Great Mountain Days in Scotland

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.

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

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 C&##xe0;rn B&##xe0;n
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-ch&##xe0;rn 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