Great Mountain Days in Scotland

Overview map

Map key

Preface

Introduction

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

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.

Ben Loyal from a tarp bivi on Ben Hope (Walk 1)

Dramatic – and unavoidable – scrambling on the east ridge of Lurg Mhòr (Walk 14)

September 2020

Walk 40

April 2015

Updates

This book describes mountain expeditions in Scotland that offer a degree of challenge

Dan Bailey first appeared on the publishing scene in 2006 with Scotland’s Mountain Ridges. This appealing and attractive guidebook (more like a medium format book), which is well illustrated with OS-style maps and good colour illustrations, brings together the finest ridge climbs and scrambles across the Highlands. Quite deservedly, the book was well received, and building on this success Dan has written The Ridges of England, Wales and Ireland and now Great Mountain Days on Scotland, all based on the same format, and published by Cicerone.

Subtitled 50 Classic Hillwalking Challenges, this book describes mountain expeditions in Scotland that offer a degree of challenge due to their length or amount of ascent and descent. All the well-known outings are here such as the Lochaber Traverse, Fisherfield Six and Cairngorm 4000ers, but there are also a number of routes that Dan has devised himself such as the The Sgurr na Ciche Range in Knoydart. Rather than tackle this ‘Rough Bounds round’ via Glen Dessary, he describes a longer itinerary via Loch Quoich. This makes it easier to include Ben Aden (described as the ‘the roughest (and best) of all Corbetts’) but it also ‘offers an aesthetic advantage, too, as the skyline to be traversed is visible for most of the approach.’

For the most part these are lengthy expeditions that can be accomplished in a day in summer with fell running shoes, but in winter they will be demanding two-day expeditions. Dan favours this more relaxed approach even in summer, and in the Introduction he states that he considered Great Mountain Days and Wild Nights Out as an alternative title for the book. Beautifully produced, Great Mountain Days in Scotland can be considered the modern day equivalent of the Big Walks, first published by Ken Wilson and the Diadem Press in the 1908s.

Although not immediately obvious, the content of this book has a strong cross over with Scottish winter climbing, as even the most hardened mixed climber will likely spend time walking in the Scottish hills, whether it be to check out alternative venues or get fit for the coming season. Certainly when next autumn sets in, and the rock boots are put away and the hills beckon, I’ll be turning to Dan Bailey’s latest volume for inspiration.

Simon Richardson, Scottish Winter

‘… Their new Great Mountain Days in Scotland, by Dan Bailey, is more ambitious in scale and scope, and demands similar ambitions from its readers. Over three-quarters of the routes are 10 hours long or more, many over 12 hours; for some readers this book will be mostly about dreams rather than realities – but what dreams!

Bailey has conjured up from his great knowledge and love of the Scottish hills a truly magnificent selection from amongst the finest mountain days (and nights – some of the routes can be extended over more than one day) that Scotland has to offer.

Like his earlier companion books for Cicerone on the mountain ridges for Scotland, Wales and England, it is illustrated by his own photographs of outstanding quality in a size and format that allows them to have their full impact.

…The author does recognise ordinary human frailty in suggesting possible shortcuts and some alternative means or lines of access; and there is enough practical advice as well as inspiration here for everyone to find something in it that can be turned from dream to reality.’

Scottish Rights of Way and Access Society, Summer Newsletter 2012

‘Inspiration and adventure come thick and fast in this jauntily-written guide to 50 of the best day (and multi-day) mountain walks in Scotland.

…It’s a title to make room for on even the busiest of outdoor book shelves.’

Scotland Outdoors , Autumn 2012

…it is refreshing that, unlike some guides, it is not obsessed with ticking every Munro or Corbett summit but rather focuses on what I would call a mountaineer’s natural line or journey.

All in all, a very useful resource for anybody seeking ideas or planning their next big day in the Scottish mountains.

Mountain Rescue, October 2012

'I now have yet another priceless gem to add to my Scottish repertoire: a fascinating Cicerone guidebook by Londoner Dan Bailey.

...Each walk is gloriously illustrated with superb photographs and custom-drawn maps based on OS data.

...Whether you are looking to explore Scotland's mountains for the first time, or after 'compleating' a round of Munros, this book should keep you busy on your feet by helping fill many blank spaces left on your Scottish canvas.'

Adrian Hendroff, Irish Mountain Log, Summer 2013