Hello r/outdoorscotland,
I am wanting to bikepack from Perthshire to Assynt and wondered if anyone here's ever done this before. Google maps is showing me a route via the Cairngorms via the A9 which seems to be the wrong way and I'd rather not cycle the A9 for obvious reasons. Can't seem to find any cycle routes that would take me up to Assynt though. Recommendations/ideas/tips would be very much appreciated.
Hey all, this is sort of a last hope attempt at finding my very precious Star of necklace. The pendant itself belonged to my gran, its gold stamped & attached to a brass-looking sort of circular thin bar that goes around the neck. I have a pic but not sure how to attach on a post unfortunately.. took it off to swim, very stupidly forgot to put it back on.
Drove back up on the Tuesday to see if it was there but it wasn’t. Have called and it’s not been found by rangers or handed into lost property. We had also left a key there that didn’t belong to any of us and that was gone too when we went to search for the necklace so not sure if someone has picked it up.
Anyway I know this is unlikely but miracles can and do happen soooo yeah, give me message if you happen to have stumbled upon it, or if you know anywhere else it may be worth posting
I’m planning to go to Scotland on 1 September and climb Ben Nevis on 2 September. I’ll be in Scotland until 7 September, with my flight leaving Glasgow in the evening.
After Ben Nevis, I’d like to spend the remaining days doing a wilder, more remote trek in the Highlands. I’m happy to travel somewhere else if there’s a better route.
I’m especially looking for hidden lakes, waterfalls, rivers, wild valleys, and rugged mountain landscapes rather than typical tourist trails.
The main limitation is that I don’t have any camping gear, so I need a route where I can stay in very cheap hostels, bunkhouses, bothies, or other basic accommodation. Ideally, I’d like to walk for a full day, stay somewhere overnight, continue the trek the next day, and eventually loop back to a town or transport connection.
I’m looking for something that feels genuinely wild and remote, with challenging terrain and long hiking days if possible.
Could you suggest the best route for 3–7 September, including where I could stay each night and how I can get back to Glasgow for my evening flight on 7 September?
I (31M) will be hiking the Skye Trail from Sept. 10-14. I live in the United States and have a lot of backpacking experience, but I haven’t ever been to Scotland before and know it can be tough weather and terrain.
If anyone is interested in joining me for all or part of the quest, I’d be happy to have the company!
Looking for someone friendly to go hiking of 20s age range to match vibes .
Halò guys and gals!
Finally managed to get some of Scotlands amazing nature onto DirtbagMaps.com - a trail planner I built cause the Madeira Crossing was impossible to plan (different story for a different day 🤌🤌) - anyhow, it was a slow process cause life is life - anyway, both the Great Glen Way and West Highland Way are on there now - and I'm keen on sharing it! 🤸
As the site is new, any feedback is of course more than welcome!
All the best,
Rasmus
Gday ya bonny wee lads and lassies! Hopefully this is an appropriate place to be asking this......... In a few weeks time we will be over in ireland for a wedding, coming from Australia. Ive an Aussie mate living in Edinburgh and we were going to hop over for a visit. Rather than just head straight there we thought we'd fly into Glasgow and do a bit of a roundabout trip to get across the short distance between the two. Oban, Glencoe, fort William, mallaig, Skye, lough ness, cairngorms were all places of interest. We'd have maybe 4 or 5 days and wondered if a campervan was a better idea than car rental and airbnbs. Can anyone shed any light on if thats a good idea or a terrible one? We have travelled all over Australia in a 4x4 with a rooftop tent and love it as a means of getting around.
In general are there many places to pull up and sleep for the night without too much hassle. The other thing is can you get a campervan on the ferry over to isle of skye? Cant wait to tick off a few bucketlist places and sample a dram or two along the way!! Cheers
I was planning a hike from callander to oban and I was if anyone had suggestions
the Most obvious route : would be follow old train route to tyndrum
Hello,
I have roughly 8 hours to spend in Pitlochry tomorrow and am looking for suggestions for a nice, scenic walk nearby.
I recently did the Glen Tilt walk near Blair Atholl, which I really enjoyed, so I’m looking for something with a similar feel, beautiful scenery, preferably with some good views and a bit of variety.
