You're probably still quite new to hillwalking, perhaps you've tried a few local or smaller hills and you're beginning to get into it but not quite ready to be tackling the big ones on your own. This day follows on from our popular Mountain Skills day or Your First Munro - Ben Lawers days, we have a really straightforward multi-summit day to further whet your appetite.
This day is about you coming along and trying it out, probably meeting and making new friends, having fun in a safe environment and we hope, wanting to come back and do more hills or perhaps you want to learn to navigate or get into some wild camping so you can have multiple days away in our beautiful and amazing mountains.
Ben Vorlich gives a straightforward ascent up a good path to it's summit affording great views south over Perthshire. This is a great Munro for those just beginning their hillwalking career. We would intend to add in Stuc a'Chroin, a near neighbour of Ben Vorlich. It has a short scramble, which can be avoided if necessary, which may add about an hour or so to our day.
Meet at Ardvorlich House, FK19 8QE which is on the single track road on the south side of Loch Earn. There is parking on the verge beside the loch with room for a dozen or so vehicles.
There are several Hotels and B&B's in St Fillans should you wish to stay over. On completion of the walk, we will head into the village for coffee and a blether to finish our day.
Meeting on the 4th August at place and time to be arranged, we will car share to reduce the ferry cost and remove the need to use the infrequent bus service on Jura.
The summer ferry timetable has yet to be arranged.
The round of the Paps of Jura is a bona fide Scottish classic hillwalk. These three great cones of rock and scree give a challenging walk with views that are - on a clear day - unforgettable.
Leaving our starting point, the first objective, Beinn Shianntaidh, looks daunting and quite formidable. We end up battling up scree slopes. This is as tough as the going anywhere on the route. Heading to Beinn an Oir, with the remains of it's Colby Camp, Ordnance Survey in their mapping of the Highlands and Islands.
We continue to Beinn a' Chaolais where there are great views back to the two Paps already climbed.
Descending and heading back, the terrain is pathless and boggy and can be hard going.
We'll return to our accomodation, before taking the ferry out on Sunday.
Accomodation can be found here https://www.welcometojura.com/plan-your-trip/where-to-stay/
Saturday 14 May 2022, starting at 0800
This is a linear, level 3 walk, of just over 20 km and with 2,000 m of ascent taking 9 - 11 hours to complete which runs between Victoria Bridge and the Glencoe Ski Centre.
The Clachet Traverse is a name given to a high level route from Victoria Bridge to Glencoe, crossing the four Munro peaks of The Black Mount. The feeling of isolation in this wild land is fantastic with views that may not be seen if you tackle these peaks by their more traditional hillwalking routes. Very little in the way of paths links the two Munros of Stob a' Choire Odhair, Stob Ghabhar to Creise and Meall a' Bhuiridh and there is steep ground and a short section of narrow ridge to cross. This is a long, challenging day that will challenge your stamina.
We will meet at 0800 in the large public car park beside the Bridge of Orchy Hotel, Bridge of Orchy, PA36 4AD. As it's a linear route, we will position a vehicle at the end of the walk at the Glencoe Ski Centre before returning to the Bridge of Orchy Hotel. The drive from the Hotel round to Victoria Bridge is about 15 minutes on a single track road and it is from here that we begin our walk.
The Hotel offers accommodation, a public bar and restaurant and I've enjoyed more than one cream tea here over the years! It can be a busy Hotel, despite its isolation, it sits on the route of the West Highland Way. Other accommodation can be found in nearby Tyndrum which offers camping and a Hostel at the By The Way
Cost is only £50 per person (maximum group size is 8)
Saturday 15th July 2023 meeting at 0830. A Level 3 walk with a total distance of about 21 km, usually taking between 8 and 10 hours.
We start on good tracks before beginning the ascent of Ben Starav. A big hill that seems to go on forever, remember you started from virtually sea level! Great views out over Glen Etive before we turn and drop into the bealach. It's a 3 km walk out to the outlier Beinn nan Aighenan before returning to the bealach and heading east for the final summit, Glas Bheinn Mhor. A tiring but rewarding day with about 1,500m of ascent.
This is a BIG, fantastic day, highly recommended.
We will meet at 0830 in the Glencoe Ski Centre car park, PH49 4HZ where we will get into as few cars as possible before driving into Glen Etive as parking is very limited at the start\finish of our route.
