The most spectacular Scottish walks

From hiking a volcanic peak in the Inner Hebrides to the long-distance West Highland Way, these are the best walks in Scotland

Helen Ochyra
Monday 11 May 2020 11:27 BST
Scotland has some of the most spectacular scenery in the UK
Scotland has some of the most spectacular scenery in the UK

Scotland is natural walking country, home to lofty mountains that beg to be climbed, burbling streams that lead to gorgeous waterfalls and wooded glens that envelop you in leaf and birdsong. We’ve rounded up the country’s best hikes, so you can get out there and explore.

Fairy Glen, Rosemarkie, Black Isle, Highlands

Length: 1.75 miles

The luminescent waters of The Fairy Glen, near Rosemarkie, Scotland

This easy amble leads through the sort of woodland that wouldn’t be out of place in a children’s book, all mature trees and wildflowers, set to a backdrop of tweeting birds and gushing streams. The path follows the stream to not one but two picturesque waterfalls – you retrace your steps to return to the car park.

Fairy Pools, Isle of Skye

Length: 1.5 miles

Hikers come from all over the world to look at the supernatural-looking Fairy Pools

This easy-peasy walk allows you to feel the drama of Skye’s Cuillin mountains rearing up around you without engaging in any scrambling or climbing yourself. As a result, it’s staggeringly popular, so arrive early or out of season. You’ll quickly reach the first waterfall, then allow extra time to pick your way up the river, taking a wild – and very cold – swim in the crystal-clear pools if you’re feeling brave.

The Birks o’Aberfeldy, Perthshire

Length: 2.25 miles

Water flows over the gorges of The Birks o'Aberfeldy, Perthshire

You won’t get this one to yourself, but it’s a must do, especially for Burns fans. His eponymous song waxes lyrical about the Moness burn and you might be tempted to do the same as you climb up through the gorge, tackling several flights of stone steps that zig-zag through the beech forest. You’ll pass numerous waterfalls and towards the end be rewarded with glorious views back down the glen.

Sandwood Bay, Sutherland

Length: 8.5 miles

Sandwood Bay directly faces the Atlantic

The walk itself may test your boredom threshold for bogland, but the destination is well worth the effort – Sandwood Bay is a contender for best beach in Britain. Here the Atlantic crashes onto creamy white sands that rise up into dunes just begging to be sprinted down. An undulating path leads out here from Blairmore, crossing squelchy bogland to reach the seemingly endless strand.

An Sgùrr, Eigg, Inner Hebrides

Length: 5 miles

An Sgùrr is the highest point on the island of Eigg in the Inner Hebrides

Seen face-on, the Sgùrr is formidable; but sweep around behind it and you’ll find a relatively straightforward route up to its volcanic peak. Follow the red-painted waymarks from Eigg’s main community and across the moorland before rising steeply up a rocky staircase to reach the cylindrical trig point, and one of Scotland’s very best views. Skye’s Cuillin can be seen on a clear day, as well as the other Small Isles of Rum and Muck and a 360-degree sweep of Highland beauty.

Stac Pollaidh, near Ullapool, Highlands

Length: 2.8 miles

The peaks of Stac Pollaidh are the most visited in the northwest Highlands (iStockphoto)

You needn’t mount a full-scale expedition to enjoy a panoramic view of Britain’s finest wilderness, simply invest a few hours in this straightforward mountain hike. The path up Stac Pollaidh is well-made and the ascent is manageable for those of moderate fitness, reaching 612 metres (2,008ft) with relative ease. From the summit of its spiky ridge the views are immense, across to the peaks of Assynt and out to the Summer Isles offshore.

West Highland Way

Length: 96 miles

The blue waters of Loch Lomond, Scotland, along the West Highland Way

The Scottish hike everybody’s heard of, this long-distance footpath from Milngavie to Fort William is one for the bucket list. Walk south to north and you’ll pass through Loch Lomond and the Trossachs national park before tackling the more demanding ascents closer to Fort William. Along the way expect a greatest hits of Scottish scenery, from toothy peaks and plunging glens to glassy lochs and bubbling streams.

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