Scotland
Scotland
A comprehensive handbook covering the finest walks, scrambles, climbs and ski tours in Scotland, with a variety of wild landscapes ranging from the Southern Uplands to the great granite plateaus of the Cairngorms and jagged arêtes of the Cuillin on the Isle of Skye. All the information the independent mountain lover needs for any activity.Explore the wild beauty and endless variety of Scotland’s mountains, where classic walks and long-distance trails wind through rolling hills, dramatic peaks, ancient forests and sparkling lochs. From gentle lowland rambles to high mountain adventures, Scotland offers something for every outdoor enthusiast, including opportunities for scrambling, climbing and ski touring amidst some of the UK’s most inspiring landscapes.
This large-format guide from the experts at Cicerone is your ultimate planning resource for exploring all of Scotland’s mountainous regions. Organised by area, each chapter highlights significant glens, massifs and notable hills, including all 282 Munros and the Corbetts, to help you choose the perfect adventure. Rather than providing detailed route descriptions, the guide brings each region to life through vivid overviews of classic ascents, memorable walks, and long-distance journeys, making it ideal for both first-time visitors and experienced mountain lovers seeking new perspectives.
- Seven regional chapters spanning the Southern Uplands, Cairngorms, Islands, and the southern, central, western and northern Highlands, with insights into iconic locations such as Ben Nevis, Loch Lomond, Torridon, the Isle of Skye and more.
- Inspiring overviews of classic hill walks, airy scrambles, legendary rock climbs, winter mountaineering routes, and thrilling ski tours, from famous ascents up Ben Nevis to ski traverses in the Cairngorms and dramatic ridge walks in Torridon.
- Practical guidance on when to go, Scottish mountain weather, travel options, accommodation (including bothies, hostels and campsites), equipment, and mountain safety, including avalanche risk and seasonal advice.
- Fascinating context on Scotland’s geology, the history of mountaineering, Gaelic place-names, national parks and protected areas, as well as the country’s distinctive flora and fauna.
- Essential planning information including access, suggested bases for each region in Scotland, recommended maps and guidebooks, and summary boxes with further resources at the end of each chapter.
- Comprehensive lists of Munros (mountains over 3000ft) and Corbetts (2500–3000ft), perfect for peakbaggers and anyone seeking new challenges.
Combining expert knowledge, practical advice and inspiring photography, this definitive Cicerone guide is the perfect companion for planning unforgettable days in the Scottish mountains, whether you’re aiming for a classic summit, a long-distance trek, or an escape into the quiet wilds of Scotland’s spectacular landscapes.
Scotland – Quick Facts
Location: Mountainous regions across Scotland, including the Southern Uplands, Cairngorms, Islands, and the southern, central, western and northern Highlands
Coverage: Inspiring overviews of the best walks, scrambles, climbs and ski tours in all major Scottish ranges
Focus: Area-by-area highlights of classic ascents, long-distance walks, hillwalking, mountaineering, and outdoor adventures
Difficulty: Suitable for walkers, hillwalkers, and mountaineers of all levels; includes options from gentle low-level walks to challenging mountain outings
Navigation: Overview and planning guide; recommends the best maps and guidebooks for each region
Highlights: Iconic peaks and landscapes including Ben Nevis, the Cairngorms, Loch Lomond, Torridon, the Cuillin on Skye, and all 282 Munros and the Corbetts
Base locations: Suggested bases and accommodation for each region, including information on bothies, hostels and campsites
Best season: Year-round opportunities; summer offers the most accessible walking, while winter requires additional skills and equipment for snow and ice
Author Highlight
“Scotland is not a big country but it is largely made up of wild mountainous terrain. The mountains may not be high compared with those in other countries – only ten are above 1200m – but many are steep and dramatic and rise directly from sea level. There is a huge variety of scenery packed into this small country. Whether you like climbing steep rock cliffs, snow and ice mountaineering, walking long ridges, skiing over great plateaus, bagging summits, threading a way through the glens, camping beside remote lochans or wandering through old forests the Scottish mountains have something to offer.”
- Chris Townsend, author of Scotland
Printed book
A guidebook with detailed route descriptions, stage breakdowns, accommodation listings, profiles and maps - everything you need on the trail.