There are a large variety of accommodation options available in nearby Glencoe with the Clachaig nearby Red Squirrel Campsite ( not sure if opening2023) as well as B&B's, the private Glencoe hostel and the SYHA
Cost is only £50 per person (maximum group size is 8)
The Harvey British Mountain Map for Knoydart, Kintail and Glen Affric shows a hillwalkers paradise with 43 Munros, 21 Corbetts and the 113m high Falls of Glomach on one sheet. Truly an area for the Munro Bagger if ever there was one. Add to this the stunning scenery on the drive into the area on the Road to the Isles and you have a recipe for a spectacular weekend in a magical area. With so much to choose from, it's always going to be challenging to pick a route.
However, I have and what a route! This is another iconic, Scottish Ridge walk. Seven Munros bagged walking almost the entire length of Glen Shiel on its southern side and finishing off with a pint in the Cluanie Inn, a real, old drovers Inn, in the middle of nowhere (recently renovated). Completely off grid, it even generates its own power.
The ridge can be walked from either end with no one way or the other being preferred. The only differences being if you start at the west end, Malagan, you have a further 150m of ascent than if you start at Cluanie. You do, however, have the psychological benefit of being able to see the Pub get closer as you walk East! We will look to tackle it 'downhill' from Cluanie to Malagan unless the weather dictates otherwise. 1,800m of ascent doesn't sound too bad for a seven Munro day but this is a long, tiring walk, please get in touch in advance if you have any concerns about your fitness or stamina for this long day.
There is some light scrambling where hands may be used on at least two sections. These are popular Munros among baggers, seven ticks in one day is a big reward for the effort. Given good weather, the views are stunning, this is a favourite walk of mine in one of Scotland's most beautiful areas.
Citylink run a direct bus service from both Edinburgh and Glasgow to Portree, both of which pass by the front doors of the Cluanie Inn and Kintail Lodge Hotel. If you speak to the driver, they will drop you off and pick you up at both locations. They're very used to walkers using both as a base for Kintail.
Should you prefer, accommodation before or after, can be sought in the Cluanie Inn itself or at the Kintail Lodge Hotel, Invershiel which also has a Hostel. There is a campsite at nearby Shiel Bridge or the Ratagan Youth Hostel.
These five Munros in the Lawers range are Ben Lawers, the 10th highest Munro, Beinn Ghlas, Meall Greigh, Meall Garbh & An Stuc. This walk is better if undertaken from an east to west direction as it involves a steep, rocky scramble up onto An Stuc which is much easier in ascent than descent. There are good paths throughout and this is usually a very fine walk, given the weather, with no real difficulties, other than the short scramble previously mentioned.
The views of Loch Tay and the surrounding area are fantastic and these hills provide a good level of challenge without being too strenuous. Of course, you will still need to possess the stamina and determination for a near 20km day.
We will meet in the free car park at the McLaren Hall, Main Street, Killin, FK21 8UW at 0800. Parking in the village of Lawers is extremely limited so we will take as few vehicles as possible to the Lawers Hotel and begin walk from there. The Lawers Hotel and a local farmer charge £5 per car, per day to park there.
Time and commitments permitting, we will finish our day in the Hotel for a light refreshment and a blether.
Those wishing to stay over in the area might be interested in the following accommodation, as used by clients in the past. killin-hotel.com or breadalbanehouse.com
One for the Munro baggers looking to maximise a day in the hills. The four Munros from Dalrigh, Ben Lui, Beinn a'Chleibh, Ben Oss and Beinn Dubhchraig, are usually completed in two outings. They can be joined fairly easily in a big loop. There are no obvious paths joining the two pairs so navigation is crucial as is the ability to traverse reasonably steep slopes over rough ground, including peat hags.
The walk into Lui from Dalrigh takes us past the site of the Cononish Gold Mine and affords the best view of Lui, straight on and into the beautiful Coire Gaothach We will take in the eastern ridge on our way to the summit of Lui to pay our respects to the four men killed when their Lockheed Hudson Mk3 crashed into the hillside in 1941. The wreckage can still be seen and is currently lying across the path.
