Take on 50 of Scotland's greatest mountain days, from the wild and remote Fisherfield Six and the soaring ridges of Liathach and Beinn Alligin in the Northwest Highlands to the Cairngorms 4000-ers, Skye's Trotternish Ridge, and the Rum Cuillin traverse in the islands. Spanning the full breadth of Scotland from Galloway to the Outer Hebrides, this is a handpicked collection of classic routes and unsung gems across some of the most dramatic mountain terrain in Europe.

Designed for experienced hillwalkers, scramblers, backpackers, and ambitious fell runners, this large-format Cicerone guide describes 50 long and challenging routes across Scotland, ranging from 20 to 46km (13–28 miles) and taking between 7 and 20 hours. Each route can be completed as a single big day or backpacked over two days, with many well-suited to winter conditions for those with the appropriate skills and experience.

• Choose from 50 classic and lesser-known mountain routes across Scotland, covering the Northwest Highlands, Lochaber, the Central and Southern Highlands, the Cairngorms, Galloway, and the islands of Arran, Skye, Rum, Harris, and Lewis, with a mix of ridge traverses, horseshoe circuits, and remote multi-summit expeditions.
• Discover highlights including the Fisherfield Six, the Lochaber Traverse, the Mamores, the Glen Coe Circuit, the Cairngorms 4000-ers, Liathach and Beinn Alligin, Ladhar Bheinn and Loch Hourn, the Trotternish Ridge on Skye, and the Rum Cuillin traverse.
• Navigate with confidence using adapted 1:100,000 OS mapping included for each route, with guidance on the recommended OS Explorer and Landranger sheets and Harvey maps for every area of Scotland covered.
• Plan your approach with practical information on public transport, boat and bike access options, accommodation, camping, bothies, and sleeping out, making even the most remote routes accessible with the right preparation.
• Take on the routes year-round, with major seasonal variations noted throughout and winter conditions clearly flagged as more serious and demanding, requiring appropriate skills, equipment, and experience in Scottish mountain terrain.
• Run, walk, or backpack the routes to suit your ambitions, with many routes suitable for fell runners as well as experienced hillwalkers and overnight backpackers, and optional scrambling on a number of the more technical circuits.

Created to inspire a lifetime of Scottish mountain adventures, this is the definitive Cicerone guide for anyone who wants to push themselves further into the wild, remote, and magnificent landscape of the Scottish Highlands and islands.

Great Mountain Days in Scotland – Quick Facts

Location: Scotland – from Galloway in the south to the Outer Hebrides in the north
Routes covered: 50 routes (20–46km/13–28 miles each)
Typical duration: 7–20 hours per route; completable as a single big day or backpacked over 2 days
Difficulty: Long, hard days on rough and remote ground for experienced hillwalkers, overnight backpackers, and ambitious fell runners; some optional scrambling; winter conditions require appropriate skills and equipment
Terrain: Remote mountain ridges, horseshoe circuits, high plateaux, coastal approaches, island terrain, and rough pathless ground throughout Scotland
Navigation/mapping: Adapted 1:100,000 OS mapping included for each route; guidance on recommended OS Explorer, OS Landranger, and Harvey map sheets provided
Key centres: Brodick, Crianlarich, Fort William, Glen Shiel, Torridon, Portree, Stornoway, Ullapool, Tongue, Aviemore, Braemar
Highlights: Fisherfield Six, Lochaber Traverse, the Mamores, Glen Coe Circuit, Cairngorms 4000-ers, Liathach and Beinn Alligin, Ladhar Bheinn and Loch Hourn, Trotternish Ridge, Rum Cuillin traverse, Foinaven, An Teallach
Accommodation & logistics: Information on public transport, boat and bike access, accommodation, camping, bothies, and sleeping out for every route
Best time to go: Year-round; major seasonal variations noted; winter routes require appropriate mountaineering skills and equipment

Author Highlight

“Scottish hill walks offer some of the greatest mountain days of their type to be found anywhere. The Highlands and Islands make an exceptional destination – rugged and remote, yet conveniently compact. This is a small nation full of big country, with a diversity of precious landscapes… Spanning the whole of the country, this book seeks out quality walks from every upland area, a collection that shows off Scotland’s mountains in all their variety.”

