Best base for hiking without a car?

[ChrisButch]

Inverie (Knoydart)! Meets all your criteria..

[Giant Stoneater]

Mallaig has bus, train and ferry, shops and pubs.
Just a wee bit of planning around timetables might be needed but it can be done.
Bus and train give access to Glenfinnan etc, ferry gives access to Inverie,Knoydart plus Mallaig has a couple of nice small hills.

http://the-mission-bunkhouse-hostel-mallaig.bedspro.com/en/

[weedavie]

Depending on what kind of walking you want, maybe Pitlochry - train to Blair Atholl or Dalwhinnie for serious Munro bagging, some nice wanders (and Ben Vrackie) on your doorstep, tiny hills at Dunkeld, and the bus towards Kinloch Rannoch for a change.

Scotrail's recent timetable changes have screwed up the use of train return from Blair. The old 5.20 south has disappeared. This knackered me for using the train from Edinburgh, used to be able to get 7 hours on the hill and half an hour with a pint in the Atholl Arms garden. Now it's ride like the wind to get back to Pitlochry for the 4.20 (and climbing through Killiecrankie on the way is not a great way of warming down!)

[nigheandonn]

Ahh, I've always been heading for dinner in the Atholl Arms and the 20:20. Or the last train at 10, the day I did Beinn a' Ghlo!

Since the OP's reports are quite varied in type and setting (which is a good thing!), I was trying to think of somewhere that wasn't just a best place for Munros. But I don't really know the Cairngorms, so there's probably more there than I realise.

[goth_angel]

As someone who used to use the sleeper train regularly to come up from London, I'd echo the suggestions of Aviemore, Crianlarich/ Tyndrum or Fort William. Mind you we did sometimes hire a car to allow for more flexibility.

That said, one thing to bear in mind is that unless you are happy with the seated sleeper carriage, the cost of the sleeper is totally extortionate these days. The old operator used to do a regular users club which gave some excellent discounts but Serco has racked the prices up to silly levels. Depending on where you are going you are going to be looking at several hundred quid for a return if you want a berth.

[al78]

As someone who used to use the sleeper train regularly to come up from London, I'd echo the suggestions of Aviemore, Crianlarich/ Tyndrum or Fort William. Mind you we did sometimes hire a car to allow for more flexibility.

That said, one thing to bear in mind is that unless you are happy with the seated sleeper carriage, the cost of the sleeper is totally extortionate these days. The old operator used to do a regular users club which gave some excellent discounts but Serco has racked the prices up to silly levels. Depending on where you are going you are going to be looking at several hundred quid for a return if you want a berth.

I agree. I have used the sleeper several times when I could get it at a fair price, but whenever I have looked at it recently it is well over £200 one way for the cheapest cabin. Much better to get a day train and stay overnight at my destination. I will never sleep well (if at all) in a seat so I'm never taking that option. Things aren't going to change any time soon given the sleeper is very popular despite the cost.

[LobeyD]

Both Citylink and Scotrail charge eye-watering sums for short journeys. Unless you can get some sort of pass, I would perhaps look at spending 2-3 nights in different places rather than going up and down the line/road a few times. Perhaps Crianlarich, Corrour, and Fort William would give some good variety and you won't run out of easily accessible routes.

[Alteknacker]

This might be a bit left field... but if you could bring a mountain bike with you, this would massively open up the opportunities - eg you could base yourself at Glencoe, and then there would be endless great hills within striking distance.

Just a thought...

In that case then (as glencoe isn't near a train station) fort william would be a good choice with lots of amenities.

I was thinking that one could easily cycle from Fort William, but you're right: there is no shortage of fine hills around FW.

[gld73]

If you're looking to minimise time on transport and have a variety of different walks, Newtonmore or Kingussie would also be good options (either village as, it's a flat, easy walk between the 2 on the Speyside Way path which runs parallel to the road for that stretch).

Both have train stations which are on the London to Inverness line, so the sleeper train goes direct to them, no changes required (the 21:15 train from Euston gets in to Newtonmore at 07:07 on the current timetable). Various places to stay and eat, plus a Co-op or Scotmid in both villages.

From your accommodation you can do a corbett, 2 grahams, 1 or 2 sub-2000s, the round of 3 Monadhliath munros, a bunch of other hills not in those bagging categories, plus lower level walks on the Speyside way and East Highland Way which pass through the villages (i.e. walks for all weathers).

Aviemore and Dalwhinnie are the train stops either side of Newtonmore and Kingussie, so if you do want to hop on a train to access more hills, they're easy to get to.

[Veryhappybunny]

How about Corrour? There is the youth hostel or the signal box accomodation at the Station. You can cook your own food at the youth hostel or eat out at the station restaurant. There are walks up Being na Lap, the two Munros south of loch Ossian, the Corbett Leum Uilleim. (Also more distant walks from the other end of Loch Ossian, but a bike might be handy for that).
I stayed there as a long weekend from the south of England by train and it was magical.

[When Adventure Knox]

Oh my goodness, thank you so much to everyone who replied. This has given me plenty of food for thought and things to research. A particular thank you to nigheandonn who took the time to look at my previous trip reports to look at the types of walks I've previously done. I feel very blessed to have access to a community as thoughtful and helpful as this one!