We will meet at 0800 in the car park at Dalrigh, which is signposted, and just of the A82 south of Tyndrum. The Green Welly cafe in Tyndrum is usually open from 0700 serving breakfast rolls and coffee if you want to get there early and take on fuel.
Be prepared for potentially 10 - 12 hours on the hill, a long 28km, challenging day where your stamina will be tested.
Ben Cruachan is famous for the power station built inside the mountain, fed water from the loch some 400m above, it can react to demand for power from the grid within seconds and is an engineering marvel, well worth a visit. For us hillwalkers though, it's a lovely peak, easily spotted from anywhere in the southern highlands with it's distinctive alpine pointed shape.
This is a lovely circular walk, with a distance of about 15 km and 1,400m of ascent. Sea level starts always do that to you! It will take between 7 and 9 hours to complete both of these Munros.
Due to extremely limited parking at the start of the walk and indeed anywhere within several miles for large numbers of vehicles that we may be bringing, we will meet in the car park of The Green Welly Stop, Tyndrum FK20 8RY at 0800. We will transfer into as few vehicles as possible for the 25 minute drive down to the start.
The Green Welly cafe stop opens at 0700 for breakfast if you fancy arriving early and taking on some fuel for the day ahead. I'll be there early for coffee and a bacon roll.
One for the Munro baggers looking to maximise a day in the hills. You'll need to have a good level of fitness and capable of maintaining a reasonable pace of 4km\hour to get the most out of this day.
The Glas Maol circuit is a fairly straight forward walk with it's high start point near the Glenshee Ski Centre. The plateau is reasonably flat and featureless meaning good progress can be made between the munro summits. It can be boggy, especially out by Tolmount and Tom Buidhe and navigation can be challenging in poor visibility.
This is a long day at 30 km, high on the plateau above the Cairnwell Pass, taking in the six munros of Carn an Tuirc, Cairn of Claise, Tolmount, Tom Buidhe, Glas Maol and Creag Leacach. We will also take in the beautiful view of Coire Loch Kander from the plateau, a minor detour.
We will meet at the car park in front of the Glenshee Ski Centre at Cairnwell for 0830am.
If staying the night before\after, previous clients have used the Youth Hostel in Braemar. There are Hotels and B&B's available in the village also as well as a campsite.
Why not join us on Sunday for the Glas Tulaichean circuit, just a few miles down the road at Spittal of Glenshee.
A fantastic day walk with some mild scrambling across the rocky ridge, where hands may be required, in the magical area of Kintail. Views out to the west across the sea towards Skye are stunning.
Meeting at 0830 in the Jac-O-Bite restaurant car park, Ault-a-chruinn, Kyle of Lochalsh, IV40 8HN. (I believe the restaurant is currently closed down) We will leave a vehicle here at the end point before driving up the Glen together to our start point.
We will ascend steeply, direct from the roadside, up to the Bealach an Lapan then head west. Each of the three main summits we encounter are Munros, Sgurr na Ciste Duibhe, Sgurr na Carnach and Sgurr Fhuaran. The remaining two summits make up the five sisters but these tops are not classified as Munros or Corbett. This is a 15km day with 1,400m of ascent and should take us about 8 hours to complete.
Citylink run a direct bus service from both Edinburgh and Glasgow to Portree, both of which pass by the front doors of the Cluanie Inn and Kintail Lodge Hotel. If you speak to the driver, they will drop you off and pick you up at both locations. They're very used to walkers using both as a base for Kintail.
Previous clients have stayed at the Cluanie Inn, or at the Kintail Lodge Hotel, Invershiel which also has a Hostel. There is a Scottish Youth Hostel at nearby Rattagan. Camping is available at nearby Morvich
Why not make a weekend of it and join us for the South Glen Shiel Ridge on Saturday
Meeting at 0830 in the Cluanie Inn car park which is on the roadside of the A87 by the end of Loch Cluanie. We will place a vehicle at the end of the walk before beginning from the Cluanie Inn, returning for coffee or a pint once finished.
We will ascend direct from the car park, heading up onto the Brothers Ridge for the first of our three Munro summits, Aonach Meadhoin. Now it's easy ground across the ridge to the magnificent cairn (main photo) atop Sgurr a Bhealaich Dheirg, one of my favourites. We drop down now before reascending the final summit of the day, Saileag and then steeply down to the main road below to the vehicle we placed earlier. This is an 11km day with 1,200m of ascent and should take us about 7 hours to complete.
