Article: Glasgow vs Edinburgh for hill walkers

[Dave Hewitt]

I reckon Stirling would be the best town to live in for Munro bagging, or just hill walking in general. Central position for heading in all directions.

Stirling is indeed a very good base for such things. Ledi is usually only half an hour away by car, Vorlich/Stuc 45 minutes, Crianlarich and the various starts for Lawers things not much more than an hour. Rowardennan is about 50 minutes. Ochils on tap - I'm on the eastern side of town and can get to the woodland park at Alva in about 15 minutes. Compared with Glasgow (where I lived for a dozen years), I don't at all miss the initial 45 minutes-ish getting clear of the city.

Main Stirling downside is lack of buses up the Lubnaig etc road - there doesn't seem to be a Citylink service to Crianlairch (whereas there is a very good and regular service up the A9). I'm now within 18 months of bus pass territory (provided the goalposts don't move), so I'm starting to investigate this side of things more - eg linear Ochil outings appeal greatly, such as bus to Blackford then walk over the tops to the Hillfoots side of things.

I'd imagine that Perth is another pretty good quick-escape base, but I've never lived there.

[nigheandonn]

There's a Stirling-Tyndrum bus (run by someone else) every second Saturday, although I admit that's not much!

It would have been interesting if it had done Aberdeen, to make a different kind of race - the Glasgow and Edinburgh dots just tend to follow each other about. Maybe I'll just have to go to the talk...

[Backpacker]

Not sure about Edinburgh as never lived there, however I lived in Gourock for a time and found it pretty straightforward for getting anywhere to go for a walk as they're all pretty fast roads whether over the erskine bridge and up the A82 or use the M8 to access the A9 (I like an early start so used to leave in the middle of the night) I now live just south of Aberdeen and find it a bit of a pain to access anything besides the Cairngorms. I have a choice of whether to head over A96 which isn't a great road to access the NW highlands or head south to Dunkeld or Perth. Biggest issue is the roads linking east to west (or vice versa depending on where you live) aren't great. The A86 & A85 are a potholed ridden bore.

[Sunset tripper]

Stirling does look not bad for a lot of munros but big drives for the far north and Skye. Google maps makes it 5 hours 10 Stirling to Glenbrittle. For me the longest drive by google times is 4 hours 9 mins to Ben More on Mull. In reality if I time the 2 ferries right it's about 3 hours 30 mins max. The other long drives for me are Loch Lomond area around 3 hours. Pretty much all the central Cairngorm munros I can do from Aviemore area which is about 30 - 45 mins. Glen shee and Lochnagar area around 2 hours.

For Corbetts, Jura is a long day for me. About 3 hours 30 to 4 hours drive about 2 hours 30 on two ferries then a bit of a cycle.

Aberdeen looks a bit of a nightmare for the hills in general

[Glengavel]

I reckon Stirling would be the best town to live in for Munro bagging, or just hill walking in general. Central position for heading in all directions.

Stirling is indeed a very good base for such things. Ledi is usually only half an hour away by car, Vorlich/Stuc 45 minutes, Crianlarich and the various starts for Lawers things not much more than an hour. Rowardennan is about 50 minutes. Ochils on tap - I'm on the eastern side of town and can get to the woodland park at Alva in about 15 minutes. Compared with Glasgow (where I lived for a dozen years), I don't at all miss the initial 45 minutes-ish getting clear of the city.

Main Stirling downside is lack of buses up the Lubnaig etc road - there doesn't seem to be a Citylink service to Crianlairch (whereas there is a very good and regular service up the A9). I'm now within 18 months of bus pass territory (provided the goalposts don't move), so I'm starting to investigate this side of things more - eg linear Ochil outings appeal greatly, such as bus to Blackford then walk over the tops to the Hillfoots side of things.

I'd imagine that Perth is another pretty good quick-escape base, but I've never lived there.

I live in Dunfermline and the longest I've driven was a tad under two hours to get to the likes of Ben More (Crianlarich), An Caisteal and Meall nan Tarmachan. I'm loath to drive any further as I'm up at half five every weekday and the lure of a weekend lie-in often overcomes the lure of the hills, especially in this grotty weather.

[magicdin]

Unfortunately I can't post links yet but you could google this:

Glasgow vs Edinburgh for hill walkers
Which city is better for Munro bagging?

Great article with cool animated maps and graphs.

Neither

[St Pedro]

Got my ticket, few hill walking pals going on 12 March

[Sunset tripper]

The scottish hill that I made the longest journey for was Conachair. A hour and a half drive, Inverness to Kyle which is the point where you leave the scottish mainland. At that point as you cross the Skye bridge it is 110 miles as the crow flies to the summit of St. Kilda.
Another hour driving across Skye, 2 hours on the ferry to Harris. Half hour drive to Leverburgh (not including a detour to Clisham ) then 2.5 to 3 hours on the boat to St. Kilda.
Close to 8 hours travelling time, without including the hanging about waiting for the ferry.

Worth every minute and every mile.