- Dan Bailey, author of Great Mountain Days in Scotland

Overview map

Preface

Introduction

Into the wild?
Getting around
Camps, bivvies, bothies and howffs
Maps and guidebooks
Scrambles
Seasonal variations
Hazards
Access – the legal situation
The hill environment
Using this guide

Northwest Highlands

1 Ben Hope and Ben Loyal
2 Ben Klibreck
3 Foinaven
4 Ben More Assynt, Conival and Breabag
5 Suilven and Canisp
6 Seana Bhraigh and Càrn Bàn
7 The Beinn Dearg four
8 Traverse of the Fannaichs
9 An Teallach and the Beinn Deargs
10 Fisherfield Six
11 Beinn Eighe
12 Liathach and Beinn Alligin
13 Coulin Forest
14 Circuit of Loch Monar
15 Loch Mullardoch hills
16 Carn Eige, Sgurr nan Ceathreamhnan and more
17 Cluanie Horseshoe from Glen Affric
18 Beinn Fhada, The Brothers and the Five Sisters
19 South Glen Shiel Ridge to The Saddle
20 Ladhar Bheinn and Loch Hourn
21 The Sgurr na Ciche range – a Rough Bounds round
22 Glen Finnan circuit
23 Beinn Odhar Bheag and the Rois-Bheinn group

Lochaber, the Central and Southern Highlands

24 Creag Meagaidh
25 Ben Alder and the Geal-chàrn group
26 Lochaber Traverse
27 The Mamores
28 Glen Coe circuit
29 Black Mount Traverse
30 Glen Etive hills
31 Ben Cruachan, Beinn Eunaich and Beinn a’ Chochuil
32 Achallader’s five Munros
33 Tyndrum’s five Corbetts
34 Ben Lui, Ben Oss and Beinn Dubhchraig
35 Crianlarich hills
36 Arrochar ‘Alps’
37 Ben Lawers group and the Tarmachan Ridge

Cairngorms

38 Beinn a’Ghlo, the Tarf and the Tilt
39 Munros of Glen Feshie
40 Cairngorms 4000-ers
41 Beinn a’ Bhuird and Ben Avon
42 Lochnagar via The Stuic
43 Glen Clova circuit

Galloway

44 Galloway hills

The Islands

45 Glen Rosa circuit, Arran
46 Cuillin Traverse, Rum
47 Bla Bheinn, Sgurr na Stri and Sligachan, Skye
48 Trotternish Ridge, Skye
49 An Cliseam range, Harris
50 Uig hills, Lewis

Appendix 1    Walk Summary Table
Appendix 2    Key Summits and Ranges
Appendix 3    Further Reading
Appendix 4    Useful Contacts and Websites

Index

Seasons

Routes possible year round, with major seasonal variations noted; winter conditions are more strenuous and serious, demanding appropriate skills and equipment

Centres

Brodick, Crianlarich, Fort William, Glen Shiel, Torridon, Portree, Stornoway, Ullapool, Tongue, Aviemore, Braemar

Difficulty

Long hard days on rough remote ground for fitter, more experienced hill walkers, overnight backpackers and ambitious runners; some optional scrambling; some optional approaches by mountain bike or kayak

Must See

Cairngorms 4000-ers, Arrochar Alps, Tyndrum's five Corbetts, Lochaber Traverse, Ladhar Bheinn and Loch Hourn, circuit of Loch Monar, Liathach and Beinn Alligin, Fisherfield Six, Foinaven from Loch Eriboll, Rum Cuillin traverse, Skye's Trotternish Ridge

Even GPS users should carry a map and compass (and know how to use them) in case of electronic gremlins or battery failure. The Ordnance Survey (OS) produce comprehensive mapping of the whole country in a range of scales, the most useful for walkers being Explorer maps at 1:25,000 and Landranger sheets at 1:50,000. The latter are generally better for long hill walks since they cover more ground per sheet at sufficient (but not excessive) detail. Popular mountain areas are also covered by the small independent cartographer Harvey, their Superwalker (1:25,000) and British Mountain Map (1:40,000) series having been designed to contain only information pertinent to outdoor users. The relevant maps are given in the information box for each walk.

Scotland’s hills must be among the best documented anywhere, covered by a library of guidebooks in a thriving ‘literary’ tradition dating back to the 19th century. Activity-specific guides are available for every mainstream outdoor activity – post-lunch glen strolls, long-distance hikes, serious hill walks, scrambling, climbing, paddling, and cycling in its various sub-genres. Regional guides provide detail on a given area; national guides take a broad-brush approach or (like this book) they cherry pick. There are too many books to list, but for some specific recommendations see Appendix 3.

September 2020

Walk 40

April 2015

Updates

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