Citylink run a direct bus service from both Edinburgh and Glasgow to Portree, both of which pass by the front doors of the Cluanie Inn and Kintail Lodge Hotel. If you speak to the driver, they will drop you off and pick you up at both locations. They're very used to walkers using both as a base for Kintail.
Previous clients have stayed at the Cluanie Inn, or at the Kintail Lodge Hotel, Invershiel which also has a Hostel. There is a Scottish Youth Hostel at nearby Rattagan. Camping is available at www.shielbridgecaravanpark.co.uk
You are looking for something a little more challenging, having completed your first few single Munro days. Maybe thinking of multiple summits, pushing yourself a wee bit further.
Beinn a'Ghlo is a fantastic massif of some 22 km including over 1,200m of ascent. It's a mini mountain range all in itself with three separate peaks, all Munros, on its massive bulk.
It has a relatively high start\finish point of around 340m at the car park at Loch Moraig and the going is mainly on good paths, although there are areas of wet, boggy ground. The initial ascent up Carn Liath is on a steep, scarred path which you can see from the A9.
It will take between 7 and 9 hours to complete all three Munros. Group fitness may determine whether two or three of the Munro summits can be achieved and your guide will make a decision based on this during the walk.
Due to the time of year, it's highly likely we'll be returning in the last of the daylight so a headtorch with spare batteries will be essential.
We will meet in the car park of The Atholl Country Life Museum, Old School, Blair Atholl, Pitlochry PH18 5SP which is on the main road (B8079) as you drive through the village, at 0830. From here we will make our way together up the single track road to the car park at Loch Moraig to begin the walk.
Blair Atholl is on the main bus and train routes from both Edinburgh and Glasgow. Car sharing is encouraged wherever possible. The excellent https://www.blairatholl.org.uk/wheretostay/ has a list of several places to stay in the area should you be looking for accommodation before or after the event.
Cost is only £50 per person (maximum group size is 8)
The two Achaladair munros, Beinn Achaladair and Beinn a' Chreachain, rise abruptly from the south side of Rannoch Moor and can look slightly intimidating from this angle They are a fine walk though and have excellent views, especially out across the moor. They provide a good days walk of some 20 odd km with a little bit of everything thrown in, a river crossing, pathless, steep terrain, narrow ridge, fine woodland and much more.
There is a new walkers car park just off the main road as you enter the track to Achallader farm. We will meet here at 0830 and decide on whether a clockwise or anti-clockwise journey is best for our weather forecast, paying attention especially to any rain so we can make the right decision for the river crossing.
Achallader is on the main A82 road so bus and train links into nearby Bridge of Orchy are excellent. Previous clients have stayed at the Bridge of Orchy Hotel or the West Highland Sleeper situated at the railway station. The Inveroran Hotel is a 10 minute drive from Bridge of Orchy or By The Way campsite in Tyndrum, just 15 minutes.
Group size is limited to 8 only, book early to secure your space.
Buachaille Etive Mor has to be one of the most photographed mountains in Scotland, instantly recognisable when seen from the A82 as you approach Glen Coe, it looks magnificent and how a proper mountain should look!
Our day begins at the layby at Altnafeadh, opposite the mountain on the main A82 road. There are two Munros on the Buachaille, Stob Dearg at 1022m and Stob na Broige at 956m and we will traverse the ridge taking in both summits. The views from the top are breathtaking in all directions but especially of Rannoch Moor and Glen Etive. An iconic mountain that everyone should have on their list.
We have a rocky ascent via the corrie followed by a straightforward ridge walk. Return is via a steep path with a bum-slide on some slabs by the burn. Lots of fun! The whole day should take no more than eight hours.
Previous clients have stayed at the SYHA or the private Hostel, both in Glencoe. Camping at the Red Squirrel or in either the newly rebuilt Kingshouse Hotel or the iconic Clachaig Inn.
Beinn a'Bheithir is the name given to the magnificent two munros that sit directly behind Ballachulish. Driving south from Fort William gives an impressive view as you approach the Ballachulish bridge, gazing up into the corrie with the peaks sitting either side.
