Walking Tours

Walking Tours

Walking tours are a great way to explore Scotland's stunning landscapes, rich history, and vibrant culture. There are many tour companies that offer guided walking tours throughout the country, catering to a variety of interests and fitness levels. Some tours focus on specific regions or themes, while others cover multiple areas and activities.

One popular type of walking tour is the long-distance trail, such as the West Highland Way or the Great Glen Way, which offer a challenging but rewarding trek through some of Scotland's most spectacular scenery. These tours typically last several days and require a good level of fitness, but are well worth the effort for the stunning views and sense of achievement.

For those who prefer a more leisurely pace, there are also shorter walks and guided tours that explore Scotland's cities, historic sites, and cultural landmarks. Edinburgh, Glasgow, and Inverness are popular destinations for walking tours, offering a mix of history, architecture, and local cuisine.

Many walking tours also incorporate other activities, such as whisky tastings, wildlife spotting, or boat trips, making for a varied and memorable experience. Whether you're a seasoned hiker or a casual walker, there's a walking tour in Scotland that's sure to suit your interests and abilities.

We icluded a list below you can explore: 

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DRIESH & MAYOR.
Driesh is 947m, Munro number 218
Mayar  is 928m, Munro number  254)

These two Munros are situated north of the Town of Kirriemuir up the valley know as Glen Clova and is around 2.5 hours’ drive from Edinburgh or Glasgow. Park in the car park at the top of the glen.

Route finding is fairly easy on the easy terrain and well-defined paths making this a straightforward circular route taking in the two Munros. The route should take around 5 to 6 hours.

Follow this link for more information on this route.

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BROAD CAIRN

Broad Cairn is situated in Britain’s largest national park, Cairngorms national park which has the most extensive and highest mountain range in the UK. Broad Cairn can be seen from the road between Braemar and Ballater, Balmoral Castle is close by which is the summer highland holiday home of the Royal Family. Broad Cairn is 3274 ft (998 metres) high and is part of a large rolling mountain plateau.

The easiest and most direct route is from the path at Spittal of Glenmuik, it can also be easily climbed from Loch Muick. A second Munro, Cairn Bannoch, could easily be added to the route. This route from Spittal of Glenmuik is 14.5 miles long and takes around 7 to 8 hours.

The north side of Broad Cairn is craggy and very steep; however, the other sides are gentle slops and easy walking. Care should be taken on the boulder field near the summit especially after rain as the rocks can be very slippy, the views from the summit overlooking Loch Muick are simply stunning, the famous Lochnagar peak can be seen in the distance. For more detailed information on this mountain.

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BEN LAWERS

The mountain is located to the north of Loch Tay in Perthshire and is around 1 hour 15 minutes’ drive from Perth.

Ben Lawers is 1214 metres high (3983 ft) at first glance this may appear to be a very high mountain for a beginner as it’s the UKs 10th highest mountain, however the start of the walk is well above sea level, so a good proportion of the ascent is behind you before you start.

There is a clear and very well-worn path to the summit, is 7 miles long and will take between 4 to six hours to complete, this is a great area for Munro Baggers as the top of Lawers is located on the same ridge that has seven mountain tops. For more detailed information follow this link.

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BEN LOMOND

Ben Lomond is 974 metres high (3195 ft) is in the Loch Lomond and Trossachs national park, Ben Lomond is the most southerly mountain (Munro) in Scotland and is only 1,5 hours from Glasgow and 2 hours from Edinburgh.

Ben Lomond is one of the most familiar mountains and can be clearly seen from the M90 motorway passing Stirling. Due to the easy proximity for driving from Scotland’s two largest Cities this is also a very popular mountain with walkers.

The route follows a well-worn path along the south ridge and the descends again down the Ptarmigan ridge. The top is situated above a corrie and the views looking towards Loch Lomond are simply magnificent. The walk is 7 miles and should take 5 to 6 hours. For more detailed information follow this link.

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SCHIEHALLION

Schiehallion is 1083 METRES (3547 ft) and is one of the most famous mountains as its cone shaped peak can be seen from as far away as Perth around 65 miles.

The route starts at the Breas of Foss car park (Charge to park) on the road from Kinloch Rannoch and Tummel Bridge on the B846, The route follows the broad whale back ridge to the summit the ridge is strewn with quartz boulder fields and is well known for the many false summits. The stunning views across to Glen Coe and Loch Rannoch.

The mountain was bought by the John Muir Trust in 1999 for £150.000 and raised another £150.000 through public funding to improve the path, the route is 6 miles and takes around 4 to 5 hours and is a straight forward climb up and back down. For more detailed information follow this link http://www.walkscotland.com/schiehallion.htm

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MOUNT KEEN

The most easterly Munro in the Uk is Mount Keen, and is situated in the very far north of the county of Angus near Glen Esk, The mountain is 3081ft high (939 metres) there is no public transport to speak of, and the roads are quite isolated so best to use the same route up and back down again, or have someone drop you off at Glen Taner and collect again at the other side on Glen Mark, this way making it a very interesting one way route.

We would suggest the best route is from the south side, the route is 14 miles long and should take around  8 hours to complete , starting at the free car park at Invermark follow the clearly marked path , and you will come across a very ornate monument, this was to mark the spot where Queen Victoria and Prince Albert stopped for a drink of water at the spring 1861 , it is now called Queens well , from the well the path is easily followed up the ridge to the summit. For more information follow this link. https://www.visitscotland.com/info/see-do/glen-tanar-and-mount-keen-p316151.

