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.…

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.…

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…

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.…

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…

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…

Do you ever have the feeling that you really want to get away from it all? Here’s our pick of some of Scotland’s furthest flung island locations… Foula The incredibly remote outpost of Foula is particularly chancy to reach. The ferry (passenger only) from the west of Shetland Mainland taking many hours is often cancelled by poor weather, so many visitors fly in a tiny nine-seater plane from Tingwall. The sea cliffs here vertically for 370m at Da Kame – second only to St Kilda as the highest in Scotland. Isle of May Much easier to visit is the Isle…

Scotland is as known for its glens as it for its bens. The word glen comes from the Gaelic and means a steep-sided valley – most of them were carved by glaciers during the last Ice Age; the word strath usually denotes a broader, wider valley. We pick out 16 of our favourite Highland glens, whether for their stunning landscapes, flourishing wildlife or wildness and isolation. Glen Clova, Angus Angus is a region where the glens are perhaps better known than the mountains around them. Glen Esk is the longest and a real gem with a great variety of scenery,…