This route is affectionately known as the Schoolhouse ridge, starting from the village school and climbing the excellent ridge to Sgorr Bhan before arriving on the summit of the first munro, Sgorr Dhearg. Across to the lower but more exciting viewpoint of Sgorr Dhonuill doesn't take long with it's short, rocky scramble up onto the summit a real highlight (no difficulties) before descending back to the carpark by one of the three options available, depending on the weather and how our day has gone up to this point.
A real classic ridgewalk, not to be missed.
There are a large variety of accommodation options available in nearby Glencoe with the www.clachaig.com nearby www.redsquirrelcampsite.co.uk as well as B7B's, private Hostel www.glencoehostel.co.uk and the SYHA.
Meet at 0830 in the car park outside the Tourist Information and Visitor Centre (across from the Coop) in Albert Road, Ballachulish, PH49 4JB
It seems to be the fashion these days to tackle these as two seperate days. It's not necessary to have two trips, they can be combined from Glen Etive and give a fantastic day out. Part of the route is pathless and there's some steep ground to be negotiated but making our own way to connect the two is part of the fun.
These are often the forgotten Munros of Glencoe being hidden behind their more illustrious neighbours. Don't let that fool you, these are two cracking hills, especially from this direction and will require good fitness and stamina for the rough ground. The views are absolutely worth it though.
Parking is limited in Glen Etive so we're going to meet at the Glen Coe Ski Centre where we'll leave some vehicles. We'll car-share for the short journey down Glen Etive before starting the walk.
Previous clients have stayed at the SYHA or the private Hostel, both in Glencoe. Camping at the Red Squirrel or in either the newly rebuilt Kingshouse Hotel or the iconic Clachaig Inn.
People ask me what my favourite mountain is all the time. It's a difficult one to answer when we have so much choice in Scotland. This one is always high on my list though, it's just stunning in my view.
This is a fantastic walk, only 11km long but with lots of steep rock, some loose scree, amazing views and will take between 6 - 8 hours to complete.
After leaving the vehicles in the layby we drop into the glen on a good track which takes us quickly over the bridge and then into the gap between two of the three sisters, Gear Aonach and Aonach Dubh. We follow the track up into the Coire nan Lochan before popping out beside the waterfall onto a plateau with the great buttresses ahead. All hidden from view way back down by the road, you are now just entering the massive bulk of this mountain.
Passing the lochans we will pick our way up onto the ridge before soon coming to a cairn. Not the summit though as Stob Coire nan Lochan is too close to the main summit to qualify for a Munro. Onwards to the high point of Bidean nam Bian at 1150m. South east from here, carefully down to the bealach at the head of The Hidden Valley, passing our descent spot before climbing again to the second Munro summit of Stob Coire Sgreamhach. Return to the bealach and descend steeply into the Hidden Valley, wondering at the scenery and listening to your guide as they recount some of the history of this magical place. Pick up the path through this remote place and descend out the narrow entrance back into Glencoe and return to the start.
Meet at the Three Sisters of Glencoe car park half way up Glen Coe at NN170569. If coming down the road, it's the first carpark on your left just after you pass the whitewashed cottage at Allt-na-ruigh.
Previous clients have stayed at the SYHA in Glencoe. There are B&B's and Hotels in the village of Glencoe also which are close to the start of the walk.
These are much better hills to be on than you think. Neither of them look at their best when driving on the A82, both being overshadowed by the grand Buachaille Etive Mor and the open space of Rannoch Moor. Once you're on the west ridge of Meall a' Bhuiridh though you start to see the true character of both. The ridge linking them is lovely, rocky and delightfully narrow enough to require a tiny bit of care and attention but never anything to be concerned about. Just about the right level of fun and reward.
We'll meet at the Glencoe Mountain Resort car park (car parking charge) for 0830 and begin from here. Straight up under the gondola then across some boggy ground to pick up the ridge. Straight up to the summit of Meall a' Bhuiridh for the extensive views, see the accompanying photo. Down the ridge linking it to Creise then out to the cairn with more outstanding views. About turn and return the same way.
Seven hours is a reasonable time to tackle these two, not a big day due to the high start\finish at the Ski centre.
Temporary cafe is open at the ski centre while the new one is being built. The Kingshouse Hotel is only five minutes away so there are options for coffee and cake on completion.