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BEN VORLICH

Ben Vorlich is in Perthshire which towers above the west side of Loch Lomond , is around 2.5 hours drive from Edinburgh and Glasow making this Munro very accessible and one of the most popular for Munro baggers.

The mountain is 3232 ft (935 meters) high and the walk is around six miles and should take around 4 hours, this mountain is very prominent and is clearly seen from the central belt in and are around Stirlingshire, The path is well worn and clearly defined so is very straightforward, but  the walk entails a very steep climb almost all the way to the summit so be prepared.

The best way to start is from the shores of Loch Earn on the single-track road on the south side on Ardvorlich Estate the route avoids the usual track to the house  skirting round it to the east side, there is a sign pointing to Ben Vorlich head up the pathuntil you cross the bridge that crosses the Coire Buidhe burn , the steep path from here is obvious to the summit which has a trig point. Follow this link for more information. https://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/munros/ben-vorlich-loch-earn

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CARN LIATH

Carn Liath is located within the Bienn a Ghlo range and this is the lowest of the 3 peaks on the range which towers well above the Village of Blair Athol and Glen tilt, the mountain is 3198 ft high (975 metres) and around 35 miles north of Perth on the A9 main road north from Perth to Inverness. the walk should take around 7 to 9 hours and is 14 miles long and is mainly on a well-trodden path, but there are a few boulder fields and care needs taken on some of the steep scree slopes especially on the descent.

Finding access to the start of the route is not particularly easy , start from Blair Athol village and follow the road to Monzie keep right and head towards Monzie farm, at the end of the public road park near the cattle grid, then on foot follow the path until you reach two huts , follow the path along the dyke and head up through the boulder fields and scree following the well-worn and obvious path, this leads to a cairn as the ground flattens out , the summit is further on and is marked by a trig point.

The path up the mountain is severely eroded and can be clearly seen from the A9 road just south of Blair Athol , for more details information follow this link. https://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/munros/carn-liath-beinn-a-ghlo

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CAIRNWELL and CARN AOSDA

Cairnwell and Carn Aosda are in Glenshee Perthshire on the road between Blairgowrie and Braemar, Glenshee is around 2.5 hours from Edinburgh and Glasgow, Cairnwell is 3061 ft (933 Metres) high, Carn Aosda is 3008 ft (917 Metres) high, The walk is 8.5 miles long and should take around 3 to 4 hours to complete.

Cairnwell is the most prominent peak when viewed from the road up the pass towards Glenshee , The walk starts from the Ski centre and follows the chairlift on a fairly steep ascent to the summit of Cairnwell, its then a straightforward walk across to Carn Aosda, unfortunately the 3 peaks have been somewhat spoilt by all the ski tows and lifts and do detract from the beauty of being in the mountains.

However, these two Munros rank as some of the easiest to walk as they don’t require a huge physical effort when compared to most others but are also very accessible and really are a Muro Baggers dream.For ore information follow this link. http://www.munromagic.com/MountainInfo.cfm?Mountain=245

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Ben Vrackie

This Corbett is clearly visible and towers above the town of Pitlochry in Perthshire which is around 25 miles of Perth on the main north A9 road to Inverness, we have included this peak because its almost a Munro and gives a real taste of summiting a mountain, with a feeling of being in real mountain environment.

Ben Vrackie is 841 metres so is known as a Corbett which are mountains between 250 and 300 ft high. The route starts from the car park close to the road from Pitlochry over to Moulin Moor . There is a well-worn path for the ascent and decent so navigation is relatively easy,

The walk should take around 4 to 5 hours and is 8 km long, The views from the top are magnificent with panoramic views down the valley towards Perth with the river Tay snaking its way down through the valley.

For more information please follow this link, 

MOUTAIN SAFETY

EQUIPMENT
Footwear – wear a pair of good sturdy walking boots, hiking style socks which help stop blisters, light weight trousers, pair of water proof leggings, fleece with moisture wicking properties, hard shell waterproof jacket .. Gore-Tex or similar, pair warm gloves for scrambling over rocks.
Compass and map or a good GPS device such as the Ordnance Survey (OS) App which use GPS to track you on a map. You can also plot your route in advance and then follow along when you are outdoors, remember to carry spare batteries.

BACKPACK
Waterproof trousers, spare clothes, spare food such as Kendal mint cake or something with high energy sugar, bivvy bag in case of emergency overnight stay, head torch and spare battery, whistle, matches to light fire in case of emergency, drinks container, first aid kit.

WEATHER
Its extremely important to check the weather forecast for the area you intend walking. Remember the weather changes dramatically and very suddenly in the mountains and the weather at bottom is very seldom the same as the top.

During a 15 minute spell you may experience rain, sleet, snow, high winds or even fog so you need to be well prepared and plan your walk carefully before setting off, remember to check wind speed, this is very important as anything above 30 mph will be extremely difficult to a beginner, you can check here, Mountain Forecast and also Mountain Weather Information Service.

HIRE A MOTORHOME IN SCOTLAND
All the areas can be reached by a motorhome which means you can stay overnight free camping in the mountains close to the walks and climbs you intend to do. After a long day in the hills rather than a long drive home simply step into your motorhome with hot shower, full cooking facilities and a very comfortable bed. Hire your motorhome here.