Holidays!!!!

[cyclonetracey1961]

Hi Everyone, I am travelling to Scotland from Australia in October and was wondering if anyone could help me decide on what walks to do and the best place to base myself. I am of reasonable fitness so am able to complete most walks except hard hikes of mountains! I am looking to complete at least 5 day walks in the 8 days I will have available. Also looking for advise on where to stay and if I can base myself in the main towns such as Inverness, Perth and Glasgow to do the walks?
Any ideas would be gratefully appreciated as I have not been to Scotland before! Cheers Tracey

[Marty_JG]

There is a "long distance walks" section up above. The most famous walk is The West Highland Way. The walks section can help with accommodation. You'll find lots of people to chat with along the way and there is baggage handling if you don't want to hike with a full pack, they'll take your pack to your destination up the road.

If you'd be pressed for time skip the first third, take the train from Glasgow to Ardlui, and continue from there to join the route at Inverarnan. It gets better as it goes north.

[SummitStupid]

If you're looking to base yourself in one place, then without a car the cities are going to limit what you can do. I'd suggest staying in one of the smaller towns/villages listed below. You might still need to use public transport for some places, particularly Ullapool, but they all offer superb walks.

Kinlochleven - right in the middle of the Mamores, Glencoe and the lovely hills around Loch Leven

Aviemore - Rothiemurchus forest, northern Cairngorms, and easy access to Inverness

Ullapool - northbound buses for some of Scotland's finest, like Suilven and Stac Pollaidh. Lochinver further north is great for Suilven and some stunning beaches

Portree/Broadford (Isle of Skye) - Black Cuillin, Red Cuillin, Quirang/Trotternish ridge, Storr, coastal walks...

Brodick (Isle of Arran) - Goatfell range, Pirnmill hills, coastal walks

These places are all big enough to offer everything you need, whilst still being perfectly located for walking. Perhaps you could look them up in the Walks section of the site.

[mynthdd2]

also please bear in mind October in Scotland could be (more) wet and windy - so plan equipment carefully - waterproofs is a good start and a more than decent tent - check campsite opening dates but come equipped and you will have a fantastic trip....enjoy!

[HalfManHalfTitanium]

Hi Everyone, I am travelling to Scotland from Australia in October and was wondering if anyone could help me decide on what walks to do and the best place to base myself. I am of reasonable fitness so am able to complete most walks except hard hikes of mountains! I am looking to complete at least 5 day walks in the 8 days I will have available. Also looking for advise on where to stay and if I can base myself in the main towns such as Inverness, Perth and Glasgow to do the walks?
Any ideas would be gratefully appreciated as I have not been to Scotland before! Cheers Tracey

I would suggest Fort William, because

- It's got a huge variety of walks on the doorstep, including many low-level and easier options for wet days. The woodlands in Glen Nevis will look especially beautiful at that time of year. If you are walking in order to see beautiful scenery, I would avoid the main Ben Nevis path, but definitely do the walk to Steall Falls.
- There is a wonderful contrast between the mountains and the coastal areas, so very varied scenery
- It's on a railway - you can get to several interesting walking spots, including Corrour and Rannoch, Morar area and Mallaig. Some of these places are worth a visit in themselves on wet days. The beaches of Morar are among the finest in Britain.
- There are plenty of eating options, and a wide choice of accommodation
- although you say you want to avoid "hard hikes", several of the mountain walks are actually not difficult, eg. Mullach na Coirean in Glen Nevis is just a steady uphill walk with amazing views from the top.

A couple of other things to be aware of
- midge season may not be quite over, especially if you are going in early Oct
- the first half of Oct is still stalking season, this can affect some of the hill routes but you can access sources of info from this site. Personally I often visit Scotland in Oct and I have never found it a problem.

Tim

[mynthdd2]

Fort William is a depressing and minging gateway to NWScotland - avoid

[Sunset tripper]

It's a bit harsh to call Fort William minging and depressing but I guess mynthdd2 has reasons to think this.
I have stayed in Fort William and still visit often. It is mainly a working class town and maybe not as upmarket as some visitors would like. It struggles to cope with the amount of tourists in the peak season but it has a lot of great events like the world cup downhill and the six day trials. Most of all it has some of the most spectacular scenery in the country on its doorstep.
Fort William or surrounding area would be a fine place to base yourself. October should be a bit quieter with better accommodation options.
It is one of the rainiest places in the UK though.

[prog99]

I agree, its also substantially improved in the last 10 years or so. Plenty of amenities(3 supermarkets!) and decent places for a pint or to eat out.

[gld73]

Are you intending to hire a car, or will you be sticking to public transport? Hill walks and other walking routes in the Highlands are certainly possible by public transport, but it takes a bit of advance planning with bus and train timetables so that would affect where you might want to base yourself.

[razzah]

I would suggest basing yourself in Inverness. Then you have all the public transport options of rail to Aviemore and Perthshire, bus / trains to west coast, Fort William and the north. That way you can keep your options open and follow the weather a bit more. Scotland's weather is very localised so if it is raining in the west coast (often) then further east may be drier and sunnier. Inverness is also a great city

[SummitStupid]

Inverness is also a great city

In terms of location, it's simply the best. Buses and trains to Durness, Ullapool, Kinlochewe, Strathcarron, Aviemore... When I eventually move to Scotland, I'd like to live in Inverness. If I could find a suitable job, I'd move there tomorrow. Some good watering holes too.

[Scottk]

I would also vote for Inverness. Lots more to do in the town compared to Fort William if the weather is poor too. Some very nice restaurants too.
Bear in mind the days are getting quite short in October.

[al78]

Inverness is also a great city

In terms of location, it's simply the best. Buses and trains to Durness, Ullapool, Kinlochewe, Strathcarron, Aviemore... When I eventually move to Scotland, I'd like to live in Inverness. If I could find a suitable job, I'd move there tomorrow. Some good watering holes too.

I agree, it is a great transport hub, the main roads, bus routes and railway lines radiate out from there, a bit like London in that respect. I'd love to find a job up there as well, it is always the same question of what job.

[davemorrissey]

Fort Augustus is a personal favourite. By October the coach tours will have died down a bit. Assuming you'll hire a car, there are many walks of various grades within about an hour: Glen Shiel (three linear ridge walks that need a bike or good timing for the bus), Glen Garry (three beautiful mountain walks), Glen Affric (one of the most beautiful glens, has various walks), the Nevis range etc. Some of these can be reached easily enough by bus.

There are also short walks in beautiful places for rest days, e.g. Falls of Foyers, the River Oich and the upper Great Glen Way to Invermoriston. Self catering accommodation in the Abbey can be had for maybe £600 for a week (avoid Airbnb for that). Food in the village varies from poor to okayish to very expensive, so check reviews and eat elsewhere for better options.

Lochcarron is also a great place to be if you want several days climbing munros and seeing some of the most dramatic scenery on offer, but also have access to a couple of shops and restaurants. Accommodation is a bit more limited, lots of Airbnb spare rooms but a few places you can have to yourself.

[razzah]

Inverness is also a great city

In terms of location, it's simply the best. Buses and trains to Durness, Ullapool, Kinlochewe, Strathcarron, Aviemore... When I eventually move to Scotland, I'd like to live in Inverness. If I could find a suitable job, I'd move there tomorrow. Some good watering holes too.

It's one of the main reasons I moved near here. It's a great gateway to the Highlands