Day hikes from one Scotland location

Hi, nhwfastlane,

There are so many places in Scotland where you could stay for a few days and take day hikes. Glencoe could be one of them, although the hikes are more strenuous than they would be in most other parts of Scotland.

You mention that you would prefer to prepare your own meals from groceries that you purchase in local shops. Does that mean that you are looking for an Air B&B as opposed to more traditional accommodation? I think that you'll find that the majority of hotels and regular B&Bs will frown, to put it mildly, on cooking in your room. That said, there is a great deal of food available with which you can prepare sandwiches and salads. Mrs A and I managed to do quite well having sandwiches for dinner!

Aviemore would be another central location for hiking choices. Although the town itself is very tourist oriented, there are many places to hike in the nearby Cairngorm National Park. Some of the islands would be another possibility, especially the larger ones like Skye, Islay, and Mull. Even the Outer Hebrides would be another choice.

There are small towns like Callander, in the Trossachs, where there are many places to hike, or Arisaig, on the Road to the Isles, where there are some nice beach hikes. Even Edinburgh has some good hikes in the Pentland Hills, and the Borders are fine for a good choice of low level hikes. The East Neuk of Fife is another possibility, as is the North Sea coast between Arbroath and Stonehaven.

Your best bet at this point would be to go to the WalkHighland website, and look for an area which has a lot of one and two boot hikes. The site is not limited to the Highlands, as it covers many parts of Scotland not considered in the Highlands proper.

As you'll be travelling in September, be prepared for changing weather. Some sort of rain gear is fairly much essential. Midges shouldn't be too much of a concern, unless you're hiking near dusk.

Have a wonderful holiday!

Mike (Auchterless)

The Highlands do tend to be more rugged hiking, so you may be better off looking more to the southern area of Scotland, where there is more choice of easier walks.

Also a lot depends on what you mean by 'small village'. Many small villages in Scotland are just that - small - with very limited shops to buy food. You may be better off with a small town - Callendar would fit the bill as would places like Galashiels in the Borders.

Alternatively think about Dumfries and Galloway in the south west. This is an area very much ignored by visitors and the guide books. This is a pity as it does have some very good scenery with hills, lochs (Loch Trool in particular is lovely), coastline, Galloway Forest Park (ideas here) and also some good walking.

Have a look at somewhere like Castle Douglas which used to market itself as the food town of Scotland, or Kirkcudbright with its ruined castle. A bit further west is Newton Stewart, possibly less attractive, but with a couple of supermarkets as well as butchers and baker. Wigtown which is the Book Town with numerous second hand bookshops but does have a butchers and co-op and it's not far to drive to Newton Stewart if you want more choice.

There is information about Farmer's Markets here.

There are ruined castles at Cardoness, Carsluith and Kikcudbright as well as ruined abbeys at Glenluce, Dundrennan, Sweetheart and Whithorne. Gardens include those at Threave and also Port Logan.

The Walk Highland site gives lots of ideas for walking.

Also Undiscovered Scotland has lots of ideas too.

I thoroughly second Wasleys on Dumfries and Galloway, being a worthwhile destination.

It is a little known fact that the two highest villages in Scotland are not in the Highlands, but in Lanarkshire (just across the county line from D and G)- Leadhills and Wanlockhead. You can even pan for gold there (but don't expect to go home rich)- see this lovely new video from Steve Marsh.
They are easily accessible off the M74 as you dash north, and is very rugged country.
For D and G turn left at the end of the M6 at Carlisle- you are at Dumfries in under the hour and Stranraer in around 2 1/2 hours.
There is a lot of history to be found in D and G.
If you want a bit of guidance to your journey through the County you can always follow the SWC300 [South West Coastal] Driving Route.
The Southern Upland Way (which can be walked in stages) is as good walking as you'll find further north and ne'er a soul to be seen.

I am in D and G for 5 days in June. I am yet to decide whether to write a trip report, as my travelling style is not one which seems to meet with approval from some of the regular posters on this forum, and it is partly a working visit. Any UK trip I take is an amalgam of a working visit and a vacation, which means that I am quite, even very, quirky.

quite, even very, quirky.

That is good isn31c. It makes a change from the mundane and predictable! There ae so many interesting places to be found if you are prepared to do a bit of digging and get away from the itineraries plugged in the guide books. The remains of the Mulberrry harbours in Garlieston is a good example.

Enjoy your trip.

Wonderful help! Thank you!

Hi nhwfastlane -

As far as I can see, nobody’s mentioned it, so I will - Arran. It’s got a bit of everything - mountains, valleys, coastal walking, megalithic sites, a complete circuit of of the island on foot, castle, distilleries, a Buddhist monastery (bills itself as multi faith, but….) - not for nothing is it known as ‘Scotland in Miniature’.

Your only problem might be getting there and back on the ferry. CalMac’s ferry woes are well documented/publicised and they hope to be operating a two ferry service from Ardrossan to Brodick again for this summer (fingers crossed). Make sure you book the ferry well in advance especially if you plan to take a car over and, again, fingers crossed! It’s worth the stress once you are there and hopefully they’ll be back to stress free normal by summer of this year!

Ian

I am yet to decide whether to write a trip report, as my travelling style is not one which seems to meet with approval from some of the regular posters on this forum.

Ha, I agree with wasleys - it's good to shake things up a bit. :)

That was what I set up a blank photo album for last night on Google- until a few weeks ago on this forum I didn't even know that was a thing you could do.
It's been too many years since there has even been any point to me in taking vacation images so I am totally out of practice on that, and I only ever normally journal when on an ocean voyage.
I read all the time on this forum that 2 hours is the maximum suggested day trip time travel time, including this week from a Lonely Planet guidebook writer about Holland. The week after next I have two x 4 hour each way day trips in 3 days. To me that is nothing exceptional.
Yesterday when I read the 'break a journey from London to Edinburgh at York' thread I wondered what I am doing wrong. I would do that any day of the week without even thinking about it.
My record is a horribly delayed 6 hour outward day trip (should have been just over 4), with 90 seconds on site, before I had to turn round for the 4 and a bit hour trip back as I had a fixed and immoveable time I had to be home again. Stress levels were off the scale that day- it turned into dogged determination, that to get to somewhere which is 45 miles from home as the crow flies could ever take such a ludicrous amount of time and effort.