This is a truly fantastic walk, it has great variety, a river crossing, steep ascents, ridges, scrambling and exposure; it really does have it all across this wonderful route. There are two sections of Grade 1 scrambling where hands may be needed.
The Ring of Steall is well known in Scottish hillwalking folklore as a classic route combining four Munros with scrambling along narrow aretes. The route starts with a walk in from the Falls of Steall and up onto An Gearanach then Stob Choire a Chairn, Am Bodach and then across the Devils Ridge to Sgurr a'Mhaim before a descent out to the car park at the Polldubh falls.
Total distance is about 16k (10 miles) and I'd expect to be out for between 7 - 9 hours to complete this walk.
We will meet at the Ben Nevis Visitor Centre, Glen Nevis, PH33 6PF before driving down the Glen to the start of the route.
There are a large variety of accommodation options available in Fort William including Hostels, B&B and Hotels. Buses and trains are frequent from the Central Belt.
This is a beautiful walk into the Mounth to bag these three Munros which sit quite close together. I've marked it as moderately challenging due to the distance being some 30 km but it's not a particularly difficult day, providing you are fit enough for the distance of course. There is an excellent track from the start, virtually to the summit of Glas Tulaichean. We follow the old railway line built in the early 1900's to provide quarried stone for the castle. Going is good on the track and height is gained gradually so a good pace can be kept.
From Tulaichean we're off the track now and onto more rough and boggy ground first across to Carn an Righ and then to add in Beinn Lutharn Mhor. Not the normal route this one but as it's so close and we're out here anyway, why not tag it on! Back to the Loch nan Eun, shown in the picture, and here we can see the long winding path down through the glen and back to the Spittal. I love that view and I love the walk out from the Loch at 800m down Gleann Taitneach and the 10 km back to the car.
If you wanted to stay over in the area, there's Dalmunzie Castle Hotel or the Hotel at Bridge of Cally, only 20 minutes down the road. Sadly the Hotel at Spittal of Glenshee burned down several years ago, you'll see the charred remains as you drive onto the road to Dalmunzie.
Why not join us for the Glas Maol 6 on the saturday and make a big weekend?
Stob a'Choire Odhair has possibly the finest views of Rannoch Moor of any of the Black Mount peaks. Accessed from Victoria Bridge on the West Highland Way, initially on a good path, this soon gives way to a steep climb onto the shoulder before the path becomes intermittent about 300m from the summit.
We summit to those stunning views before heading down the spur and the steep climb up onto the Couloir Buttress of Stob Ghabhar with the summit coming up soon after. At 1090m high, this is a fine viewpoint also, looking into the Black Mount, Glencoe and beyond. Descending by a small waterfall and rejoining the inward track, we are soon down and on the walk out.
A fine horseshoe walk that provides a variety of terrain from easy paths to a narrow ridge section and everything in between.
We will meet at the public car park beside the Bridge of Orchy Hotel, PA36 4AD at 0830 before getting into as few vehicles as possible and driving round the single track road to the car park near Victoria Bridge to begin the walk.
Most of the current hill walking resources don't list the complete traverse of the Grey Corries ridge, for some unknown reason, they miss out Stob Ban, meaning a long walk back in for this solitary Munro for all those who missed it off. We will be including the wonderful Stob Ban on this walk as we traverse the whole ridge.
After a short, steep descent from Stob Ban to the lochan at the head of Coire Rach it's only a 1km walk (steeply) up the south spur to the summit of Stob Choire Claurigh. After this second summit, there's very little ascent\descent when up on the ridge and it's really just a case of enjoying the views and pacing yourself for the distance. From Stob Coire Easain it's out and back to the outlier Sgurr Choinnich Mor, which has a relatively low bealach and steep sides meaning some hands on my be needed, before dropping off the ridge into the trees and returning to the car.
Meeting at 0800 at the free car park to the rear of the Spean Bridge Woolen Mill, PH34 4EP where we will leave as many cars as possible before driving out to the start of the walk which is up a rough track from Corriechoille Farm.
After leaving the vehicles in the layby on the forestry track, we will head of along the excellent landrover track to the base of Stob Ban by the Lairig bothy.
There are a number of B&B's and a Hotel in Spean Bridge or a large variety of accommodation in nearby Fort William including Hostels, B&B and Hotels. Buses and trains are frequent from the Central Belt to Fort William.
