Scotland is truly a hiker’s paradise with everything from city strolls to one day walks and on to two week long distance epic adventures.It is easy to see why, as walking is something that is open to complete beginners and is an activity that you can gradually get into then keep on developing. At its other extreme it can be a way to gain a whole new set of skills as you take on increasingly challenging hikes up the nation’s massive mountains.
World Class Hillwalking
It is of course its hills and mountains that Scotland is famous for and the nation’s countryside really does offer world class hillwalking. In total there are 283 Munros (peaks over 3,000ft or 914.4m) to tackle and many ‘lesser’ peaks that open up just as fine, if not better, views and hiking opportunities. The granddaddy of them all is the Cuillin mountain range on Skye, but this is serious walking country and tackling many of the dozen Munros here requires technical climbing skills and equipment. The Cairngorms also offer a flurry of Munros with Cairngorm itself a relatively easy one to ascend from the Cairngorm Mountain Railway car park. To the south Ben Lomond is another relatively straightforward Munro just north of Glasgow. The most famous Munro of them all, Ben Nevis, is the highest mountain in the UK and can be extremely busy in summer too, but it is never short of utterly compelling to climb.
Hiking with Experienced Guides
Tackling a Munro or any hillwalking can be a daunting experience and also a dangerous one if you don’t have the right level of experience or do not have the right gear. Thankfully there are a number of companies on hand to take you out on carefully managed group trips. Wilderness Scotland are old hands at looking after beginners offering walking trips to suit all ages and abilities, graded from ‘easy’ through to ‘moderate’ and ‘moderate plus’. They also take groups out in Winter when many walkers are sensibly off the hills. Director of Wilderness Scotland, Steve Christie, explains the advantages of guided trips: ‘As well as keeping you safe, a guide will be able to point out and teach you about flora and fauna. And they can also explain that the pile of rocks that you just walked past is actually the remains of a herder’s summer shelter. Just as fascinating is hearing about modern day issues which may be affecting the wild regions you are hiking in – and getting directions to a good pub at the end of the day!’.
It is not all about week long epics, though, as small operators like the Bo’ness Hill Walking and Touring Company are also on hand for those just looking to head out for a day. They organise ‘Bag a Munro’ days which do exactly what they say. You get to cover at least one of the Munros in the company of an experienced leader and assistant guide. They can even arrange waterproof clothing and rucksacks if you are just getting into walking and want to try out a big day in the hills, but don’t have all the gear yet.
Another highly regarded operator are HF Holidays. They offer a variety of guided and self guided walks, from a short break based around climbing Ben Nevis, through to taking on the West Highland Way or their Hebridean Hopscotch, which takes in walks on the Isle of Skye and then crosses the Minch for rambles on North Uist, Benbecula and South Uist. The social element on these trips can be every bit as enjoyable as the walking.
A National Passion
Walking is as ingrained into the Scottish psyche as whisky and sporting battles with the Auld Enemy and mercifully it is a national passion that is unreservedly good for you. There can be no finer setting for walking, hiking or rambling (call it what you will) and the good news is that the country has never been so set up for lovers of two legged adventure. A recent survey put the number of Scots who regularly go out walking as a hobby at 506,000, a staggering figure considering that this stands for almost 12% of the country’s population.
More Information
InsiderScotland’s guide to Scotland’s World Famous Long Distance Walks
InsiderScotland’s guide to Scotland’s Walking Festivals
InsiderScotland’s guide to walking Gear, skills and safety