ISBN
9781852844424
Availability
Published
Reprinted
6 Dec 2021
Published
20 Oct 2010
Edition
First
Pages
560
Size
23.40 x 15.60 x 3.15cm
Weight
1220g
eBook
The complete digital edition of the guidebook, with full route descriptions, accommodation listings, profiles and maps, ready to use on any device. To access your eBook, you will need an eReader app. For more details, visit the eBook FAQs.
Introduction
About this Book
Practicalities
When to Go
Weather
Getting There
Getting Around
Accommodation
Maps and Guidebooks Equipment for Hillwalkers
The Mountains
Topography and Geology
History, Culture and the Rise of Mountaineering
Scottish Mountain Names
National Parks and other Protected Areas
Plant and Animal Life
Mountain Activities
Peakbagging, Hillwalking and Scrambling
Long Distance Routes
Rock Climbing
Winter Mountaineering
Ski Touring and Ski Mountaineering
Responsible Mountaineering
Avalanches
Mountain Rescue
Access
Environmental Ethics
Leave no Litter
Paths
Cross Country
Wild Camping
Camp Fires and Stoves
Sanitation
Plant and Animal Life
CHAPTER 1: The Southern Uplands
1:1 The Southern Upland Way
1:2 The Galloway Hills
1:3 The Carsphairn Hills
1:4 The Lowther Hills
1:5 The Tweedsmuir Hills
1:6 The Moorfoot and Lammermuir Hills
1:7 Outliers
Access, Bases, Maps and Guides
CHAPTER 2: The Southern Highlands
2:1 The Campsie Fells
2:2 The Ochils
2:3 The Rob Roy Way
2:4 The West Highland Way
2:5 Ben Lomond and Loch Lomond
2:6 The Arrochar Alps
2:7 The Ben Lui Hills
2:8 The Trossachs
2:9 Ben More, Stob Binnein and the Crianlarich and Balquhidder Hills
2:10 The Loch Earn and Crieff Hills
2:11 The Glen Lochay Hills
2:12 The Bridge of Orchy Hills
2:13 Ben Lawers and the Tarmachans
2:14 Glen Lyon, Schiehallion and Aberfeldy
Access, Bases, Maps and Guides
CHAPTER 3: The Central Highlands
3:1 Ben Cruachan and Glen Strae
3:2 Glen Etive
3:3 The Black Mount
3:4 The West Highland Way
3:5 Glen Coe
3:6 Beinn a’Bheithir and Glen Creran
3:7 Rannoch Moor
3:8 The Mamores
3:9 Ben Nevis
3:10 The Aonachs and the Grey Corries
3:11 Loch Treig
3:12 Loch Ossian
3:13 The Ben Alder and Laggan Hills
3:14 The West Drumochter Hills
3:15 The Monadh Liath
3:16 Creag Meagaidh and the Loch Laggan Hills
3:17 Glen Roy
3:18 Long Walks
Access, Bases, Maps and Guides
CHAPTER 4: The Cairngorms
4:1 East Drumochter, The Gaick and Minigaig
4:2 Glen Tilt
4:3 Pitlochry and Killiecrankie
4:4 Glen Shee and the Cairnwell Pass
4:5 The Angus Glens: Glen Clova, Glen Doll and Glen Esk
4:6 Deeside
4:7 Strathspey
4:8 The Lairig an Laoigh Area
4:9 The Ben Macdui and Cairngorm plateau
4:10 Lairig Ghru
4:11 Glen Feshie
4:12 The Speyside Way
Access, Bases, Maps and Guides
CHAPTER 5: The Western Highlands
5:1 Ardgour, Morvern, Sunart and Moidart
5:2 Glenfinnan and Loch Eil
5:3 The Great Glen
5:4 Loch Arkaig, Glen Kingie, Glen Pean and Glen Dessary
5:5 Knoydart
5:6 The Glenelg Peninsula
5:7 North Loch Quoich and South Glen Shiel
5:8 Kintail and North Glen Shiel
5:9 Glen Affric and North Strath Cluanie
5:10 Glen Cannich, Glen Strathfarrar, Loch Monar, Strathconon and Glen Carron
5:11 The Cape Wrath Trail: Fort William to Achnashellach
Access, Bases, Maps and Guides
CHAPTER 6: The Northern Highlands
6:1 Applecross and Coulin
6:2 Torridon
6:3 Letterewe, Fisherfield and Dundonnell: Loch Maree to Loch Broom
6:4 The Fannaichs
6:5 Beinn Dearg and Easter Ross
6:6 Coigach and Assynt
6:7 The Far North
6:8 The Cape Wrath Trail: Achnashellach to Cape Wrath
6:9 The Sutherland Trail: Lochinver to Tongue
Access, Bases, Maps and Guides
CHAPTER 7: The Islands
7:1 Arran
7:2 Jura
7:3 Mull
7:4 Rum
7:5 Skye
7:6 Harris
7:7 South Uist
Access, Bases, Maps and Guides
APPENDIX A Glossary of Common Mountain Words in Gaelic and Scots
APPENDIX B Bibliography and Further Reading
APPENDIX C Current List of Munros
APPENDIX D Current List of Corbetts
Appendix E Index of Maps
INDEX
Seasons
year-round!
