small mountains to explore. The routes range in length and difficulty, so you can easily choose what best suits your experience and plans. Where possible, circular routes are described, and different options are highlighted to increase your choices and make the routes even more interesting.
Walking in Scotland
While Scotland is a relatively small country, the combination of stunning mountains and spectacular coastlines make it one of the best walking destinations in the world. Few other locations offer dramatic rocky ridges that rise up from stunning sandy beaches, and fewer still offer this and the opportunity to get away from it all completely.
As one of the least populated areas in Europe, the Scottish Highlands are one of the last great areas of wilderness. Characterised by remote peaks reached, in some cases, only by single-track roads, or occasionally only on foot, walking in Scotland can be a splendidly secluded experience. Rough footpaths and few waymarks are more than made up for by breathtaking sea views, an eagle soaring overhead, or nothing but the sound of the wind in the trees.
Scotland is home to two national parks – the Cairngorms National Park and the Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park – but much of northern and western Scotland is mountainous, offering many more beautiful destinations to choose from.
Wherever you go, water is likely to be a major feature. From the coast and the sea to the many beautiful lochs, lochans, rivers and burns that make up a large part of the Scottish landscape, you are never likely to be far from water. And with many great walks on Scotland’s islands, you even have to cross the sea to reach some of these routes.
Wildlife
Wildlife flourishes in the large areas of mountainous wilderness in Scotland. A walk in the hills could well bring you face to face with a majestic stag and other red deer or a herd of wild goats. High on a mountain plateau you could spot a mountain hare, while you’re more likely to come across red squirrels and pine martens in the more wooded slopes of the glens. Most elusive is the Scottish wildcat.
Scotland being home to over 400 breeding pairs of golden eagles, you may also find one of them soaring above your head. Then there is the white-tailed, or sea, eagle, the UK’s biggest bird of prey, with a wingspan of eight feet (two and a half metres!). Following recent reintroduction of these magnificent creatures, there are now around 40 breeding pairs, with the best chance of seeing them being on Mull, on the Small Isles and in the adjacent west coast hills.
Wild goats
The summit of Beinn Ghoblach with Scoraig peninsula beyond
On the coast there are otters and grey and common seals to spot. Porpoise and bottlenose dolphins are often found in coastal waters too and if you are really lucky you may be able to spot minke whale, basking shark, or even the distinctive black and white form of an orca. Ferry journeys from the mainland to the islands or specialised boat trips offer the best opportunities to spot marine wildlife.
The History of Scotland
Scotland is also rich in both natural and human history. From some of the world’s oldest rocks to some of the most famous battles, the landscape and culture of Scotland has been shaped over the years by both climate and human activities.
The geographical entity that is now Scotland came into being 40 million years ago, when the continents of North America, of which Scotland was a part, and Europe collided. Many of the rocks and landforms that shape Scotland were formed much earlier, however, through the collision of tectonic plates, glaciation and weather. The Lewisian Gneiss rock of the Northwest Highlands that Scotland shares with North America is 3000 million years old.
The human history of Scotland is clearly much more recent but no less turbulent. From the Picts of Caledonia and the formation of the original Alba, then the wars of independence and Viking marauders, to the Jacobite uprisings and the Highland Clearances, people have long fought and died over the hills and glens of Scotland. The Pict, Gaelic, Norse, Scots and English names that pepper the landscape are evidence of the many waves of settlers.
This guide will tell you all about Scotland’s natural and human history as you walk through the landscapes they have formed. Each route reveals something of the people and places, features and events, both past and present, of each of Scotland’s best small mountains. From Rob Roy and Jacobite hideouts to battlefields and abandoned villages, Scotland’s history is out there to discover.
Getting there
Train travel from Europe and the rest of the UK is straightforward via the east- and west-coast mainlines, travelling to Edinburgh and Glasgow respectively. Both lines originate in London, making it easy to connect to and from Eurostar services. For train information within the UK, visit www.thetrainline.com; for Eurostar see www.eurostar.com.
There are ferry services to Scotland from Northern Ireland and Belgium. Stena Line runs a ferry service between Cairnryan in Scotland and Belfast in Northern Ireland (www.stenaline.co.uk), and P&O run services from Cairnryan and Troon to and from Larne in Northern Ireland (www.poferries.com).
There are also many international and national flights to Scotland’s major airports – Glasgow, Edinburgh, Glasgow–Prestwick and Aberdeen. In addition there are a number of national flights to the smaller airports of Inverness and Dundee.
More details of how to reach Scotland from overseas can be found at www.visitscotland.com/travel/to-scotland/overseas.
Getting around
Within Scotland, most places can be reached by public transport, via trains, buses and ferries. Scotland’s train services are operated by Scotrail (www.scotrail.co.uk) with the West Highland line from Glasgow to Mallaig proving particularly useful for accessing the mountains. Most of the ferries to the Scottish islands are operated by Caledonian MacBrayne (www.calmac.co.uk). There are also many bus operators with good services linking Scotland’s major towns and cities and, usually, less frequent services in rural areas. Details of public transport to access the mountains in this guide are given in each route description. For details of public transport options across Scotland see www.travelinescotland.com or call them on 0871 200 22 33.
Given the remoteness of much of the Scottish Highlands, there are some mountains that can only be reached by car. There are car rental agencies at all the major airports, as well as in most large towns and cities.
Accommodation
A wide range of accommodation to suit differing budgets is available in most of the areas covered in this guide, although sometimes it may be a drive or bus journey from an individual route. With tourism such an important part of Scotland’s rural economy, most towns and villages have hotels or guest houses, and there are large numbers of B&Bs and self-catering cottages spread throughout the Highlands. There are also many formal campsites, and responsible wild camping well away from roads is often permitted (if in doubt check with the landowner).
For details of accommodation in Scotland contact the Scottish
