Wilderness Walks in Scotland

Explore off-the-beaten track routes through mountains and glens.

Mar 24, 2008

Scotland boasts five official long distance walking routes but you don't have to follow the crowds; there are many rights of way that await exploration.

Scotland's official long distance routes - the West Highland Way, the Southern Upland Way, the Speyside Way, the Great Glen Way, and the Kintyre Way - attract thousands of hikers every year. But there are many ancient highways, drove routes and overlooked rights of way that offer the long distance walker an alternative to these busy routes. Here are five wilderness treks through Scotland's mountains and glens where you can make your own way.

Rannoch Station to Taynuilt - 46 miles (73km)

This classic hike across Rannoch Moor and through Glen Kinglass and Glen Etive has the added bonus of starting and finishing at a railway station, a real advantage for any linear route. Following long established rights of way over the Black Mount and through the remote wilderness of Lorn, the walk offers views across Rannoch Moor to the mountains of Glencoe, a visit to Loch Dochard and a waterfall-strewn descent into isolated Glen Kinglass.

Glen Nevis to Dalwhinnie - 44 miles (70km)

Every year hundreds of walkers trek coast-to-coast across Scotland. The sparsely populated route between Fort William and Dalwhinnie is a popular first leg for many of these hardy hikers and, if you fancy venturing up from the valley floor, it provides access to some remote mountains, including Ben Alder and Beinn Bheoil. Overnight accommodation can be found in bothies at Meannanach, Staoineag and Culra and an SYHA hostel at Loch Ossian.

Inverlael to Bonar Bridge - 33 miles (53km)

There is something rather special about walking coast-to-coast across Scotland, dipping a toe in salt water at the beginning and end of the journey. Many potential routes exist, but the shortest crossings are to be found in Easter Ross where the country narrows dramatically and sea lochs jab deep into the coastline. The route between Inverlael, on Loch Broom, and Bonar Bridge, on the Dornoch Firth, can be done in a very long day, or split over two, offering a fine weekend trek through wild and beautiful glens where tranquil lochs and peaceful woodlands await.

Aviemore to Kirkton of Glenisla - 46 miles (75 km)

One of Scotland's most popular glen walks, the Lairig Ghru cuts a course through the Cairngorms, linking Aviemore with Braemar. It is the first leg of a route that continues south into Angus via another famous right of way, Jock's Road. Rising to a high point of just over 900 metres, this once busy drove route is now a rough and ready trek across wild high ground.

Blair Atholl to Fort Augustus - 63 miles (100 km)

This route combines two ancient Highland highways, the Minigaig Road, between Blair Atholl and Kingussie, and a military road linking Ruthven Barracks, on the outskirts of Kingussie, with Fort Augustus. The Minigaig was built towards the end of the 16th century and replaced an earlier route called Comyn's Road, constructed by David Comyn, Lord of Badenoch. The old Corrieyairack road, between Kingussie and Fort Augustus, was designed to offer speedy passage to soldiers travelling between Ruthven Barracks and forts in the Great Glen. Rising to a high point of 762 metres, a series of zigzags were incorporated into the steeper sections. In winter it was, and still is, often impassable.

The copyright of the article Wilderness Walks in Scotland in Wilderness Backpacking is owned by James Carron. Permission to republish Wilderness Walks in Scotland in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.