Scotland

Beautiful Scotland!

Situated at the tip of Great Britain, Scotland was treated as ‘the end of the world’ by many Brits. This unfair image of Scotland existed in general opinion’s minds for decades, and only within last decade we observed change to it.

Nowadays Scotland became much more attractive, especially to those interested in outdoor activities! And one thing for sure, Scotland is never short of stunning walks, jaw-dropping mountain hikes, beautiful secluded beaches and wildlife. Indeed, its mountains and hikes often require experience, and many pathless routes are intimidating at first sight.

Having made Scotland our home for almost 2 decades now, we are in love with its scenery, mountains, remote locations and friendly locals! We have explored most of the country over the years, enjoyed hundreds of hikes and hidden gems of locations. The plan is to share our unique, in depth insight of Scotland with you, dear readers.

So, we can’t encourage you enough to watch this space and keep returning to our website for more articles about Scottish experience, the hikes, road trips and wildlife!

Scotland Inspiration

AMAZING HIKES IN SCOTLAND

Having been based in Edinburgh we started the exploration of Scotland by getting to know the local area first, each year we broadened the area in focus, until finally we arrived to the furthest corners of Scotland and visited the far away islands.

Pentland Hills are conveniently situated only a couple of miles south of Edinburgh! The Pentlands are incredibly popular with Edinburgers, and visitors to the Scottish capital. These gentle hills offer hundreds of miles of hikes, to suit all abilities and age groups, you can choose from long ridge walks, easy strolls in the glens or around reservoirs, or a mountain cycling adventure!

Discover Ben A’an, our favourite viewpoint in Scotland! A short hike will take you to a cone shaped peak, a stunning viewpoint over Loch Katrine in ‘Loch Lomond and the Trossach National Park’.

Scottish walks are beautiful in any season, but the rugged landscape is especially beautiful in autumn. These are the most beautiful short walks to enjoy in autumn in Scotland.

Discover the best hikes in Scotland, these 30 trails will provide enough ideas to keep your feet busy for months! We listed walks scattered around the whole of Scotland, from southern end to the very tip of the country, including the islands!

These are the best 11 winter hikes in Scotland, a compilation to inspire your adventure spirit and challenge you to discover the favourite mountains in snow & ice.

Apart from hills and mountains, we also have a soft spot for beautiful beaches. Luckily, there are some near Edinburgh, for example Gullane Bents and Aberlady Bay

Have you visited Dumfries and Galloway? These 6+ fine walks in Dumfries and Galloway will inspire you to explore Scotland’s southernmost region! From hill walks to coastal trail, woodland and river walks this often overlooked part of Scotland will awe you!

HIKES IN GLENCOE

Some of the best hikes in Scotland will take you to discover Glencoe. These trails are usually challenging, but incredibly rewarding with views!

Explore this list of 14 the best Glencoe hikes, from easy woodland walks to hard ridge traverses and exposed scrambles!

Bidean Nam Bian, ‘the crown of Glencoe’, a group of majestic high peaks, offer a fine walking day out to experienced hikers, this is the ultimate non-technical walking adventure in Glencoe!

Other amazing, and easier walk is a 9 hours circular route to Buachaille Etive Mor. This one will take your breath away and you’ll undoubtedly fall in love with Glencoe.

Buachaille Etive Beag, the lower sibling of Buachaille Etive Mor, offers just as fine walking experience as its mighty big brother! We recommend a hike to Buachaille Etive Beag as the best introduction to Glencoe walks!

HIKES IN ASSYNT

Assynt is the area just north from Ullapool. The unique landscape of wetlands, lowlands dotted with lochs and lochans and majestic monolith mountains randomly scattered over the horizon make Assynt one of our all-times favourite hiking destination. Here are some of Assynt’s amazing walking routes:

Quinag -the demanding round over 3 mountains,

Stac Pollaidh (Stac Polly) -probably the best viewpoint in northern Scotland

WINTER HIKES IN SCOTLAND

The best winter hikes in Scotland, including The Cobbler in Arrochar Alps, Pentland Hills, Stac Pollaidh, and many more! From easy walks to winter mini-expeditions!

Your wintry walking bucket list can’t omit the Tarmachan Ridge (Meall nan Tarmachan and neighbouring peaks) over Loch Tay

SCOTTISH ISLANDS

The Shetland Islands, an archipelago in Scotland’s northernmost reaches, boast rugged landscapes, rich Viking heritage, and abundant wildlife. Located where the North Sea meets the Atlantic Ocean, these islands offer stunning coastal scenery, vibrant cultural festivals, and unique archaeological sites, making them a captivating destination for visitors.

