Ultra Trail UK

Self-navigated running, UK

Ramsay Round

Written by Catriona Adams. Published 10 August 2026

The Ramsay Round is a 58-mile circuit of 24 Scottish summits near Fort William — including Ben Nevis, Britain's highest peak — with roughly 8,700m of climbing, traditionally aimed at 24 hours. Devised by Charlie Ramsay as an extension of the older Tranter's Round, he first completed it himself on 8–9 July 1978.

Key points

  • 58 miles (93 km), 24 summits (23 Munros) including Ben Nevis, ~8,700 m (28,500 ft) of climb.
  • Devised by Charlie Ramsay as an extension of the older Tranter's Round.
  • First completed 8–9 July 1978, by Charlie Ramsay himself.
  • Often called the Scottish equivalent of the Paddy Buckley Round — same informal 24-hour target, no formal verifying club.

The numbers

Distance58 miles (93 km)
Elevation gain~8,700 m (28,500 ft)
Summits24, including 23 Munros and Ben Nevis
Time target24 hours (community convention, no formal club enforcement)
Start / finishGlen Nevis Youth Hostel, near Fort William — either direction, tops taken in order
First completed8–9 July 1978, by Charlie Ramsay
Devised asAn extension of the older Tranter's Round

No formal club, same 24-hour convention

Unlike the Bob Graham Round, no governing body verifies a Ramsay Round finish — the 24-hour target is a convention the fell-running community tracks informally, the same arrangement as the Paddy Buckley Round. That makes it, in practice, the Scottish equivalent of the Welsh round: same trust-based verification, same absence of a marked course or aid stations, applied to Highland terrain around Ben Nevis and the Mamores instead of Snowdonia or the Lakes.

Current records

CategoryHolderTimeDate
Men — unsupportedFinlay Wild14h 42m 40s31 August 2020
Women — supportedJasmin Paris16h 13m18 June 2016
Double round — women (supported)Nicky Spinks2d 7h 56m 38s2 July 2018
Winter — men (unsupported)James Gibson23h 9m 25s25 February 2022

Why Ben Nevis changes the navigation problem

Britain's highest summit brings its own weather system — cloud, wind and temperature drop faster on Ben Nevis than on any other point along the round, and its summit plateau has claimed navigation errors from experienced hillwalkers in clear-looking conditions lower down. See our guide to self-navigation for fell and mountain running for how that risk is managed on a route with no marshals to catch a wrong turn.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

A 58-mile circuit of 24 Scottish summits near Fort William — including Ben Nevis, Britain's highest peak — with roughly 8,700m of climbing, traditionally aimed at 24 hours. It starts and finishes at Glen Nevis Youth Hostel.

The runner who devised the round as an extension of the older Tranter's Round, and who first completed it on 8–9 July 1978 — it's named after him.

23 of the 24 summits are Munros (Scottish mountains over 3,000 ft); one peak on the route, Sgurr an Iubhair, was declassified as a separate Munro in 1997 but remains part of the round.

The fastest overall time is 14h 42m 40s, set unsupported by Finlay Wild in August 2020. The women's supported record is held by Jasmin Paris at 16h 13m, set in June 2016.

It's generally considered more remote and more committing — fewer escape routes, more serious terrain around Ben Nevis and the Mamores — though direct difficulty comparisons are debated within the fell-running community.

No formal governing body verifies finishes the way the Bob Graham 24 Hour Club does — the 24-hour target is a community convention, tracked informally rather than enforced by rule.

Sources for this page

Related

The British RoundsBob Graham vs Paddy Buckley vs RamsaySide-by-side data for all three RoundsSelf-navigation for fell and mountain running