Boreray, St. Kilda - May 2014

[Caberfeidh]

I have lived in both Glasgow and Edinburgh; both have their disadvantages if you do not have a car. Edinburgh is tucked out of the way so getting to the highlands really means getting to Glasgow or Perth/Stirling first then catching a bus or train to wherever you want to get to. Glasgow is closer but still we have to negotiate the A82 up the side of Loch Lomond, unless you take a train to Crianlarich - which is a very nice train ride. Aberdeen was always tricky; no trains west since Victoria's day so a bus to Ballater or Braemar then you're on your own. This at least meant that I got a lot done, whereas now I have a car I can drive somewhere, get out, look at the hills and weather, think of my lovely centrally-heated Caberfeidh Towers with large bed and warm duvet, and suddenly I don't want to go to the hills, I just drive home again...
O I just remembered a bus trip down the side of Loch Lomond, it was really crowded and noisy, the journey was awful, the bus driver grumpy and impatient. Suddenly a wretched old woman across the aisle vomited violently forward into the long curly hair of a hippy sitting on the seat in front of her. I suddenly wanted to learn to drive.

Somewhere off the A82

[Sunset tripper]

Glasgow definitely going to be better than Edinburgh, especially if travelling on trains and buses.
If driving I think the data is maybe a bit out in some cases. Driving to all the Cairngorm munros and the munros accessed from the A9, also all munros north of Inverness should be quicker from Edinburgh, though having George Square as a starting point disadvantages Edinburgh a fair bit. If Edinburgh and Glasgow airports were the starting points I think Edinburgh might shade it.

Using google maps for driving times sometimes throws up some strange routes. Inverness to Skye, it directs you over the Black Isle and out via Achnasheen when the Loch Ness route is definitely quicker and the obvious route.

[malky_c]

Using google maps for driving times sometimes throws up some strange routes. Inverness to Skye, it directs you over the Black Isle and out via Achnasheen when the Loch Ness route is definitely quicker and the obvious route.

Not sure about that actually, although it is definitely less obvious. When I first moved to Inverness, my job had me driving out to Kyle 2 or 3 times a week, and I discovered that both routes are the same distance to within a mile. They also largely have taken me the same amount of time. If the traffic is busy, then I find the Achnasheen route quicker as it has more overtaking opportunities (odd since it also has some single track). Otherwise the Loch Ness route is easier. The roads are quite a lot busier everywhere now than they were in 2006 (and part of the Achnasheen route is on the NC500), so that may have changed now.

[Sunset tripper]

Hi Malky. I have driven them both extensively also. Yes the mileage is almost the same. The loch ness section can slow it down a bit in the height of summer I suppose but still my choice for speed. I used to drive up to Kyle for work and I know the road to Skye like the back of my hand.
I would sometimes drive back via Achnasheen, Garve if I was in no hurry to get back ie skiving
If both roads are empty like very early morning I would say the Loch Ness route is at least 15 mins quicker, and that's with out driving like a maniac.
Haven't come back via Strathcarron for a while now but will probably give it a go and see how my times differ as you have got me thinking. It certainly feels longer.
Where I live in Inverness the new Ness bridge is an added bonus for me whereas the traffic over the Kessock Bridge and associated roundabouts can slow me right down at certain times.
Cheers, I will let you know how I get on.

[Craiging619]

Great article! Really interesting to see all the routes spreading out like that.

I can see two munros, two grahams, a corbett and various donalds from my office window in Edinburgh. Even more if you venture to Arthurs Seat.

That's a point. I've always felt that, for all Glasgow is clearly better placed for most of the South-West Highland ones, there must be a physochological boost for Edinburgers to go to the castle or Calton Hill and see a whole line of them clearly visible on the horizon. In Glasgow you're lucky if you catch a fleeting glimpse of 'The Ben', The Cobbler or Ben More, what with the Campsies and Kilpatricks in the way.

There was a book by someone (Caleb's List?) who climbed Arthur's Seat then set about climbing every single Highland hill he could see from the summit, from Ben Lomond all the way to Lochnagar.

[Craiging619]

Main Stirling downside is lack of buses up the Lubnaig etc road - there doesn't seem to be a Citylink service to Crianlairch (whereas there is a very good and regular service up the A9). I'm now within 18 months of bus pass territory (provided the goalposts don't move), so I'm starting to investigate this side of things more - eg linear Ochil outings appeal greatly, such as bus to Blackford then walk over the tops to the Hillfoots side of things.

Kingshouse Travel have run a bus from Callander to Killin for a few years - I got it a couple of times in 2013 and I think it's still running (might be summer only?) There was the Ring of Breadalbane Explorer but not sure if that's still on. I think Citylink have brought back one of the Killin buses, but maybe only from the Dundee / Perth direction rather than Stirling / Callander.

[prog99]

There was a book by someone (Caleb's List?) who climbed Arthur's Seat then set about climbing every single Highland hill he could see from the summit, from Ben Lomond all the way to Lochnagar.

Good book but it does diverge from hills at one point in a manner that the less open minded may not appreciate. I've a photo somewhere of Arthurs Seat from Lochnagar but annoyingly can't find it.

I think Glasgow is much better for the Lake District as you don't have to drive west to the A74 stuck behind any speed as long as its 40mph drivers!