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Scotland’s popularity as a tourist destination has soared over the last few years, and with its spellbinding natural landscapes, historic cities and unique culture it’s not hard to see why – so why not have a go at Walking the Scottish Highlands yourself?
Walking the Scottish Highlands
Munros and Glencoe
With some 282 Munros (a Scottish mountain at least 3,000 feet in height) and more than 30,000 lochs, Scotland is the ideal place for a stroll. The Munros were first listed in 1891 by Sir Hugh Munro, at the time his list caused a fair amount of uproar as there were only thought to be around 30 mountains of that stature. Since its inception “Munro Bagging” has become a popular pursuit for walkers and hikers alike, this refers to the practice of reaching the summit of a Munro, although with 282 to tick off your list you’d have to be fairly dedicated!
Somewhat of a mecca for walking the Scottish Highlands, Glencoe is an enigmatic blend of troubled history and dramatic glens, infamous for both the MacDonald massacre of 1692 and the towering peaks of the three sisters; here you will find a myriad of trails from the light (at 45 minutes) to the somewhat strenuous (at 7-9 hours).
Highland Castles & Cities
Encounter the incandescent yellow of the wild gorse and the deep purple of the heather carpeted highlands as you stroll around the ruins of Old Inverlochy Castle or the incredibly scenic Loch Oich, the highest point of the Caledonian Canal. A short drive away is the stunning Eilean Donan castle, featuring in the films “Highlander” and “The World Is Not Enough” the castle overlooks three sea lochs and there is no shortage of space for exploration.
In the unlikely event you don’t find yourself enamoured with the beautiful Scottish countryside, Inverness, considered the capital city of the Highlands, is a gem of a place for a ramble. Bursting at the seams with culture, music and ancient architecture it is one of the UK’s fastest growing cities, and yet despite its rapidly expanding population it still retains the authentic feel of a time honoured Highland town. If you’re interested in walking the Scottish Highlands or walking holidays in general, then you might consider a hotel barge cruise as the perfect way to get to the heart of the highlands.
