Hi everybody and welcome to the site, before you ask I'm not related to the famous
one,
( that's Sean, for the hard of thinking).
I'm Tony Connery and as the title tells you the site is basically about hillwalking in Scotland.
The duration of the walks here are only my recommendations and
certainly the areas included here have many more other activities
going on apart from walking, so you may choose your own length of stay and where
you stay, be it
caravan, hotel
or campsite.
Me, I'm a tent and stove man.
I would always recommend that you purchase Ordinance Survey maps of the area you find yourself in, they are invaluable and there are usually plenty of simpler local maps available from tourist offices etc. Remember to prepare yourself well and wear appropriate clothing and footwear for your walks. Weather conditions can change faster than you can imagine in the Scottish climate.
Public transport in Scotland is very reliable, be it bus or train or if you want to spoil yourself, what about a long distance taxi ride in comfort.
Taxis. Buses. Trains. Ferries.
Read on and enjoy.
I spent a long weekend on the campsite
just outside Arrochar.The walks included Glen
Shira and Glen Kinglas, both off the A83 past the Rest And Be Thankful. Both walks have man
made paths and are both 4hrs return, noteable mountains include
Beinn an Lochain(901) and Beinn Ime(1011). Great scenery and
easy walking.
About 1 mile past the campsite is a Scottish Tourist Centre which is also the start of a man made loop the loop walk of 2-3hrs which at its highest point (with picnic area) gives an excellent view of Loch Long looking down to Arrochar.
For the more energetic of you there is always the famous Cobbler (Ben Arthur)884, which is a
great favourite of
Scottish hill
climbers.
One of my favourite one day trips has been to the Trossachs.
Myself and one of my amigos travelled up from Glasgow on the A81
as far as Aberfoyle and then took the A821 as far as the
signposts for Loch Katrine.
A relaxed boat trip up the loch in the morning sets you up for an
afternoon ascent of Ben An(461). The start of the walk/climb can be
found opposite the car park which is near the entrance to Loch Katrine.
Clearing the forest line offers a great view of Ben An from below
and 1hr later you find yourself at the summit with the awesome sight of
Loch Katrine below. Definitely worth the sweat and a wee half ofScottish whisky at
the top is well deserved.
Another one day trip with a spot of exercise included is a trip to the Isle of Arran. Catch the ferry from Ardrossan to Brodick and enjoy the 1hr cruise in the Firth of Clyde. From Brodick walk along the coast to Cladach and pick up the trail for Goat Fell (did it really fall?). If you are reasonably fit the walk will take no more than 5hrs maximum and you are rewarded with fine vistas of the mainland from the top.
Back on sea level, to appease your walking exertions, there are plenty of grub pubs along the promenade. Believe it or not, some even have palm trees, now that's a rarity in this neck of the woods.
The northern end of Skye certainly gets a few tourists to its name
but not nearly as much as the south of the island, which houses
the popular Cuillin Hills,
so for that reason, I opted to spend
a week based in the small village of Staffin in the north,
a wee bit quieter, you understand
.
The first walk took me to the Old Man Of Storr, a giant crag, that
can be seen for miles around. The path starts near the bus stop,
about a half mile after Loch Leathan on the A855 and the walk is
relatively easy and can be done up and down in just over 3hrs.
Another easy low level walk starts at Invertote, again on the A855 , the route follows a dismantled railway for about 3 miles and ends at Loch Cuithir, which is overshadowed by the Trotternish Ridge. The whole return walk takes about 3hrs but you can add another hour for an easy ascent of the Ridge.
The Trotternish Ridge can be accessed from various points.
I chose a one day outing starting from the car park on the Uig road
and walked about 4ml (5hrs return) to the summit of Beinn Edra (611),from
where, on a clear day, the Scottish mainland ( Wester Ross and Torridon ) is visible.
The small village of Kenmore,Perthshire,
on the A827 at the eastern end of
Loch Tay is an excellent base from which to conduct your walking or
climbing of the surrounding area.
I pitched tent in the local campsite and was delighted to find a nine hole golf course next door. In between the golf, Schiehallion(1083), Ben Lawers(1214) and Beinn Ghlas were conquered, all of which require a few thigh muscles and a good 5hrs of your time. All have manageable paths, again the views are fantastic.
Just north of Kenmore is Drummond Hill which boasts many forest walks and most will produce a view down Loch Tay, where many watersports can be endulged in.