Any recommendations would be much appreciated!
So far I found one store that offers this service which is Tiso Edinburgh Outdoor Experience. Would like to know of any other options around. Thanks in advance!
Hello,
Travelling with my husband and planning our honeymoon. We fly from Canada to Edinburgh and depart from Heathrow - October 1st week. This will be our first UK trip so here is what I have for a 11 day itinerary.
Edinburgh(2 days) → Fort William (1 day), gateway to Glen Coe/Ben Nevis) → Isle of Skye (2-3 days) → Outer Hebrides/Harris & Lewis (2 days, via ferry) → back to mainland → London (2 days)
-We are planning to drive however open to suggestions. I m aware we’d be driving on single lane roads and days are shorter in October and that ideally we will be driving 4-5 hours every day. The cost of guided tour seems to be bit high
-Advise on skipping/ adding places, must visits ?
-We want to spend more days in Scotland which is evident and if you assure me 1 day is enough for London, I’d be more than willingly to add that day to Scotland :D
-We want to enjoy, relax, eat GOOD FOOD and take the scenery and probably may skip long hikes.
SO, would appreciate any golden tips!
Thankyou!
Staying in Oban on holiday and loving it. We've explored the town, Dunollie wood & castle, Dunstaffnage castle and had a day on Mull. Thinking of a ferry over to Kerrera tomorrow. That leaves us with 3 full days and looking for recommendations of great walks within a 30 minute drive of where we're staying, just outside Oban in Gllencruitten. Nothing too strenuous and around 5 miles would be ideal. Thank you.
Also, is it worth the drive up to Glencoe from here, or is there equally great landscape without going that far?
Petition regarding access restrictions on the North Chesthill Estate
Hello, I would love to backpack scotland's highland, and I'd wish to see it orange like in sone pictures I see.
However, I've read online that october is an incredibly rainy month, and so I was wandering if the last week of September would be any different, both colour and rain wise.
Thank you for your help :)
Planning in going camping with some friends to Loch Earn soon. The website says controlled fires are allowed but I'm just worried with the cairngorm wildfires that maybe the rules have changed or we will be told to put it out?
Hi everyone! We’re 3 adults travelling to Scotland for the first time and would really appreciate some advice from people who know Scotland well.
**Apologies in advance for the long post! 🙈** I wanted to give enough context so that I can hopefully get some useful, practical advice rather than make people guess what we're looking for. **Really appreciate your patience and support!**
# Our rough plan
* **Sep 13:** Arrive in Edinburgh in the morning
* **Sep 13–18:** Explore Edinburgh + Highlands
* **Sep 18:** Return to London in the evening/night
We will already have spent **one day in Glasgow (Sep 12)** before moving to Edinburgh, so we don't need to include Glasgow sightseeing in the 6-day Scotland itinerary below.
We **don't want to drive ourselves**. We'd much rather join a **small/medium-group organised tour** so that we can enjoy the scenery without the physical stress of driving, navigating and parking.
# Places we're considering
At the moment, we're thinking about:
* **Edinburgh**
* **Scottish Highlands**
* **Inverness**
* **Isle of Skye**
* **Glencoe**
* **Glenfinnan / Glenfinnan Viaduct**
* **Loch Ness**
* **Eilean Donan Castle**
* A **whisky distillery/tasting**
* Possibly **Cairngorms / Pitlochry / Oban**, depending on what experienced travellers recommend
For Skye, we're wondering whether **1 night or 2 nights** is better.
For Inverness, we're particularly unsure whether we should **stay overnight** or whether a **full-day visit/day trip is enough**.
# What we're looking for
This is our first time in Scotland, so we'd like a **good mix of experiences**, rather than spending the whole trip rushing from one viewpoint to another.
Ideally, we'd like a combination of:
🏔️ Dramatic Highland scenery
🏝️ Isle of Skye
🏰 Castles & historic sites
🌊 Lochs / Loch Ness
🥃 A good whisky distillery/tasting experience
🚂 Glenfinnan / possibly the Jacobite Steam Train, if it makes sense
🏛️ Scottish history & culture
🌿 Some beautiful villages/towns
🏙️ Enough time to actually enjoy Edinburgh rather than just use it as a tour pickup point
We're **not looking for strenuous hiking**. Short walks/viewpoints are fine, but we'd prefer a comfortable and relatively stress-free trip.
