Walking Holidays in Scotland
A walking holiday in Scotland
Walking holidays are becoming increasingly popular and a whole new service industry has sprung up to support those who want to spend their vacation with a pack on their back and the wind in their ears. Countless stressed city folks now choose to spend their weekends or their summer vacation by renting a holiday cottage in Scotland then getting the boots on and the picnic chosen before heading off into the hills for the day.
Scotland is a great destination for holiday walking. The countryside is rich and varied and the routes open to you leave plenty of scope for variety. Their are a number of well established (and therefore often busy) long distance paths but the options are almost infinite when it comes to planning your trip. If your buzz comes from ticking the boxes on the paths you’ve walked then go for The West Highland Way, The Southern Upland Way and the Speyside Way. If you like to head off the beaten path then take a look at some less well trodden routes.
The West Highland Way is Scotland’s best known long distance walk. It runs from near Glasgow to Fort William in the Highlands. A total distance of around one hundred miles with most people taking four or five days to walk it at a gentle or moderate pace. The scenery is wonderful - the ubiquitious midges less so! The West Highland Way is always busy with walkers and ramblers so if you want accommodation for overnight stops then book well ahead.
The Speyside Way runs along the line of the famous River Spey. Famous for it’s leaping salmon and for the countless fine malt whisky distilleries that line its banks. You can walk the length of this wonderful walk in two or three days - passing many of them warmed by the product of the welcoming distilleries. Malt whisky never tastes so appealing as it does at the end of a long days walking, camped by the banks of the river that gave the whisky its start in life. Your holiday in Scotland could scarcely get any better.
The rather unappealingly named Southern Upland Way traverses the southern hills of Scotland running from one coastline to the other. It’s a long haul, with parts of it rather featureless, but comes with a great sense of achievement for those who complete it.
If you want to tackle something a bit more off beat then visit the Island of Arran. Arran is a large island in the estuary of the River Clyde and is often described as Scotland in miniature. Goat Fell, Arran’s major peak, is a wonderful coastal mountain. Your walk up Goat Fell starts by the coast and every step takes you higher above the clean and gleaming sea. The paths lead up through acres of wild rhododendron - spectacular when in flower in May or June - and the summit views are among the finest in the world. If the weather is clear you can see Ireland in the distance and for mile after mile into the Scottish mainland.
A walking holiday in Scotland is a great way to spend a healthy vacation. Give it a try. You won’t be dissappointed.
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