Kenmore, which is also well within striking distance of the scenic Lochs
Rannoch and Tummel,
is well worth a visit.
Walking the full extent of the West Highland Way (95mls, Glasgow to Fort William.) somehow just doesn't appeal to me, age or laziness, I know not which. However I have managed to pick out two jewels in the crown which may wet your appetite for a wee walk.
Again, another one day shot of 12ml, this walk really lets you know you've reached the Scottish Highlands. Setting off from Bridge of Orchy, with the majestic Beinn an Dothaidh(1000) and Beinn Dorain(1076) on your right, follow the path through the forest with the placid Loch Tulla never far from view.
Leaving the lochside the path rises gently all the way up to Ba Bridge with Beinn Toaig on your right. Have your sandwiches at the Bridge and make your way back.
Have a nice day.
Weather permitting, this is one of the most enjoyable Scottish walks you are bound to encounter in your entire life...seriously.
Park your car somewhere near the Hotel(A82) and pick up the West Highland Way from behind the hotel.
A low level track dominated by Beauchaille Etive Mor on your left and Beinn a' Chrulaiste, on your right, leaves you in no doubt about your place on this planet, the mountains just rise from your feet.
This part of town is the real entrance to Glencoe and the traveller may feel a sense of fear, history and wonder at their surroundings. It has to be tried to sense the feeling. This is an easy walk for the most part until you reach the bottom of the Staircase, then you have to exert yourself a little, but not too much.
Walk the Staircase and look down the
Lairig Gartain valley for one of the best photographs you will
ever take. For your second best photograph, climb a little higher than
the Staircase, westwardly, to Stob Mhic Mhartuin and catch a piccy
of The Three Sisters in the Pass of Glencoe. You can easily be back
at the hotel within 5hrs.
Easy Peezy.
Most people travelling to Lochlomondside usually view the magnificent Scottish scenery from behind the wheel of their car.
Well, fancy a walk?
On the A82, stop the car at Inveruglas and park up at the car park opposite the power station, cross the road and pick up the path. You are now on your way, on a gentle path for a 2hr walk to Loch Sloy.
The first mountain you encounter ,on your left, is A'Chrois(849),
shortly followed, again on the left, by Ben Vane(916), two conical shaped peaks that are well worth a photo opportunity. Looking back down the valley, Ben Lomond(974) is never out of view.
Approaching the loch, Beinn Dubh(773) and Ben Vorlich(943) rise up to surround the loch itself, unfortunately there are no paths around the loch at the moment but by this time you have already been well rewarded.
More renowned for its mountaineering and its skiing, the Cairngorms has all the easy walking tracks you could wish for.
My first day there took me the 4ml. walk from my campsite in Coylumbridge, just outside Aviemore, to the placid Loch Morlich, where all the watersport activities you want are available, there is a beach and a restaurant on the shore and the surrounding hill forests are littered with easy walks, too many to mention here but can be found in local maps.
Second day took me on a 12ml. return walk, again from the campsite, along Gleann Einich to the sprawling heights of Sgor Gaoith(1118) and ending up at Loch Einich, the loch is totally surrounded by mountains and well worth the walk. Be prepared to get your feet wet as a small stream has to be crossed as you near the loch. Long jumpers can handle this in a single bound. The path is man made..easy.
The next escapade was to tackle the Lairig Ghru, a 10ml walk at the foothills of the Gorms, alas, here I failed miserably.
I had done my homework on the Lairig and knew it was not going to be easy, especially when the book tells you to forget the mountain bike. The walk kicks off, again from the campsite(I think I am an agent for that campsite) and begins with 3ml. of forest walk and then into the Lairig. The path gets very rough at times and you have to be pretty fit, thus the reason I only made it out about 7ml to the foot of Braeriach(1296) and Ben Macdui(1295) but not a bad effort at that. Remember on this one you are really out in the wilds and the weather can set in real quick as it did with me which was another reason for returning.
This area is very famous for its distilleries.
Two glens worth visiting off the A82 on Lochlomondside are Glen Luss and Glen Douglas.
Glen Luss.
They are well signposted and are quite similar to the naked eye, although I prefer Douglas as it has that wee bit more in scenic stature.
Glen Douglas.
Be careful walking here because you are actually walking on the road and there are some potentially dangerous blind spots and bends and if you walk the whole of the glens you will arrive at Loch Long.
Loch Lomond from Glen Douglas.
Haste ye back.
Taxis. Buses. Trains. Ferries.
tonyconnery@hotmail.com