# Questions for Scotland experts
We've been looking at tours on **GetYourGuide, Viator, Rabbie's, Timberbush and Highland Experience Tours**, but there are so many options that we're finding it difficult to judge which itinerary is actually the best.
If you were planning this trip for yourselves, **how would you allocate the six days and nights from Sep 13–18?**
And if you've done a similar trip, **which tour/company would you actually book?**
**Thank you so much for taking the time to read this long post and for any suggestions you can share. I really appreciate your patience and support!**
Posted on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/100067884169358/posts/1370429165229876/
Yesterday our team assisted 20 people, across a number of separate incidents, who found themselves in difficulty while undertaking the Skye Trail.
It was one of the busiest days the team can remember. From 7am until 8pm we were responding to incidents, at times dealing with several at once and with everyone available committed. And, as we write this today, the team has already received another call for assistance.
Yesterday’s weather was particularly poor, but it was not exceptional for Skye and, importantly, it had been forecast. Our role is, and always will be, to help those who need us without judgement. Things can and do go wrong despite good preparation. However, when 20 people undertaking the same route require assistance in separate incidents on the same day, we think it is reasonable to ask whether there is a wider message in that.
The problems we encounter are not unique to the Skye Trail. People can underestimate the terrain and the time involved, become over-reliant on electronic navigation, be caught out by mountain weather, or continue when perhaps it would be better to change plans or turn back. These are things we have spoken about before.
But we do wonder whether the “Skye Trail” itself is sometimes misunderstood. The word “trail” can suggest a defined or established route similar to other long-distance trails. The reality can be very different. This is a journey through serious, remote and challenging terrain, with sections where there may be no obvious path to follow.
We are also increasingly conscious of people undertaking the route as part of organised or self-guided walking holidays, where a hiking app or electronic route may be provided for them to follow. A clear line on a screen can give a sense of certainty that simply doesn’t exist on the ground. Being provided with a route does not remove the need to be able to navigate independently, understand the terrain, assess the weather and make your own decisions about whether it is safe to continue.
That responsibility doesn’t necessarily sit with the walker alone. If people are being encouraged or supported commercially to undertake the Skye Trail, we think there is a reasonable conversation to be had about how the nature and seriousness of the route is communicated, what preparation is expected, what navigation information is provided and what contingency arrangements are in place when conditions deteriorate.
Phones and GPS devices are extremely useful, but batteries go flat, devices get wet or damaged and technology can fail. Carry a map and compass and, importantly, know how to use them. Know your route, know your escape options and have a Plan B.
The same applies to the weather. Check a proper mountain forecast such as MWIS, understand what it means for the terrain you are heading into and be prepared to act on it. Conditions higher up can be dramatically different from those at lower levels. Sometimes changing the plan, turning back or leaving it for another day is the best decision you can make.
None of this is intended as criticism of the people we assisted yesterday, and we are not suggesting that the same factors were involved in every incident. Things can and do go wrong in the hills despite good preparation.
Perhaps there is a wider conversation to be had about how the Skye Trail is named, described, promoted and sold, as well as how those undertaking it are prepared and supported. If expectations are not matching the reality people encounter on the ground, then we need to ask why.
We want people to come to Skye, enjoy our hills, undertake the Skye Trail and have great adventures. We’d just much rather you had a fantastic time and we never had to meet!
Stay safe.
Hi there!
I am spending a couple of months around Ireland and Scotland in the fall and will be doing some hiking, especially in the highlands. I already have water-resistant hiking shoes, but I am wondering if I should invest in some waterproof/goretex shoes for my time there. I only plan on doing day hikes, but I also know it's cold and rainy over there in the fall. I also thought that since I'll be there for a couple of months, even just having a pair of goretex salomons or smth would help with walking around a rainy city as well as the mountains. I hesitate because I already have the water resistant ones.
EDIT: What shoes or boots would you recommend? I leaning more towards a shoe
In Inverness and looking to hike the Quiraing on Aug 12/13/14. Is anyone driving to Skye on one of these days and has a spare seat? Happy to split fuel costs!