walking tours

Hi Pepita,

Sadly, my favorite walking tour guide has retired. : ( But I can give you some good suggestions. First, I always recommend staying in the Inverness area--the city, on the Black Isle, in Strathpeffer, maybe Beauly. The advantage is from Inverness you can get to day walks in the west, north, east and the Cairgorms within an hour or so. Also, my walks have always been around the Lochs and not up the Munros. If you want the latter, you'll need to look for other advice. Here are some of my favorites.

Ullapool Hills. Here's a Scotsman article on it. There are lots of paths in the area. Also, further west is Stac Pollaidh. You don't have to climb the mountain it's a nature reserve. I didn't climb it.

Cairngorms and Rothiemurchus Estate. There are lots of different types of walks here. When we were there in August one year, the heather was madly blooming.

Glen Affric. This is a beautiful glen. The first time we went, we walked all the way around the Loch. Ever since then we've just prowled around and enjoyed the views and then headed back to the car park.

Loch Maree and Gairloch. This is a beautiful Loch and there are lots of walks in the area.

Culbin Sands. When there is a black cloud over most of Scotland, it often seems that Culbin Sands are clear. It's on the shore of the Moray Firth and is past Nairn. You can walk through the forest and out to the beach. Then walk along the beach watching for birds, otters and seals and enjoying the views of the firth.

There are two other areas that I really enjoy, but they are further south in Perthshire. They are Dunkeld/Birnam and Aberfeldy. Both have lovely walks.

If you are looking for local walks for a particular area, enter the town name in google and the word walks and see what comes up. To find guides and possible tours search on walking holidays Scotland and many will pop up. I had a friend do one through REI, but I liked using a local company as the customers were not just Americans. My first tour and two Germans, two Dutch, two English and me!

Our first and only walking tour in Scotland was the West Highland Way walk. We started in Milngavie a Glasgow suburb that is reachable by local bus. Tour ended at Fort Williams a week later. Spectacular scenery good food and drink and a whole range of weather.

We returned to Glasgow on the West Highland (train) Line, a scenic journey in reverse. A week outbound, a couple of hours return.

We did the tour as a self-guided but supported tour with luggage transfer service. Contours Walking Holidays did our bookings and all arrangements including maps and guide books.
https://www.contours.co.uk/walking-holidays/west-highland-way.php

Starting in the lowlands, the West Highland Way passes through
woodland and rolling farmland to Loch Lomond and then follows its
shores to the village of Inverarnan at the head of the Loch. Beyond
Inverarnan the trail runs up Glen Falloch past a succession of
dramatic cascades and the village of Crianlarich to the Bridge of
Orchy. It visits Loch Tulla and then crosses the bleak expanses of
Rannoch Moor to the shelter of the Kingshouse Hotel. Continuing past
mighty Buachaille Etive Mor, which guards the entrance to Glencoe, the
West Highland Way climbs the 'Devil's Staircase', which provides
magnificent mountain views, before descending to the village of
Kinlochleven at the head of Loch Leven. The final stage of this
spectacular trail crosses the Lairigmor pass to Glen Nevis and the
busy little town of Fort William, with glorious views of Loch Leven,
the pinnacled ridge of the Aonach Eagach and the vast bulk of Ben
Nevis.