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When thinking of Scotland, the wild and vast Highlands come to mind, the sheep, the whiskey and last but not least the unsteady weather. Scotland offers less comfort and more contact with nature. You can let your mind wander over green pastures, fly off of steep cliffs and into wild waves and meander through dense fog into the glistening sunlight.
Our guide will inspire you to experience the wide range of this fascinating, friendly and legendary country called Scotland. We provide tips for special places, for tempting trekking tours and we will tell you what we ourselves discovered there.
SCotland’s most known trekking tours
We’ll give you an overview of a few well-known routes here and then turn to a few of our own tours we’d like to recommend.
© April Larivee
West Highland Way – The most popular long-distance hiking route
Undoubtedly, this is probably the best known long-distance hiking route in Scotland. In eight daily stages it takes you over 154 kilometers from Milngavie near Glasgow to Fort William. You’ll be hiking over mountains and through valleys, past some “Lochs”, the local lakes, and across boggy meadows. The path is quite clearly marked and you can find lots of information about it online.
Great Glen Way – Outstanding landscapes
This route is a possible extension of the “West Highland Way”. In 117 kilometers it stretches from Fort William to Inverness. The route always runs along the water. First along Loch Lochy, then Loch Oich and finally near the famous Loch Ness. Overall, the route is quite flat and therefore particularly suitable for beginners.
Skye Trail – Varied and adventurous
On the island of Skye, this 128 kilometer trail begins at the northern tip and then runs along the east coast to the southern end of the island. This tour is not consistently marked and probably the most varied of the popular routes. Much of the route goes up on top of Trotternish Ridge, a stunning rocky outcrop of grass. On the way, you will pass the legendary rock pinnacles of the “Old Man of Storr”. In addition, the route offers a few more technical variants, especially in the southern part of the trail, when you get to the Black Cuillins (see below). The entire route could probably also make for a great multi-day trail run.
© April Larivee
Ben Nevis – Beautiful and rugged
You can reach the most famous and highest summit in Scotland on the much-frequented tourist route, the so-called “pony track”, but this is not very exciting. Much nicer and wilder is the ascent from the south, over the East Ridge and the Càrn Dearg. This variant is more demanding and shorter, but much more varied. Particular dangers here are suddenly appearing fog and snow, which can lead to vision problems and crashes.
Torridon Range – Panorama like a storybook
In the area around Torridon, there are some more demanding routes. For example, the circular route over the Beinn Eighe is wonderful, offering incredibly beautiful views, if you are lucky with the weather. Starting from the Ling Hut, head up past the Lochan Coire Mhic Fhearchair and then go up to the ridge through a sandstone couloir, which you then walk along until you reach the highest point, the Beinn Eighe.
Beinn Aligin and Beinn Dearg are also really fun day trips. We recommend to spend several days in the area or Torridon and just go all the routes. For dinner, we recommend the small Kishorn Seafood Restaurant.
Black Cuillins – Alpine challenge
In addition to the Torridon Range there are only a few mountains that offer greater mountaineering challenges. One can be found in the south of the island of Skye. The paths here are rarely marked, and in many places they are hardly developed. Because of possible snowfields, the rapid weather changes and suddenly emerging fog you should also have alpine experience and orientation skills. Bring a compass and the knowledge of its functions.
PLAN your trip to scotland
Getting there – Over the sea, through the sea or under the sea?
Of course, you can fly to Scotland, there are many offers to the major airports in Glasgow or Edinburgh. A few airlines also fly to Aberdeen or Inverness. But since you probably travel to Scotland for trekking, and therefore have an interest in nature, we recommend to travel environmentally friendly by train or bus. You can reach the island through the 50-kilometer Eurotunnel. Or you can get there by ferry, which can be a nice introduction to your time on the island.
Getting around the island
Of course, we assume that you want to cover most of your route on foot. But there is also a fairly well-developed network of public buses. However, they do not travel very often, so it’s worth checking Citylink’s bus timetable in advance. The trains of ScotRail operate only between the major cities, which are located more in the south of the country. If you want to rent a car, this is generally possible only in Inverness, Aberdeen, Edinburgh, and Glasgow. There are no car rental companies in the north. The CalMac ferries will take you to the western islands, while the northern Orkney Islands can be reached by Orkney Ferries or NorthLink Ferries.
We recommend hitchhiking on the island. It is common to pick up hitchhikers in Scotland and this way you can get in touch with the extremely friendly residents. In our experience, this often even creates the chance to obtain valuable tips that can’t be found in any travel guide. The mostly single-lane roads, which connect the many small villages, also allow little destination options, so that one can arrive at the final destination easily.
Accommodation
There are many designated campgrounds in Scotland that often also rent out as fun little bungalows. Real hotels exist only in the larger cities, but you can find a “bed and breakfast” or a so-called “bunkhouse” or “self-catering” in almost every village. There are also a number of official hostels. The Green Tourism Initiative in Scotland specializes in environmentally friendly accommodations.
