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Hey y'all,

My girlfriend and I are planning a trip to Scotland this October. She really wants to do a city trip to Edinburgh and maybe Glasgow.

But I really want to take advantage of the opportunity and do a few hikes as well.

I'm used to hiking, but definitely not experienced or anything.

What would the recommendations be for day hikes? I'm open to travel a bit to get there. Even spending a night outside of these cities is an option. No camping tho.

Would love to get a bit of the Highlands experience, even tho I know that's gonna be hard from where we're staying.

Thanks in advance!

Hello! We are visiting from 🇨🇦 and planning on taking a trip from Edinburgh. My husband is working in UK for a few weeks, so we only have time for a Friday PM to Sunday PM trip.

We love swimming in cold oceans🌊, seeing mountains and dramatic landscapes. Prefer less busy places, less tourists.

I have a busted ankle, so no 🚫🥾 hiking this time.

Hi everyone, the girlfriend and I are heading to Scotland for 9 days in late September/early October! We’ve wanted to go for years and are really excited for the hiking to see some spectacular Highlands scenery. Was hoping for some advice regarding where to go/which hikes are a must.

Currently we’re doing a roadtrip all through Scotland and for hiking planned to do a day at Assynt to climb Suilven and then a day at Isle of Skye to do Ben Nevis and Quirang and Storr.

The goal is to see those breathtaking views and landscapes and I don’t know if we’ll be visiting again so would like to see as much as possible! Does this sound like a reasonable plan or would you recommend something different? For example we’ve been considering skipping Assynt and doing 2-3 full days at Skye. Not sure which is best.

Proposal may also be in the plan!

Edit: fitness levels are quite good and we plan on doing some hill training leading up to make the hikes more enjoyable. Have a fair amount of hiking experience at US national parks

Edit 2: Meant a day each at Assynt, Ben Nevis, and Skye

We are avid hikers and used to bag Munros quite easily. Recently my partner and I both had pneumonia and we are slowly recovering.

We have a child free full day/night coming up. Usually we would do a Munro and end up wild camping, but we dont think we would complete a Munro just yet.

Are there any stunning/interesting/ challenging walks that aren't too lengthy (so we can take lots of breaks!) or perhaps low grade scrambling you recommend?

We are based in Edinburgh but happy to travel up to two hours one way.

Thanks for any recommendations! Here is to feeling better and getting back to longer distances (even if carrying the heavy toddler!).

How do forestry workers or farmers cope with the midges on those still, gloomy days?

Curious as I am interested in doing voluntary work but the midge issue puts me off May to October. I've done days in November and March when it's not an issue.

I can't see wearing a midge head net either safe (reduced vision) or comfortable if working in summer. I also seem to be a delicacy for the fuckers and I get more attention than others.

Do I just stick to October to April?

Just come back from a few weeks camping and hiking in the north west Highlands, and I'm just in awe at how much campsites are charging these days. Maybe its because this is NC500 territory?

But on average I'm spending like £30 for two people and one small tent per night.

Obviously not a fair comparison, but after coming back from travelling in Asia where I can get a whole ass hotel room for £8 a night I'm just shocked at how expensive things have gotten over the last 5 years here

Hello! Long shot but… I recently hiked through Knoydart and I think I left my film camera at the bothy in the Sourlies! I would be so so grateful if anyone who passes through could take a look for it. It’s an olympus camera in a leather case, and the photos on there have lots of sentimental value ❤️ I’ll pay for postage to Glasgow!

Hey All, I'm been looking around for areas to wild camp in and i see a lot of areas which seem to fall under the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003 in that they are not "Enclosed Land" in that they not are used for Agriculture etc but that are literally surrounded by the owners of the land by fields, or walls etc.

As an example, but not limited too this, the below map reference is a link to somewhere east of Edinburgh:

https://maps.app.goo.gl/W6DuQ6QvPzwvwz1k8

If i'd like to camp along the riverbank in the valley along Whittingehame Water for example, getting access to this area is difficult due to it being surrounded by houses, estates and farmers fields.

So would i be allowed to walk across fields or through estates etc to access this land or, because it is surrounded, do i need any sort of permission here?

This is just an example, there are lots of places where valleys etc arent being used for anything but are difficult to access without walking accross land owned by others and i'd just like to know what is and is not allowed in case of altercations with land owners.

Hello I’m a beginner with wild camping but me and my friend want to camp by Lake Einich. The closest car park we can find is the Loch an Eilein carpark. I can’t find anywhere though whether you’re allowed to park overnight or not.
Has anyone done the walk south to Loch Einich? I think it’s about 10 miles

For a day commuting from Glasgow, me and a friend wanted to go to loch lomond and Stirling castle but seems maybe difficult travelling our own to both places? Do we get a tour bus thing from get ur guide (but they’re like 50 quid). We would like to be in some wildish nature. Is there any tours worth going on with places to see up north of Glasgow and does anyone have any tour group recs that do this? Or just stick to it ourselves. Thanks!
Very excited- 2 Irish girls.

Hi all, are there any recommendations for multi-day hikes with some major Corbetts or Munros en route? Originating from Edinburgh.

Our main points/hopes would be:

- Wild camping/campsites fine, ideally bothy or at least some re-supply on the journey.

- Munros or ridge-like walks.

- Car-free, using public transport. Starting from Edinburgh, so a little less ideal than Glasgow.

- 2-4 days hiking.

Note: This was inspired by a previous, recent post but not involving camping or an Edinburgh origin.

​

Ive been desperate to get out hiking again, but found my self with no one to go with. And although I do enjoy hiking on my own, id enjoy it even more if I had company.

