Ben Nevis the summit only to find "fragments of earthen and glass ware, chicken bones, corks, and bits of paper". It was not until 1847 that Ben Nevis was confirmed by the Ordnance Survey as the highest mountain in Britain and Ireland, ahead of its rival Ben Macdhui. The summit observatory was built in the summer of 1883, and would remain in operation for 21 years. The first path to the summit was built at the same time as the observatory and was designed to allow ponies to carry up supplies, with a maximum gradient of one in five. The opening of
River Nevis River Nevis The River Nevis flows from the mountains east of Ben Nevis to its mouth near the town of Fort William in Scotland. The river rises in the Mamores mountain range approximately halfway between Ben Nevis and Loch Treig, 370m above sea level. In its upper reaches it is known as Water of Nevis, becoming River Nevis at the bridge near Achriabhach. It is partly fed by the Steall Waterfall, one of the highest waterfalls in Scotland. The river flows through Glen Nevis and on to the town of Fort William where it is crossed by the Nevis Bridge