Similar to the bivouac huts in the Alps, there are so-called “bothies” in the Scottish Highlands, which provide shelter for the night. Most of these 80 are simple shelters, that are maintained by the Mountain Bothies Association (MBA). They are mostly equipped with bunk beds and cooking facilities. They usually don’t provide a fire pit, nor mattresses. They are unlocked and available to hikers free of charge. Like in the Alps, you also have to arrange with each other in terms of space. Often the bothies are in very beautiful places, and it is worthwhile to schedule them on the way. For example, this map of the MBA provides an overview of the locations.
However, in Scotland you can also camp wild easily and legally. The rules are set out in the Scottish Outdoor Access Code, and above all, they say not to leave any trash or other traces.
© April Larivee
Worth knowing for your journey to scotland
Weather – Always changing and unpredictable
Yes, the weather in Scotland is a challenge. Especially the weather changes can be sudden and frequent. In May there can be single days with everything from sunny T-shirt-weather, strong wind and rain to thunderstorms, hail and finally even snow.
This means that it’s helpful to be prepared for the fact that you may be completely wet several times during one full day outside. And yes, the sentence “There is no bad weather, only the wrong clothes” does not apply here. As a guy in a bar pointed out to us, the weather in Scotland does not care about Gore-Tex…
As a consequence, if one does not explicitly seek to prove his above-average weather resistance, it is worth it to consider the inconsistency of the weather during the tour planning. This could mean, that in addition to the nights in the (absolutely weather and windproof) tent, you should plan for nights in Bothies (see above), and maybe even in a self-catering, bunkhouse, hostel or bed & breakfast. This is the only way to actually entirely dry your clothes.
Right to Roam
In Scotland, there is a very special law, named the “Right to Roam“. It allows every person to freely use the wilderness and also parts of private land for recreation, leisure, and sports. With conditions of safety and environmental protection, this also includes camping and even making a campfire. This means that you are allowed to climb fences and also to (respectfully) enter and cross private property. To find more detail about this, please read these definitions by ScotWays.
Language
Of course, English is spoken in Scotland, but it is this very special Scottish English. In many places in Scotland, the Gaelic-Scottish, the old Celtic national language, is still being spoken, although only by just over 1% of the population. Nevertheless, the signs throughout the country are bilingual.
Whatever the weather
Scotland offers loads of opportunities for a wide range of outdoor activities. From lake kayaking and rafting to biking and hiking to canyoning and climbing.
© April Larivee
Scotch Whiskey
Especially for whiskey lovers, a visit to one of the many famous Scottish distilleries is highly recommended. Many offer whiskey tastings, where you can taste different kinds. Online there are all sorts of guides for tours to the “best” distilleries.
Travel Time
Scotland is certainly breathtakingly beautiful in every season. Depending on whether you go there for ice climbing or trekking. For the latter, we recommend the month of May, because it’s not as crowded yet in the otherwise popular trekking country. The colors of the landscape are really wild, especially in spring and autumn, and the higher mountains are covered in snow. Also apparently the mosquitoes can be a real scourge in the summer.
Favorite Places
Rubha Hunish
Lookout (Rubha Hunish) is a Bothy on the northern tip of Skye. It once was used by the Coast Guard. The small shelter, which offers three beds, offers an unbeatable view towards the Minch, as well as to the islands Harris and Lewis. It’s spectacularly located on top of the cliffs and is exposed to the strong winds. Also, it is only accessible on foot.
The Wildcat
The Wildcat is a cafe and small shop in Fort William. They don’t only serve very good coffee and delicious food, but the shop also offers many packaging-free goods and other organic products. They even sell some books on the subject. It is located on the main street of Fort William (High Street 21). If you feel like taking part in an action to clean one of the surrounding beaches, you can ask the staff of the Wildcat, they coordinate many actions to protect the environment of the area.
Loch Coruisk
Loch Coruisk (pronounced “Corüschk”) is a mysterious dark lake that lies very quietly between high mountains in the south of the island of Skye. When you get there, it’s easy to understand that spooky stories surround the lake. For example, there is the legend of the ghost Kelpie, who appears in the shape of a horse on the shore of the lake, inviting weary wanderers to ride on its back. But once there, Kelpie dives into the abyss of the Loch, devouring the hiker. However, the Loch can be surrounded on foot on a marshy path. It is (unfortunately) also hit by a boat, which brings tourists from the town of Elgol to the Loch. But in the evenings you can be alone with Kelpie …
Little Swallow Foods
Little Swallow Foods is a tiny manufactory of fresh pastries, quiches, bread and marmalades made from local ingredients. The products can be taken from a small box in the village of Shieldaig at Loch Torridon. The prices are written in the box and you can just leave the money in the “Honestybox”, which you find in the street on the lakeside, directly outside the house of Solas Bed & Breakfast (Baile Shuas in Shieldaig).
Sandwood Bay Beach
Sandwood Bay Beach is a clear, sandy beach on the north coast of Scotland. You can let the wind blow you across the beach while you breathe the salty and fresh sea air. You can reach the beach only on foot and it is accordingly lonely. The waves here are wild and beautiful. At the left end of the beach, in front of the cliffs, there is an impressive rock needle in the water.
We wish you lots of fun in Scotland! If you have any questions, feel free to contact our Ambassador Ana, who has been exploring Scotland for you.
Find more pictures from April Larivee here.