Backpacker's Britain: Northern Scotland. Graham Uney

       Walk 18 The Strath Carron Munros from Craig

       Walk 19 The Head of Strathconon

       Walk 20 The High Traverse of Glen Affric

       Walk 21 Beinn Fhada and A’ Ghlas Bheinn

       Walk 22 The High Traverse of Glen Shiel

       Walk 23 Shiel Bridge to Glenfinnan

       Walk 24 The Mountains of Knoydart

       Walk 25 Skye – the Black Cuillin Lochs and Bealachs

       Walk 26 Skye – the Red Cuillin

       Walk 27 Skye – the Trotternish Ridge Traverse

       Walk 28 Exploring Raasay

       Walk 29 Discovering Rum

       Walk 30 Through the Cona Glen

       APPENDIX 1 Useful Contacts

       APPENDIX 2 Bibliography

       APPENDIX 3 Walk Summary Table

       APPENDIX 4 Glossary

INTRODUCTION

      Hillwalkers crossing the moor beneath Suilven (Walk 10)

Background

      The mountains of Britain encompass one of the richest, most diverse landscapes to be found anywhere in the world, although for many hillwalkers the Highlands of Scotland are, more than any other region in Britain, true backpacker’s country.

      Vast, open tracts of wild moorlands, high mountains, rocky coasts and long, winding glens make many Highland areas inhospitable to all except those willing to carry their own shelter and supplies, but in this wilderness there are many hidden corners where only the backpacker can explore. There are places that take days to reach on foot, where only the dedicated backpacker will venture – this is the preserve of the seasoned hillwalker, and wilderness exploration at its best.

      Although many of our mountain and moorland regions are within easy reach of town and city, the northwest Highlands are more demanding of time and effort to get to for most of us, yet the rewards are all the greater for it. Some go to the northwest Highlands just or the superb walking, others go in search of rock to climb, wildlife to watch, rivers to canoe, or even whisky to drink, and many are happy to pursue all of these activities, and more, to an equal degree.

      Many areas are best explored over a period of time, so for the weekend walker it makes sense to take a tent and sleeping bag on forays into the wilderness, and this is surely the best way of getting to know a particular part of the country. Crossing a range from end to end, or climbing a set of peaks around a desolate Highland glen, will introduce the walker to hitherto unknown regions, and if the trip involves the commitment of an overnight stopover or two, so much the better. To spend a night in a simple but comfortable shelter among lovely mountains, waking to a sunlit dawn of cackling grouse on vast, open expanses of purple moorland, or the guttural roar of rutting stags crashing around rocky slopes, is one of life’s great pleasures, and one that is only available to those with a will to discover these quiet places, and to make a temporary home among the mountains and wild shores.

      But although there is much to be discovered within the mountain ranges of northern Scotland, some of the coastline and lesser hill ranges deserve mention too, for they are just as vital a component of our natural heritage as any of the higher regions. There is an almost limitless variety of backpacking routes throughout northern Scotland and its islands, all as good as each other in terms of the sense of achievement to be had from a successful trip.

      Thirty of the greatest backpacking routes within the boundaries of northern Scotland and the northern islands are described here (for the purposes of this book I have taken the boundary between northern Scotland and southern Scotland as the Great Glen – that huge trench, with its string of lochs, stretching between Inverness on the Moray Firth in the northeast of the country, and Fort William on Loch Linnhe in the west). With the exception of Walk 23, which takes five days to complete, all the routes take either two or three days, with an overnight stop at a bothy or a youth hostel, or in a tent, either wild camping or at a recognised campsite.

      All the routes should be suitable for a long weekend away among the hills, but I should add that although this book contains what are in my opinion the very best backpacking walks in the region covered, there is endless scope for further exploration. The routes described should be seen as an introduction – an aperitif perhaps – to the possibilities of other, longer routes that can be planned and tackled by those who have gained experience by following the ones included here.

      The first book in this Backpacker’s Britain series covered northern England, and the second Wales. This is the third volume, on northern Scotland, and it is hoped that three more will follow, giving detailed backpacking routes in southern Scotland, southern England, and Ireland respectively.

How to Use This Guide

      This book is aimed at anyone with a love of wild, mountain and coastal walking, but as many of the routes take the walker into remote and potentially dangerous terrain, you should ensure that you have previous experience of mountain walking and wild camping before tackling any of them. Good hill fitness is essential, as is the ability to accurately navigate using a map and compass (GPS, though a useful aid, is no substitute for the real thing!).

      Walking through Glen Carnach (Walk 23)

      Walkers in Knoydart (Walk 24)

      The routes are ordered so as to move generally southwards, starting in Shetland and finishing in Lochaber. Most are circular, but a few are linear, and they range from those requiring two days to complete, through to a five-day traverse (see Appendix 3, Walk Summary Table, for more details).

      It is difficult to suggest a best time of year for walking in Scotland – it can be great during any season. Generally speaking, mid-winter (January to March) will give very hard conditions with most routes snow-bound – but snow-holing instead of camping can be fun. April to June is a really good time to be in the Highlands, as the weather is often at its best then, and there are few midges, whereas July and August can be very hot and wet, and the midges are at their peak. September to December is also a very good time for a backpacking trip, and most of the midges will have gone to ground by then, but remember that you will have fewer hours of daylight in which to walk, and more time will be spent brewing up tea in tents or bothies!

      Each route in the guide begins with an information box. This give details of the number of days needed, distances, height gain, and where to start and finish the walk. The Ordnance Survey Landranger maps you will need along the way are also included in this box. (Explorer maps are not necessary for backpacking in Scotland, as the extra detail given on them often doesn’t apply up here.)

      For each route there is also an Area Summary and a Route Summary, followed by a box giving details of Tourist Information, Transport, Getting Around, Accommodation and Supplies and Escape Routes.

      Note The sketch maps that illustrate each route are intended only as a rough guide – it is essential to take with you the relevant map.

      Throughout the book incidental descriptive text is distinguished from the route directions, and place names from the sketch maps are highlighted in bold type to aid orientation.

Getting Around and Accommodation

      The Scottish Tourist Board is a mine of information when it comes to planning trips into the hills – I really couldn’t have done without their help! Their website is useful for booking accommodation, as well as giving transport information