The NC500 – the ‘NC’ standing for North Coast – has become a hugely popular road trip around the North Highlands over the last few years. The route – a loop around northern Scotland from Inverness – has achieved wide publicity in recent years, and been acclaimed as offering one of the greatest road trips in the world as more and more people make the journey. There’s no doubt it’s a spectacular drive through some of Scotland’s greatest landscapes… but there is so much to see you really ought to take your time in order to get the most from…

Like Rome, Edinburgh is said to be built on seven hills – though it’s not hard to come up with a few more if you know the city well. Nonetheless the seven has stuck, and there’s even an annual race to climb them all, a combination of hill-running, road-running and urban orienteering. The winners get round in an amazing 1 hour 40 minutes. For most of the rest of us, it’s enough to climb the hills as a series of walks, all of them being featured on Walkhighlands routes within the city. Castle Rock Perhaps the most photographed of them…

Will this be the year you get out more and really explore Scotland on foot? Here’s our wee promo video to encourage more folk to get their boots on, get fit and healthy and discover the outdoors in 2018; help spread the message by sharing if you wish!

This is the second part of our pick of walks from the NC500 road-trip route around the North of Scotland. The first half can be read here. Glencanisp circuit, Lochinver The NC500 continues northwards from Ledmore junction, passing the atmospheric ruins of Ardvreck Castle before turning onto the A837 to head for Lochinver. From here the remarkable outline of Suilven dominates the landscape; there’s a great circular walk here starting up the River Inver that gives views not just of Suilven but of Quinag and Canisp too. Handa Island From Lochinver the NC500 takes the switchback B869 road, passing a…

We know that many of you watch the TV series Outlander… so by popular request, our latest pick is of walks in locations featured in the two series of the historical and time-travel drama. Glen Coe The very first scenes of the first episode of Outlander were shot in Glen Coe – one of Scotland’s most iconic locations; the glen features in the credits. The glen has a dark real-life history too, being the setting for the massacre of the MacDonalds in 1692. Glencoe village lies at the foot of the glen, which is justly famed for its superb walking…

It’s autumn, and the glens are quiet – or would be, were it not for the roaring stags. The leaves are turning and the midges are gone; is there a better time to get out and about in Scotland’s countryside? Rogie Falls – not far north from Inverness – is a stunning place for autumn colours. Many people think of Scotland as being clothed by evergreens, but the red, amber and golden leaves of autumn trees show up even better against a backdrop of Scots pine. The falls make an ever better walk from nearby Contin. A great location to…

On the remote northern coast of Aberdeenshire, looking out over the Moray Firth, lie three of Scotland’s most picturesque villages: Gardenstown, Crovie and Pennan. Gardenstown (locally known as the Gamrie) is much the largest of the three. A steep, steep road leads down through the modern part of the village to the harbour and the packed jumble of cottages which make up the old fishertown. A warren-like maze of alleyways, walkways and a narrow street connect the buildings and make this part of the village a fascinating place to explore. At the west end of the village there is a…