Walking and hiking is the best way to see beautiful landscapes and explore vast wilderness areas throughout Scotland
We encourage people to explore the outdoors and create opportunities for individuals to bond with their friends or family. Whether on the hills or in a woodland environment, these can help tackle issues such as mental health, stress/depression and inactive lifestyle.
Each scheduled walk is an enchanting, breath-taking and self-discovering journey, which captivates the soul, imagination and allows you to reconnect with nature.
Our walks are open for all age groups (under 18s must be accompanied by parents or guardians). Walks are arranged fortnightly and members will be notified a week or more in advance.
If you’re still not convinced, here are some benefits of hillwalking with us:
Explore the Scottish outdoors and discover places you never knew existed or couldn’t reach on your own. Our guided walks cater to your fitness level from beginner to expert Munro bagger.
All of our walks:
Are organised – transport arranged, published trip outlines, experienced walk leaders & volunteers.
Have a focus on safety while still enjoying the outdoors
Are affordable, less than your weekly coffees from Starbucks.
You get a chance to network and build relations with people you may never meet in day-to-day life. Spend a few hours with someone and you might just end up friends for life. Many of our members are. We create a relaxed, fun, social environment for everyone to enjoy. It’s not a race to get to the top.
There’s nothing quite like getting out into nature and moving the body. Why would anyone want to go to a gym?
You will most certainly gain confidence, new insights and navigation skills while being outdoors.
Your first walk in a hill or mountain area is an experience you will almost certainly remember. But poor planning, no snacks or bad weather quickly ruin things.
Here are a few equipment tips to help you enjoy your walk.
1. Look after your feet - Boots
Start off by getting a good pair of boots which fit you. They should be suitable for the kind of walking you plan on doing – the rougher the terrain, the heavier duty the boot you will need. Also think about socks; most people use a very thin pair under a thicker pair to help prevent blisters.
2. Dress properly - Clothes
What you need depends on the time of year and conditions – and remember these conditions may be completely different up the hill to what they were where you left the car.
Start with a moisture-wicking base layer then add insulating and windproof layers on top. Pack a waterproof outer layer, and maybe a hat and gloves. Gaiters can be invaluable in boggy British conditions – they look weird, but they’ll help keep your feet dry, and save you from having muddy trousers flapping around your ankles. Also think about walking poles – they’ll save your knees.
What to wear?
Footwear: Firm souled and preferably with decent ankle support.
Base layer: Wicking top/synthetic fabric, a cotton t-shirt is not recommended.
Mid layer: Fleece or jumper.
Waterproofs: Jacket and over trousers, ideally windproof too.
Trousers: Hillwalking trousers, but not jeans.
Extremities: Gloves, hat and/or neck buff.
Spare clothing: Minimum of another fleece/thermal and gloves.
3. Food and Drink
Keep fuelled up and you’ll keep on striding, so remember to pack meals plus a few snacks and plenty of fluids. Please only bring snacks, liquids for yourself and NOT for the whole team. Also, we would recommend you consider bringing snacks like sandwiches, fruit, nuts, cereal bars, flapjacks.
4. Rucksack
To carry it all comfortably you’ll need a rucksack to throw everything in. For a day hike 15-30 litre rucksack should be sufficient.
5. Weather
Weather conditions can change in minutes in the Scottish hills and you need to be equipped to cope with this.
Weather changes in the mountains - the higher you go in the hills, the lower the temperature (drops 1°C for each 100 metres of ascent); the wind is stronger up there (2 to 3 times the speed in the valleys).
There is more rainfall (3 times that in the valleys) and there is more risk of mist and cloud (mist on the tops 3 days out of 5).
6. Follow the Scottish Outdoor Access Code
While out walking in the Scottish countryside remember you are walking in areas where people live and work. We also share the countryside with much wildlife.
The following are a number of important recommendations to abide by when out walking.
• Respect the people who live and work in the Scottish countryside. Respect private property, farmland and all rural environments. Do not interfere with livestock, machinery and crops.
• Respect and, where possible protect all wildlife, plants and trees.
• When walking, use the approved routes and keep as closely as possible to them.
• Take special care when walking on country roads.
• Leave all gates as you find them and do not interfere with or damage any gates, fences, walls or hedges.
• Guard against all risks of fire, especially near forests.
• Always keep children closely supervised while on a walk.
• Take all litter home - leaving only footprints behind.
7. Final Advice
Be careful about foot placement, as there is always the risk of concealed holes, rocks, slippery ground and soft bog.
Be particularly careful when descending steep ground and when crossing streams and rivers. Streams in flood are deceptively dangerous.
Most accidents happen on the way down, when people are tired, rushing or no longer paying attention.
