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Ben Lui () is a mountain in the southern Highlands of Scotland. It is a Munro with a height of . Ben Lui is in northeast Argyll and is the highest peak of a mountain chain that includes three other Munros. It has five well-defined radiating out from the summit. Four Cirque lie between the ridges, including Coirre Gaothaich on the northeast side of the mountain.
Ben Lui stands on the main watershed of Scotland, and is a 'nodal peak',Jarman and Harrison, Geomorphology 2019, Rock slope failure in the British mountains, Fig. 11 with its waters draining east to the Tay and North Sea, south to Loch Lomond and the Firth of Clyde, and west to the Lochy and Atlantic. It also appears to stand at the head of Glen Fyne, but waters which may once have flowed south-west to it are now captured east with a 50-metre-wide separating bar only a few metres high. Secondary divides which radiated north-east and east before glaciers cut across them have higher peaks along them – Ben Lawers, Ben More – which are subordinate in status.Jarman and Harrison, Geomorphology 2019, Rock slope failure in the British mountains, Fig. 11
A lochan on the slopes of Ben Lui has been identified as the source of Scotland's longest river, the River Tay.
The Ben Lui range of peaks was formerly a National Nature Reserve. The cliffs and rocky outcrops are particularly moist, with lower than normal levels of in the soil. This leads to an unusually lush growth of mountain plants, with , and being especially evident.
An approach from the east allows for appreciation of the mountain's most celebrated feature, the rocky circular bowl of Coire Gaothaich. One may either start from Tyndrum Lower station or Dalrigh in Strath Fillan; tracks from both starting points merge, and follow Glen Cononish (notable for its goldmine) to the foot of Ben Lui. From here the route follows the northern ridge of the mountain, Stob Garbh, to the summit, the distance being about 9 km. This route is particularly treacherous in winter, even as late as April, when the final third of the ascent is often extremely icy. Furthermore, it can be extremely difficult to navigate through the crags around the upper rim of the Coire Gaothaich in poor visibility.
By descending via the south east ridge the walker may elect to include Ben Oss (and possibly Beinn Dubhcraig) in the route before returning to the start. If transport can be arranged, a reasonably fit hillwalking can traverse all four Munros of the Ben Lui group in a day.
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