The archipelago boast 1700 miles of wild coastline making Shetland a fantastic hiking destination! There’s enough paths for months, if not years of exploration, from easy beach strolls to hard days out exploring remote islands. These are our top 10 picks for Shetland walks to satisfy all hiking appetites and abilities.

Discover Hermaness National nature reserve in Unst to enjoy abundant wildlife and come close and personal with iconic seabirds (including Atlantic Puffins, Northern gannets, Fulmars etc)

The remote Isle of Jura is famous for the challenging hike to the Paps of Jura, three cone shaped mountains of quartzite dominating the landscape. A keen walker can choose between conquering all three mountains, a pair of Paps or a single hill only. The most recommended is a walk to the top of Beinn an Oir (a Mountain of Gold). Despite being a shortened hike Beinn and Oir does not disappoint with the views, scenery along the way and the experience! Refer to our complete Hiking guide to the Paps of Jura and climbing the Mountain of Gold to find out all about the walking adventures the Paps have on offer.

Isle of Islay, the Queen of Hebrides will leave you speechless. Islay’s beauty, wildlife and experience is second to none! Find out what to do on Islayto enjoy the island to the full! It’s so much more than just whisky… !!!

Isle of Arran, situated at the western coast of Scotland, only a short drive from Glasgow is a perfect destination for an active, outdoorsy person/family. A hike to the rooftop of Arran, Goatfell mountain, is one of the best ways to discover the island and fall in love with it!

Far at the top of Scotland you’ll find beautiful, relaxed Orkney islands. The Orkneys are unique, due to their history of Viking colonisation, world-class Neolithic monuments (including a UNESCO world heritage site!), and one of a kind gems of WWII monuments.

Orkney islands are superb destination for walkers, especially Hoy island which offers the finest hiking experience! We recommend the route on Hoy, which includes visits to St.John’s Head -the highest vertical cliffs in the UK, The Old Man of Hoy -the tallest sea stack in the UK, Rackwick beach with its unique pebbles and Dwarfie Stane-the prehistoric tomb.

Isle of Skye is of legendary beauty and hence world famous! Apart from breath taking scenery Skye is a hikers’ paradise and offers countless walks of difficulty ranging from easy to expert level. The unique landscape of Isle of Skye has ben a magnet for outdoor enthusiasts and mountain lovers. The islands features two mountain ranges: Black Cuillins (jagged high ridges, exposure and significant drops, best enjoyed by seasoned hikers with good head for heights) and Red Cuillins (fine walking trails, jaw-dropping views, for those who don’t necessarily seek adrenaline rush of high exposed ridges).

Want to visit Isle of Skye? You should know all about these 16 things before coming to Skye. Our 5 day Skye itinerary will help you see many famous and lesser known locations/landmarks! Explore our top picks for Skye accommodation. If you like, you can have all necessary Skye information + a trip logbook + travel planner in one handy e-book bundle- buy here.

Discover these 8 best hikes on Isle of Skye, from easy coastal trails to hard mountain climbs in the legendary Black Cuillins!

Blaven (Bla Bheinn) is one of the best examples of fine hikes in Cuillins and the only Munro outside of Black Cuillin ridge. It offers stunning scenery, great hiking experience with easy/moderate scrambling. Blaven is an unmissable hike if you’re visiting Isle of Skye!

Another unmissable hike on Skye is Bruach na Frithe, located on the Cuillin ridge, just next to the famous Am Basteir. The trail to Bruach na Frithe is a fine access route to the Black Cuillin ridge. This demanding walk is reasonably straight forward and does not include any scrambling. We recommend Sligachan as a starting point for this hike.

Isle of Mull can be described as a crown gem of Scotland. This lush green island is walkers’ paradise and is famous for its beauty. Mull offers stunning coastal walks as well as some fine mountain hiking trails. The best example of the later is Ben More, the highest point on Mull and the only Munro, an unmissable walking adventure!

CYCLING IN SCOTLAND

Finally if your favourite sport is cycling and you enjoy it as much as walking, check out these 13 cycling trips, the best cycling routes in Scotland!

Discover our favourite cycling route in Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park, a circular route near Loch Katrine and Aberfoyle. This cycling trip can be a great extension to your hiking day!

WILDLIFE IN SCOTLAND

Scotland is abundant in wildlife and presents some of the best wildlife watching opportunities in the world! Whether you’re passionate about seabirds, sea mammals, birds of prey or deer a watcher, the opportunities are countless! Scottish coast is breeding ground for millions of seabirds, including Atlantic Puffins, Guillemots, Shags, Razorbills, Northern Gannets, Fulmars, Kittiwakes. Two species are especially loved in Scotland and their breeding colonies amongst the largest in the world, Puffins and Gannets.

Find out where to see Puffins in Scotland and plan your amazing bird watching adventure!