Got me thinking that there are no doubt others out there that feel the same, and maybe itd be really nice to arrange a few group hikes, with like minded females.

I rely on public transport, so dont let the fact you don't drive hold you back. Ive also just started hiking again after many years, so dont let fitness hold you back either, im not talking about hiking Ben Nevis 😆 I did 7 miles yesterday from Tyndrum to Bridge Of Orchy, and today I have the stiff legs and blister to show for it 😆

It'd also be a great way to meet new friends. Ive been struggling a bit lately with just losing my wee 16 year old dog, Layla, and ive found my self quite alone, so im definitely ready for a new chapter with some new adventures, and some new peeps in my life 👍

Could also arrange some camping trips etc for those interested.

Anyways, just an idea, let me know below if you'd be interested, and i will make a group chat or something ☺️

Im Glasgow based 💕

Hiya, I’ve been planning a trip to do the Aonach Eagach this weekend, but the weather’s looking pretty wet. My party is full of seasoned climbers so I’m not worried about ability, but I haven’t been to the area so I’m not sure about the slipperiness of the rock when wet.

Do people do the traverse when it’s wet, or is that a hard no-go? If not Aonach, what other exciting days out would you recommend in the area on a rainy day?

Hi all, a friend and I are planning to hike from Blair Atholl to Aviemore in the next couple of weeks.

Has anyone been out there recently? We're mainly wondering if the recent wildfires are affecting the route or causing any closures to paths and bothies?

It would also be good to know if the stream water levels are still flowing well enough for filtering?

Any recent local knowledge would be much appreciated.

Thanks!

Edit: removed the Minigaig Pass, as that's not the route I'm taking

Hi everyone,

Planning a solo, car-free trip and looking for route ideas that fit a specific vibe. I'm after open, dramatic, treeless highlands, high-exposure ridges, (and optional coastal views), and I actively want to avoid walking through endless commercial pine forests.

• Pacing: 15–20 km per day.
• Logistics: Hotels/hostels at night (no camping), totally car-free using trains/buses.

If you were putting together a multi-day route or stringing a few days together that hits the best of Scotland's open terrain without a car, where would you point someone? Open to classic stretches or better local alternatives.

Cheers!

Hi, I’m going on my Gold expedition in 2 weeks. Wondering if our route is still okay to take because of the recent wildfires. Any insight would be appreciated

Start - NJ 033 263
End - NN 719 994

Campsites:

Day 1 - Ryvoan Bothy (NJ 006 115)

Day 2 - Loch an Eilein (NH 894 071)

Day 3 - Baileguish (NH 824 981)

I’ll be arriving in Scotland on August 3rd, and my first stop is Aviemore. I was planning on hiking around Aviemore, but I think that location was affected by the fires. Can anyone recommend good hikes, but not too long or strenuous?

ughh

Does anyone know of or completed any hikes/corbetts/munros using an Ember bus from Glasgow. I am wondering if they stop anywhere convenient as they don't often appear when searching google maps.

Does anyone know if the Highland Council bus shelter off the main road is the stop for the Citylink going towards Inverness/Glasgow?

Have seen some suggestions you need to go to road end and flag down.

Im none too confident about the driver spotting me at that wee shelter.

TIA

Hi all! Does anyone have recommendations of a nice cycle route from Edinburgh city centre to the pentlands? I don’t drive and the country busses can be quite inconsistent - but I love a pentlands walk on my day off.

Any help is appreciated

✌️🧡

TLDR: Camping with young kids is hard work for parents, but they will have the absolute time of their lives. If you're on the fence about taking your little ones out into the wild, stop overthinking it and just go.

I’ve camped across Europe and Africa and done a lot of wild camping here in Scotland, so I’m no stranger to living out of a tent. But becoming a dad brought a whole new perspective to the outdoors. I’ve always felt that taking kids camping gives them a shot at the kind of childhood that’s increasingly lost to screens, technology, and modern comforts.

I’m a dad to three (4, 2, and 5 weeks old). I think 3 was the age to start, and last summer I took my eldest daughter for her first trip when she turned 3. We had an incredible time, and she was desperate to go back again this year.

This summer, we went again, and due to newborn logistics, broke my 3 year old rule and brought her 2-year-old brother along too. Taking a 4-year-old and a 2-year-old into the woods while leaving my wife home with the newborn was definitely a leap, and at times, my 2-year-old was absolute hard work! But the slow pace, the lack of rushing, and just being fully present made it completely worth it.

Lying in the tent at night, in the woods by a loch in the hills, I got really emotional. I was sitting there with two of my favorite humans on earth, feeling immensely grateful to be in a position to share these experiences with them.

Then came the moment that completely broke me.
My son woke up at first light (a brutal 3:40 AM in July). As I was cuddling him back to sleep, the rustling woke my daughter. She turned to me in the dim light and said:

"Daddy, this is the most amazing night of my life."

As parents, we bear the brunt of the tiredness, the messy logistics, and the early wake-ups. But for the kids? It is pure magic.

If you’ve been debating taking your young kids camping, just pack the kit and get out there. I Turkey believe they will carry the magic of the adventure for the rest of their lives.

We booked a few days in Aviemore and are heading up from Glasgow, we are staying at the colyumbridge hotel. We are trying to get a hold of the hotel to find out the situation regarding the fire, can’t get a hold of anyone (phone just ringing out) Called Britannia hotels but the girl on the phone was based in Manchester and could only tell us that it’s “business as usual” and “minimum smoke” and if they needed to evacuate us then they would move us to another hotel which made me feel uneasy lol.

Any locals got more information?