A Guide to Scotland's Lesser-Known Hiking Spots
From the West Highland Way to Munro bagging, Scotland is an increasingly popular country for hikers. And with good reason! With its wild landscapes and mountain tops, it presents an excellent adventure for hikers, walkers, and climbers. However, some great hiking spots in Scotland aren't as well known, especially in the south of the country. If you're looking for height, try Merrick, or if hill walking isn't for you, a short walk in the Scottish Borders could be the answer. Here is your guide to Scotland's lesser-known hiking spots...
Walking in the Southern Uplands
44 best hill days in southern Scotland
£14.95
Guidebook to 44 varied day walks and over 100 summits in the Southern Uplands of Scotland, stretching south-west from Edinburgh to the English border, including the Galloway and Pentland Hills. Between 2 and 29km, there is something for all seasons and all abilities in remote and rugged hill country.
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From the Atlantic Ocean to the North Sea, one big line of hills stretches all the way along the southern edge of Scotland. The Southern Uplands – it’s the range that’s about as big as the Pennines, but you’ve probably never been to. There are over 80 hills of 2000ft (600m) or more – and the smaller ones are also important. And it’s a country with its own character – green and gentle, but with hidden surprises. Including the Galloway Hills in the West and the Pentland Hills in the East, there is something for all seasons and all abilities within this area. Our guidebook divides the area into six chapters, covering the regions of Galloway, Nithsdale and Lanarkshire, Moffatdale, Manor Hills to the Tweed, Lothian, and the Border Ridge to Cheviot.
However, if you're looking for a more in-depth look at one of these regions, why not try one of the guidebooks below...
Galloway Hills
The Galloway Hills are small, but special. Located in southwest Scotland, near the English border, they stretch just 20km (12 miles) from west to east and 40km (25 miles) from north to south – almost as small as Snowdonia. Within that area – much of it pathless – Galloway has 23 summits over 2000ft, including four Corbetts (2500-footers). If you like your wild landscape really wild… If you like your lakes to have whooper swans in the middle and no ice-cream vans around the edge… If you like to have one foot on bare rock and the other one deep in a peat bog… If you like your granite with goats on… Then, Galloway is the place to go. With its rugged landscape and solitude, the Galloway Hills are the perfect destination for the experienced hiker seeking to experience the Scottish wilderness without venturing onto more popular routes in the Highlands. The guidebook contains day walks and summaries for extended backpacking and bothy trips.
Highlights include the highest peak in the Southern Uplands, Merrick, Galloway Forest Park, Loch Trool and Not the Southern Upland Way.
Walking the Galloway Hills
35 wild mountain walks including the Merrick
£14.95
Guidebook describing mountain walks in the Galloway Hills of southern Scotland, covering Trool, Minnoch, Doon and Talnotry. Offering solitude and rugged natural beauty, this rocky, heathery wilderness presents some great hiking opportunities suitable for experienced hillwalkers. Includes summaries of longer backpack/bothy trips.
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15 Short Walks in Dumfries and Galloway
£9.95
Discover 15 of the best short walks around Dumfries and Galloway. Each walk comes with easy-to-read Ordnance Survey maps, clear route description and lots of images, plus information on local beauty spots and tasty refreshment stops. No challenging terrain or complicated navigation means walks can be enjoyed by everyone.
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Scottish Borders
The Scottish Border Country, the historic battleground between England and Scotland, stretches from the Cheviots as far as the headwaters of the Tweed and what is today the M74 motorway. It’s a land of little green valleys and the shining rivers that run through them, whether those drain northwards to the Tweed or southwards into England. On either side rise steep but grassy slopes, cut by sharp little streams, and topped off with Iron Age forts and the occasional rocky tor. This underrated area of Scotland (with a small number of walks over the border in Northumberland featured in the guidebook) has a lot to offer hikers, from low-valley walks to high hills full of history to explore. From the great River Tweed to the five hill ranges that supply its waters, this country has a shaggy character all of its own, bloodstained in its history but (mostly) smooth underfoot.
Compared to Walking in the Southern Uplands, the Walking in the Scottish Borders guidebook features shorter and less severe routes up the area's hills as well as rewarding walks in the valleys. Short Walks in the Scottish Borders features walks of up to 11km that can be completed in under 3 hours and are suitable for beginner hikers or those seeking a half-day adventure.
15 Short Walks in the Scottish Borders
£9.95
Discover 15 of the best short walks in the Scottish Borders. Each walk comes with easy-to-read Ordnance Survey maps, clear route descriptions and lots of images, plus information on beauty spots and refreshment stops. No challenging terrain or complicated navigation means everyone can enjoy the walks.
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Walking in the Scottish Borders
Cheviots, Tweed, Ettrick, Moffat and Manor hills
£12.95
Guidebook presenting 45 day walks and one long distance route in the Scottish Borders. The day walks cover five areas: the Cheviots, Tweeddale, the Ettrick Hills, Moffat Hills and Manor Hills. The walks are a mixture of high and low-level routes and can be fully customised using multiple variants.
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Pentland Hills
Perfect for those based in and around Scotland's capital city, Edinburgh, the Pentland Hills offer a great variety for the walker with excellent paths that are well signposted, as well as a diverse array of cultural and natural heritage that adds to the already beautiful scenery. Because of their proximity to Edinburgh, the Pentland Hills are one of the most accessible ranges in Scotland, well served by major roads on all sides, with some useful public transport links via buses, and are easily accessible by car or bike. There is a range of landscapes to discover, including heather moorland, bogs and marshes, reservoirs, rounded hills and grassland. With walks suitable for beginners, it's a great introduction to walking in Scotland.
Highlights include Hare Hill, Black Hill, Scald Law and Glencorse Reservoir.
Walking in the Pentland Hills
30 walks in Edinburgh's local hills
£12.95
Guidebook featuring 30 circular walks on Scotland's Pentland Hills, easily accessible from Edinburgh and home to peaks such as Scald Law and Carnethy Hill. Ranging from 2 to 17 miles, the routes are suitable for all abilities. Written by a local Countryside Ranger, the routes offer interesting and varied walking through diverse landscapes.
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