Anyone here have any experience in Scotland? I live here and

>>1155833
I'm not from Scotland but took a trip there, the highlands are beautiful and I would recommend going there. The area towards the middle (around Ben Nevis and Loch Ness if I remember correctly) was beautiful. I would highly recommend the isle of Skye, it's remote and scenic and a place that I feel everybody who goes to Scotland should see if possible. And Edinburgh if you've never been, of course.

I am thinking about walking from Inverness to Loch Ness and then to the Cairngorms, wild camping most or all of the way. Is this retarded and/or ambitious? I figure if I practice camping in my garden (which I am already doing successfully) and plan my route with a map on hand I'll be alright. I'd make sure to pass through towns every day so that I can buy food. Thoughts?

>>1156017

When would you plan to go? How would you get from Loch Ness to the Cairngorms? The most direct route would most likely be a mindless trudge over moorland, which would get pretty boring pretty quickly.

I would personally walk down the Moray coast from Inverness, and then take the Speyside Way to get from Spey Bay to Nethy Bridge (avoiding Aviemore), and then entering the Cairngorms that way via Lairig an Laoigh.

You could walk down that, taking in closeby mountains, and link with the Lairig Ghru, walking back then towards Aviemore and climbing Cairn Toul and Braeriach along the way.

All in all about 4-5 weeks, with plenty of small villages to resupply until you enter the Cairngorms.

>>1156102

Also, it goes without saying that although the mountains are fairly small by international standards, walking around the cairngorms with full tent and supplies would be very demanding.

Also, make sure you know how to use a map as it can be easy to get lost in the Cairngorms if you are new to it.

But I definitely recommend it!

>>1156102
>>1156105
Thanks for all the advice and caution, very much appreciated.

I am planning on going some time October. I am just throwing around ideas now and have no plans about where specifically to go, other than a general feeling to start at Inverness and see Loch Ness and/or the Cairngorms on a small budget. Do you think it is worth going all around Loch Ness or maybe seeing part of it and then backtracking to Inverness?

I am totally new to travel but I am planning to get a backpack and a few other things and then spend a few days in a forest park closer to home for practice and to see how I manage.

Thought of doing the West Highland Way from Glasgow to Fort William?

>>1155833
I've been to Scotland for the past 5 years. Love it! So far we've been pretty much everywhere.

Start around Glasgow. See Loch Lomond National Park. If you want, you could include Arran, Islay, the Mull of Kintyre at this point. Travel along the west coast from Oban to Glencoe and Fort William. The route itself is stunning. In Oban maybe take the boat to Mull and back. In Fort William, see the Ben Nevis.Then on to Mallaig. Take the ferry to Skye and see all of it. It's amazing. Then take the bridge back to the mainland. Go to Fort Augustus and travel up the Loch Ness coast to Inverness. See Muir of Ord and the Black Isle. Then travel up the north-eastern coast past Brora and all the way up to Wick. Great old fishingtown. Take the boat to the Kirkwall, past the Man of Hoy. See all the great historic sites there. On your way back, travel past St. Margaret's Hope and see the German naval wrecks. Travel back to Invernes. Go to Elgin and Dufftown for some great Speyside whisky. See Cairngorms National Park. The western route is the one most traveled and the most dramatic imo. The eastern route is more forresty. I prefer the western route. Travel it to Pitlochry. From there go to Edinburgh to finish up.

I have more specific tips if you want. But this rount trip is epic and has so many amazing sights en-route. Great options for hiking along the way.

>>1156163
Also, hike parts of this, do the rest by hitchhiking or public transport.

For one specific hike I'd go with either Oban to Skye or the western Cairngorm route.

>>1156156

Whereabouts in Scotland do you live? I'm a weegie based in Edinburgh atm.

Of the two, I would definitely choose the Cairngorms, it has everything you want from 'wild' Scotland, as well as being easily accessible and well pathed - but still feels like the wilderness. Walking around Loch Ness, you would be fairly close to the roads most of the time, and I can imagine the scenery getting boring after one or two days there - I would save that for a day trip.

October will be darker, colder, and a lot wetter than you would expect - for a first solo trek, I would recommend something more southerly like the Borders (Abbey way or St. Cuthbert's way for example), that way you can really test your resilience to the lovely Scottish climate whilst being relatively safe, and seeing cool historical things, nature, and small, anonymous villages

>>1156168
I'm down south in Ayrshire at the minute, though born and raised in south England. I think you are right to suggest that I don't cram Loch Ness and Cairngorms into one trip, as well as cautioning about the going up north as a first timer in October. I'm going to practice around the local area over the course of September and then see how I feel then but I very well may just leave a longer trip further away until spring.

>>1156163
This sounds like an awesome trip but very long, certainly too ambitious for me at the minute since I'm just starting out.

>>1156157
I hadn't heard of the West Highland Way but I'm giving it a look over.

Thanks to all anons here for your replies, advice, and caution. I think I am going to take things a bit slower and get more familiar and skilled with outdoor hiking and camping nearer home and leave the longer trips up north till after winter.

>>1156327

Once you test the waters locally, you are not too far away from Arran - September would be perfect to have a mini-adventure on a genuinely stunning island

Good on you though mate, I was just the same a couple of years ago - thought 'fuck it' and just went out walking + camping as a complete noob. Gradually learnt the tips and tricks, what to pack, basic bushcraft and I've never looked back - we're based in the perfect country for that (well in the summer anyway)

Good luck and enjoy yourself

>>1156488
That's where I feel I am at the moment. I've done the garden camping and I go out walking for an hour or few every day and really enjoy myself and can't wait to take the next step and camp around.

Thanks for the tips my friend, you enjoy yourself too.

>>1155833
Loch Lomond is nice

>>1156327
>This sounds like an awesome trip but very long
It's do-able in say 2 weeks if you go by car and exclude extra's like Arran, Islay, Mull etc. But of course it's nicer to take more time and explore more.

Again, for shorter trails I'd consider Oban-Glencoe-Fort William. It covers a lot of the essentials from beautiful bays, dramatic shorelines, historical towns, 2 good distilleries and Scotland's highest mountain.

The most obvious alternative would be Cairngorms. I'd take the western route down to Pitlochry. For whisky visit Dalwhinnie, Edradour and Blair Athol.

I suppose public transports won't drop me near the various hikes starting point? Renting a car is pretty much needed?

>>1157328

Weegie here again...

I don't have a car either, most trips I've had has had to use public transport to get there - and unfortunately it does limit your choices somewhat.

North of Inverness you're likely to struggle to get public transport close enough to the best walking areas (especially North-west).

Cairngorms is well serviced, Loch Lomond and mountains/routes from there to Oban have both bus services and trains along the way.

Ben Alder is one of the remotest mountains in Scotland to reach by car, however a great trek can be started from the Corrour railway station.

Your islands can be easily reached by Ferry or bus in Skye's case.

Really want to visit the Galloway hills, but they are surprisingly impossible to get to without a car.

Really recommend this trail for anyone wanting to hike in Scotland.

http://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/cape-wrath-trail.shtml

>>1157363

>Really want to visit the Galloway hills, but they are surprisingly impossible to get to without a car.

Get a train to New Cumnock and walk, you're going to be having to do a lot of camping if you want to visit anywhere there anyway.

isle of Skye
west highland way
Glasgow
Edinburogh

highlands are amazing i recomend backbacking/hostel hopping

small town pubs are a great place to meet and talk with people