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Our picks

Our pick: Scotland’s best coastal clifftop walks

If you asked someone to think of archetypal Scottish landscapes, mountains and lochs tend to be at the forefront. Yet Scotland’s convoluted coastline – not just on the mainland but on the many islands too – is no less glorious. Here we pick out a selection of 21 of the finest clifftop walks to be found all around the country. Duirinish peninsula, Isle of Skye Skye’s grandest sea cliffs are on the distant Duirinish peninsula. The highest of all are at Biod an Athair, but it is the coastal walk from Ramasaig to Orbost – around Idrigill Point – that

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Posted in Features, Magazine, Our picks

Our picks: Glasgow walks by public transport

Tips for using Walkhighlands Whether you are using the free Walkhighlands app that lets you download our detailed route descriptions and GPS mapping for use offline, or just using the website, when doing any walk search you can specify if you are looking for walks that are accessible by public transport – just tick the ‘advanced search’ box to bring up the option. You can search for walks in any specific area, but here are our ideas for 10 walks you can reach from Glasgow. Walking using public transport in Scotland does take a bit more effort to plan your

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Posted in Features, Magazine, Our picks

Walks showcasing the BBC’s Wild Isles locations

In the new BBC’s Wild Isles series Sir David Attenborough celebrates the natural wonders of the islands that we call home, revealing the surprising and dramatic habitats that exist right on our doorstep. The series features stunning footage, much of it shot on location in Scotland – here we highlight some Walkhighlands routes that may reveal the wildlife and landscapes seen in the first episode. Killer whales- Hermaness, Shetland Some of the most stunning scenes featured orca – killer whales. Although they can be seen in many places around the coast of northern Scotland, Shetland is their only UK breeding

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Posted in Features, Magazine, Nature, Our picks

Our pick: 12 of Scotland’s most fascinating caves

Caves are perhaps not the first landscape feature people associate with Scotland. Think high mountains, picturesque glens, rugged coastline and stunning sandy beaches – but caves? Here we list 12 of the most fascinating caves for walkers to visit. The Bone Caves, Inchnadamph, Sutherland The celebrated limestone Bone Caves were excavated in 1889 by the geologists Peach and Horne. They found the remains of now extinct animals which once roamed the Highlands including lynx, polar bear, arctic fox and lemmings. It is believed that the caves may have once sheltered both these animals and also the humans who hunted them.

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Posted in Features, Magazine, Our picks

Our picks: Scotland’s most remarkable paths

The Silver Walk, Moidart Undoubtedly one of the truly special paths of the Highlands, this fascinating route cut out of the rock through picturesque scenery. The eastern end of the Silver Walk near Kinlochmoidart is currently diverted, but this isn’t the finest part in any case. The best outing is a circuit from stunning Castle Tioram, taking in a deserted hamlet, pine-fringed hill lochs and a view out to the Isles. It’s a stone-cold classic half-day walk – surely one of Scotland’s finest. Kinloch Hourn to Barrisdale Bay, Knoydart The Knoydart landscape ranks amongst Scotland’s most rugged, to the extent

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Posted in Access issues, Features, Magazine, Our picks

Our pick – Scottish Lighthouse walks

Walkhighlands features 43 walks that visit one of Scotland’s remarkable collection of lighthouses. Taking all manner of shapes and sizes, these sentinels of the sea usually provide striking landmarks for those exploring on foot, as well as acting as a warning to boats out on the water. Here’s a few of the best. Rattray Head, Aberdeenshire Rising splendidly off the Aberdeenshire seaboard on a stone plinth, Rattray Head is a striking sight from the magnificent beaches between Peterhead and Fraserburgh. Like almost all Scottish lighthouses, it was built by the Stevenson family – in this case by David Stevenson in 1895.

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Posted in Features, Magazine, Our picks

Our picks: Scotland’s best wee hills

Sometimes you don’t have the energy or time to slog your way up one of the great iconic giants of the Highlands. Some of Scotland’s best-loved hills are the smaller peaks, often more accessible, full of character and offering equally spectacular views. Here’s our pick of 16 of the best wee hills around the country… some widely famed and celebrated, others virtually unknown, but all under 600m high. Ben A’an, Trossachs Ben A’an is the archetypal ‘great wee hill’. A glance at a map reveals it’s just a bump on the southern slopes of the inconsequential higher summit of Meall

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Posted in Features, Magazine, Our picks

Our pick: 10 of the easier Munros

Height certainly isn’t everything (see our pick of Scotland’s Best Wee Hills), but there seems little doubt that many people find some extra motivation when the objective reaches over that magical 3000 feet height. Here is our pick from some of the Munros that may be suitable for people early in their hillwalking career. Note that no Munros are really easy – anyone going hillwalking needs to learn basic map-reading skills, including the use of a compass, carry appropriate clothing and pay attention to the weather forecast – take a look at our skills and safety section for more information.

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Posted in Features, Magazine, Our picks

Our pick: Scotland’s West Highland beaches

Whilst most people associate Scottish landscapes with mountains and glens, the coastline is equally magnificent. When it comes to beaches, there is truly an unmatched range from tiny rocky coves to majestic windswept bays of perfect shell sand. There’s really far too much to cover in just one ‘Our picks’ article, so here we look at the beaches of the West Highlands, from the Great Glen heading north to Durness. In further posts we take a look at the unmatched beaches of the Scottish islands, and the best beaches of Eastern Scotland. Sanna Bay, Ardnamurchan The Ardnamurchan peninsula – the

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Posted in Features, Magazine, Our picks

Our picks: Scotland’s finest sea arches

Scotland’s magnificent coasts extend as far as 16,500km if the islands are included. As well as picturesque fishing villages and magnificent sandy beaches, there is some fantastic cliff scenery, including many mighty sea stacks as featured in a previous ‘our picks’. This time we take a look at natural arches… The Vat of Kirbuster, Stronsay, Orkney The Vat of Kirbuster is a blow hole – locally known as a gloup – whose entrance is spanned by the most spectacular rock arch in Orkney. The Whale’s Mouth, Cullen, Moray Our circular route from Cullen on the Moray Coast reveals not one but two

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Posted in Features, Magazine, Our picks


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You should always carry a backup means of navigation and not rely on a single phone, app or map. Walking can be dangerous and is done entirely at your own risk. Information is provided free of charge; it is every walker's responsibility to check it and to navigate safely.