UKH

Heres the catch we have to drive 6 hours to get to Scotland so the mountains might be best if they are south of the ben and we would like the mountains to be safeish  not to fussed on how long the walk in is shorter the better though. Thinking about stob coire nan lochan 

Decent is pretty subjective to conditions. Absolutely tons of great venues before you get to the Ben but depends on wind directions, freezing levels..ect. If you haven't already, get a copy of the SMC winter guide which gives a good selection and has a good blurb on conditions for most venues.

SCNL generally one of the safer bets as its high (though not that much further to the Ben from there).

Southern highland classics: Cobbler, Beinn an Lochain, Ben Dorain, Dothaidh, Cruachan (big walk in), Udlaidh

Glen Coe: The Buachille, SCNL, Bidean

I'd give another vote for Ben dorain, dothiadh, udlaidh, all great venues when in condition and considerably nearer than fort William, also add into that easy approach 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Scottish-Winter-Climbs-Mountaineering-Guide/dp/090...

As you're going to need a guidebook anyway why not just get the above, look at it and decide what looks decent yourself?

This is pretty good when in nick:

Grey Mares Tail (RH) (IV)

Its an extra hour to the Ben from the scnl which makes it a 6.5 hour drive, yeah I know its subjective just wanted to know is there any good stuff outside the cairngorms that's reliable cause if we are driving 300+ miles one way I would like the venue to be reliable obviously Scotland is unreliable so could go both ways 

There's always something to climb if spend time looking at the forecasts and learning about the crags. S. Richardson's book is actually a great place to start. If the freezing level is low or wind is hitting the crags right, southern highlands is amazing. If it's touch and go as you're taking a punt on conditions (in which case why bother driving 6 hours) Norries, the Ben and SCNL. 

When are you actually travelling?  Conditions can and do change day by day, week by week.

And what are you intending to do?  Snow/Ice climb?  or simply hillwalking? Ridge climbing?

It all depends when you're thinking of climbing, and what kind of climbing you're looking for--how hard? Ice or mixed? Do you mind whether you're in a honeypot? Are you prepared to new-route?

You posted on Thursday night. Friday was a good day, I think especially in the east. (Going by a skiing friend's photos, it looked beautiful at Cairngorm Mountain. I was climbing in the central Highlands, in Glen Lyon, and it started sunny but clagged up by dusk.) Today, Saturday, is not a good day for climbing. Tomorrow is no better--there's a thaw coming in. Monday looks OK in the east. 

If I was climbing on Monday, and wanted an accessible southern Highlands venue, I think I might either try Glen Clova--but whether that would work depends on the freezing level--or else try something on Ben Lawers or Meall nan Tarmachan. The quickest way to this latter from the S goes Stirling-Lochearnhead-Killin. You can park pretty high assuming you can get up the NT Centre road above Killin, and they do normally grit it up to the car park. I think I'd walk up the Ben Lawers tourist path then round by the col to have a look at the N side of Beinn Ghlas, with the grade III gullies on the S side of Ben Lawers as Back-Up Plan #1, and just walking the whole Ben Lawers ridge as Back-Up Plan #2.

Caution #1: I haven't climbed on the N side of Beinn Ghlas myself. I've just looked at it and thought "Hmm". There might be nothing worthwhile there. If there is, you might be new-routing. If you want to climb something you know in advance is a route, the Ben Lawers gullies are in the guidebooks.

Caution #2: There's been a lot of snow. Despite the thaws, you might be wading, and there might be avalanche threat-- particularly in gullies, obviously.

Caution #3: I'm not an expert. These are just ideas that might work or might not. No one else can take responsibility for where you choose to go and what you choose to do. Only you can do that.

HTH

PS Now I look at your profile I see you say you're winter-climbing at IIish level. At that level and/or below, I very much recommend both the Ben Lawers ridge and the Tarmachan ridge. Ben Lawers is longer and (on the whole) less pointy--in normal conditions it's more of a winter walk than a climb, except for An Stuc. The Tarmachan ridge is similar, but shorter and sharper. Both are brilliant.

PPS I can't get a shot of Beinn Ghlas that looks straight up its N corrie, but these, from the slopes of Ben Lawers, definitely suggest there's *some* potential there. Might be harder than II...

https://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/munros/beinn-ghlas-1.JPG

http://www.munromap.co.uk/assets/Uploads/OldImages/238_resampled/CroppedIma...

To OP: if you *are* thinking of climbing tomorrow, Clova is probably doable on Monday, but better on Tuesday, and better still on Wednesday--it looks like the present thaw will end at dawn tomorrow, and then there's a good hard freeze coming that will last till Friday afternoon. There'll be new snow from Tuesday onwards--so given the thaw we've just had, sharpen your tools and be ready for water-ice. It will be windy and cloudy a fair bit. There are plenty of nice IIs in Corrie Brandy, Corrie Fee, Coire Farchal, and the Winter Corrie...