Must See
Ben Nevis, the Cairngorms, Loch Lomond, Torridon, the Isle of Skye and much, much more; all the major peaks, passes and lochs covered
A summary box at the end of each chapter gives information on access and accommodation plus recommended maps, guidebooks and other relevant literature.
October 2014
Updates
Updates (to 2010 guide)
Acknowledgements Thanks to our mountain-running reader from Stirling for pointing out the following error:
Page 96 Map: King's Seat Hill (648m) should be positioned on the peak approx. 2cm north-east of it's current position.
April 2012
Acknowledgements Thanks to Stuart Fisher and Thomas Murray for pointing out errors in the first print run.
Page 13 Col 1 Line 4: “A mere” should be “Roughly”
Page 13 Col 1 Line 5: “441” should be “450”
Page 13 Col 1 Line 6: “248” should be “246”
Page 13 Col 1 Line 7: before “Scotland” add “mainland”
Page 18 Col 1 Line 13: “59°” should be “61°”
Page 159 lines 4–5: “old rotting pier” should be “a pier used for taking out timber”
Page 206 Loch Ossian, first paragraph, line 7: should read “at the west end of the loch“
Page 230 and 325 the maps should read “Well of the Seven Heads“
Page 305 Col 2 Para 2 Line 12: before “Point of Ardnamuchan” add “Corrachadh Mor close to the”
Page 308 Map Creach Bheinn should be 853 not 583
Page 317 Glenfinnan, first paragraph, line 7: “A803“ should be “A830“
Page 321 col 2 Streap line 16: “a few hundred metres before the bothy” should be “(a few hundred yards further along the track is the site of the Gleann Dubh Lighe bothy, which burnt down in 2011).”
Page 326 The Great Glen Geography and Geology, line 6: “south-west“ should be “north-east“
Page 329 Col 2 Ben Tee line 1: “774m” should be “904m”
Page 344 Col 1 Meall nan Eun line 1: “928m” should be “667m”
Page 410 Col 2 6:3 Para 2, line 2: after “this region” add “though in 2011 surveyors for the Munro Society measured Beinn a’Chlaidheimh as just below Munro height, making it a Corbett. However, the Scottish Mountaineering Club are waiting for the Ordnance Survey to update its maps before officially confirming this so it’s still a Munro in Munro’s Tables.”
Page 410 Col 2 6:3 Para 2, line 17: after “916m”: add “in Munro’s Tables but resurveyed in 2011 as 913.96m”.
Page 410 Col 2 6:3 Para 2, line 21: “910”, should be “906”
Page 417 col 2 The Gleann na Muice Ridge, 7 lines from the bottom: “lonf” should be “long”
Page 417 col 2 The Fisherfield Six line 1: “Munros” should be “hills”
Page 428 Col 2 The hills around Beinn Dearg, lines 2–3: delete “no other hill this far north breaches 1000m”
Page 452 Col 2 Ben Stack line 1: “is the most northerly Graham” should be “is one of the most northerly Grahams”
Page 452 Col 2 Meall Horn and Sabhal Beag line 3, after Sabhal Beag add “, the most northerly Graham,”
Page 480 “Biod Buidhe“ should be “Bioda Buidhe“
Page 498 Sgurr na Banachdich col 2 lines 8–9: “easternmost” (twice) should be “westernmost”
October 2010
Correction
The caption for the frontispiece photograph opposite the Acknowledgments, should be "Sgurr nan Clach Geala from Carn na Criche in the Fannaichs".
Update
Re Introduction, page 41, para 2 and Chapter 4, Introduction, page 240, para 2
The Cairngorms National Park was enlarged to 4,528 km2 in September 2010 and now includes Blair Atholl, Glen Tilt, Beinn a’Ghlo, Glen Shee and Killiekrankie in the south-west of the region.
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