The event location will be high up on the mountain. However, to ensure the safety of all participants, only a small team of trained climbers and mountaineers will be going to the summit of each mountain.
How will I get there and back?
To reduce carbon footprint and because there is limited parking, we will be running an extensive park and ride minibus scheme. Full details of this will be provided after you sign-up.
How fit do I need to be and how far do I have to climb?
A person with average fitness could take part. The total round-trip distance, including the walking you will do to make patterns for the film, is 10km or 6 ½ miles. About 720 metres of this is uphill though steady walking will get you there.
Filming takes place at dusk - does this mean we come down the mountain when it is dark?
Yes, the descent from the mountain will be well after the sun sets, so the descent will require the use of a headtorch. If you own one, bring it, but if not then we will lend you one. The mountain guides will ensure you don’t get lost on the way down.
Is it dangerous?
There will be a team of professional mountain guides to look after your safety and welfare. There are good paths for most of the ascent and descent. We’ll make sure you won’t get lost!
What kit and clothing will I need?
Filming takes place at dusk, as day turns to dark, so you will need warm clothing and plenty of layers. A waterproof jacket, waterproof trousers and waterproof shoes or boots with a good grip are all essential, and you’ll need a small rucksack too. You will be provided with a full list of what to bring and advice about what to wear after you have signed up.
Can I invite my family, friends, sports team, group or others?
Yes, you can book places for up to 10 people through the website. Children aged 14-18 can take part, though will need to be accompanied by an adult guardian and have previous experience of mountain walking. As the events are taking place at dusk and in mountainous terrain, the Finale events are not suitable for younger children.
If you have further queries, you can email us at info@greenspacedarkskies.uk
By signing up to take part, am I giving consent to be filmed?
The Finale will be featured in a BBC Countryfile special programme to be televised in Autumn 2022. The short film that Green Space Dark Skies is making about the Finale will be included within the Countryfile programme. By taking part in Finale film-shoots, you may appear on the Green Space Dark Skies film and/or in the BBC Countryfile programme.
By signing up to become a Lumenator in the Finale, you are providing consent to Green Space Dark Skies, led by Walk the Plank, as part of UNBOXED: Creativity in the UK and also to the BBC under the Copyright, Designs and Patent Act 1988. This allows the partners above to incorporate any recording, or part thereof, in which you appear in vision and/or sound into the Finale film(s), and with the right to use, and to licence others to use, any such recording in all media, and for marketing and communications purposes now or in the future. The Finale film will be filmed by CC-Lab.
Any other questions?
Check out the Finale FAQs here or email info@greenspacedarkskies.uk
Event accessibility
Many of the paths up Ben Nevis, even to lower levels, are not suitable for wheelchairs (including all-terrain ones). If you use a walking frame it is very unlikely you will be able to safely negotiate the paths which have some very large stone steps for many hundreds of vertical metres.
An ancient giant of the land, Ben Nevis was once a massive active volcano which exploded and collapsed inwards on itself millions of years ago. At the summit, there is evidence of an explosion in the form of light-coloured granite. The name itself has two translations from the ancient Gaelic language, meaning ‘mountain with its head in the clouds’, thanks to its iconic mist-shrouded peak, or it can also mean ‘venomous mountain’ (Visit Scotland).
This event will depend on the confirmation of landowner permissions, approval of event plans and local stakeholder engagement, and therefore event locations and dates may be subject to change.
More about this location
Event Film
This event has now happened. Check out the Finale film to see what we got up to.