Scottish Walking & Hiking Guide

Written by 3rd Rock Ambassador Holly Rees.

Scotland is a vast place, full of incredible walking routes & hikes that traverse the raw, wild landscape.

It can be daunting if you're unfamilar with the region - so we reached out to our ambassador, Holly, who is currently living up in the Scottish Highlands and spending a lot of her time adventuring around the Peaks and Lochs!

Jump straight to a hike:

• Ben Lomond
• Ben A'an
• Loch Ard
• An Lochan Uaine and Meall a' Bhuachaille
• Loch Morlich Trail
• Beinn Alligin
• Loch Garbhaig

Here are a few of my top picks for walking, be it a short wander, a small hill or a bigger day out on a mountain.  

Bear in mind your fitness level and be realistic regarding your capabilities, both physical skill and navigational and first aid, if embarking on any walk, but especially a bigger hill.

It’s no joke to injure yourself and have to walk out in pain over a number of hours (as I know from personal experience, having had this happen out climbing during an unlucky accident), or possibly worse, having to call out mountain rescue.

Ensure you carry plenty of water and food to maintain energy and a first aid kit in case of emergencies. It is advised to take an OS map and compass too, and know how to use them, as well as waterproofs in case the Scottish weather is less than balmy!

All time guides are assuming summer conditions - winter walking can be a whole different undertaking.

I have split my recommendations into regions, so hopefully there are options wherever you decide to visit, although there are countless other options.

I suggest using Walk Highland website to access route maps and descriptions as well as Forestry and Land Scotland for the forestry walks.

If you enjoy swimming, I have included places to dip nearby. For more wild swimming tips see my previous blog with 3rd rock.

Difficulty key:

• 1 = Easier walks, mostly on well-defined paths, with no special difficulties.
• 2 = Slightly harder walks. Paths may be indistinct, navigation skills required
• 3 = Moderate hillwalks. Terrain will be steep, map reading skills essential. This grade includes the most straightforward and popular Munros.
• 4 = Harder hillwalks. Can include longer walks and pathless sections calling for more careful navigation. There may be scree and minor scrambling. This grade is quite broad and includes the bulk of the Munros.
• 5 = Tough by hillwalking standards; these routes can be very arduous or include trickier scrambling. This grade includes the hardest or most strenuous Munros.

Loch Lomond and the Trossachs

Ben Lomond

Time needed: 4.5-5.5 hours
Distance: 12km
Difficulty: 3 
Parking: Pay and Display at Rowardennan car park
Swim in: Loch Lomond, by the car park of various beaches on the road beside the loch

A classic Munro (a mountain with a height of over 3000 feet/914.4 metres and on the Scottish Mountaineering Club list of Munros). 

Although very popular given its proximity to Glasgow (just over 1hr drive from Glasgow city centre), and boasting a well maintained, obvious path, it is no mean feat to summit this mountain.

The main route up has some very steep and uneven, rocky sections, with some gentler parts in between. You can either descend the same route or make a loop and come down via the ptarmigan ridge.

This is more scrambly, steeper, and harder work so ensure you’re up to it as there is no way to retreat without returning to the summit.

On summiting, you will be rewarded with panoramic views as this is the highest summit in the area, and on clear days you may even be able to see as far as the west coast islands and Ben Nevis!

Ben A'an

Time needed: 2-4 hours (though if you are fairly fit, manageable in under 2 hours)
Distance: 3.7km
Difficulty: 2 
Parking: Ben A’an car park, or Ben Venue car park if full
Swim in: Loch Achray, by the car park

Short and steep, but worth the effort for the summit views, which are very good considering it is quite a small hill. This is one of my favourite local quick hills to climb spontaneously.

Loch Ard

Time needed: 1.5-5.5 hours, depending on which route you choose
Distance: 4 different loops, ranging from 3.4-14.8km
Difficulty: 1
Parking: Loch Ard Forest car park, pay and display

For those wanting a flatter walk, four different length options take in Loch Ard and the surrounding scenery.

This is a beautiful area if you love forests, tranquil water and wildlife. All routes are well signposted, fairly flat with a few steady uphills, and a combination of wide forestry tracks and narrower footpaths.

See the Forestry and Land Scotland website for more information and a map.

Cairngorm

An Lochan Uaine and Meall a’ Bhuachaille

Time needed: 1.5 hours for the lochan only, or 3.5-4.5 hours for the mountain loop
Distance: 5.8km for the lochan only, or 8.5km for the mountain loop
Difficulty: 1 for the lochan or 3 for the mountain loop
Parking: Allt Mor or Allt Ban car park, both pay and display and both similar distance trails
Swim in: An Lochan Uaine (The Green Lochan) though sometimes there are leeches – do your research and make your own decision. Otherwise, you will pass Loch Morlich on your way in/out.

The famous An Lochan Uaine (commonly known as the green loch) is a spectacular sight.

The walk takes you through birch and old Caledonian pine forest, suddenly revealing the lochan, whose water has a green tinge to it despite being clear.

You can either walk back the way you came for a shorter, less strenuous wander, or continue to Ryvoan Bothy, and up Meall ‘a Bhuachaille for a more adventurous outing.

You will exit the forest and make your way across sweeping gen to the bothy, which is worth a peep into.

From there, a steady, fairly steep walk to the summit, takes you by surprise as it is hidden until the last minute. This is a Corbett (smaller than a Munro but over 2500feet/760m).

Stunning views of the surrounding mountains await at the summit. You can carry on following the path on the other side to create a loop back to the car park.

Loch Morlich Trail

Time needed: 2 hours 
Distance: 5.8km
Difficulty: 1
Parking: Loch Morlich car park, pay and display
Swim in: Loch Morlich

This trail takes you on a loop around Loch Morlich, with view over the Cairngorms. It is well signposted, fairly flat, and a combination of wide forestry tracks and narrower footpaths.

The opportunity to have a dip or swim at multiple points is a bonus!

Torridon & surrounding area

Beinn Alligin

Time needed:  7-8 hours 
Distance: 10.5km
Difficulty: 5
Parking: Car park on west bank of Abhainn Coire Mhic Nobuil, by the bridge, free at time of writing
Swim in: Loch Torridon (various points -tidal), Loch Maree (further away) or the river but make sure you’re careful.

This route takes in two Munros and is a spectacular walk, translating as Mountain of Beauty or Jeweled Mountain.

Enjoyable either way round, the loop has a steep scramble section so make sure you’re comfortable and confident. The three “horns” are visible from afar, and the dramatic cleft of Eag Dubh (Black Cleft) magically appears as you approach if walking the loop in a clockwise direction.

If you are less confident, you can approach the route clockwise and summit the Munros then reverse to descend without much of a scramble, reducing the grade to 4.

We did this in winter conditions, not for the faint hearted!

Walk to Loch Garbhaig

Time needed:  1-1.5 hours 
Distance: 1.5-2km depending on whether you also go to the waterfall
Difficulty: 1
Parking: Car park for Victoria Falls, free
Swim in: Loch Maree 

A fairly gentle uphill walk on good forestry tracks takes you increasingly higher until you reach Loch Garbhaig.

Return on the same track, taking in the views over Loch Maree and towards the coast. From the car park is a short 300m walk to see Victoria Falls, well worth visiting whilst there.

Well there you have it, a guide from our Ambassador and avid hiker Holly. 

Before setting off on your hike, we'd recommend taking a read of our blog post outlining how to plan your first big hike. There's all sorts of tips and nuggets of knowledge in there!