7 Of The Best Walks In Scotland

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Scotland does not do subtle. This is a country of skies that crack open with light between the storms, of ancient glens that still carry the echo of clan wars, of coastlines that feel like the edge of the known world. It is a place built for walking — and the good news is that whether you’re a first-time rambler or a seasoned Munro-bagger, Scotland has a walk that will stop you dead in your tracks and make you forget, at least briefly, about everything else.

Here are seven of the very best walks in Scotland — each one different, each one unforgettable, and each one with a story worth knowing before you lace up your boots.

1. The West Highland Way — Glasgow to Fort William (96 Miles)

Distance: 96 miles (154km) | Difficulty: Moderate to Challenging | Time: 6–9 days

Scotland’s most famous long-distance trail needs little introduction, but it deserves every superlative thrown at it. The West Highland Way runs from the town of Milngavie — pronounced, rather wonderfully, ‘mill-guy’ — on the northern outskirts of Glasgow, all the way to Fort William at the foot of Ben Nevis, the highest mountain in the British Isles.

Officially opened on 6th October 1980, it became the country’s first and most popular waymarked trail, and has remained a wildly important cornerstone of the communities along the route for over 45 years. Around 120,000 people use the trail every year, with approximately 36,000 walking the entire route. 

The trail follows ancient drovers’ roads, old military roads built after the Jacobite risings of the 18th century, and disused railway lines — meaning you’re walking on paths that soldiers, cattle herders, and rebellious Highlanders have trodden for centuries. The route passes along the ‘bonnie banks’ of Loch Lomond, across the atmospheric Rannoch Moor, past dramatic Glencoe, and over the high pass of the Devil’s Staircase, before finishing in Fort William, at the foot of Britain’s highest mountain, Ben Nevis. 

Wildlife along the way includes feral goats, red deer and golden eagles — and, if you’re unlucky but authentic, the legendary Scottish midge. The fastest person ever to complete the West Highland Way was Rob Sinclair, who ran all 96 miles in 13 hours, 41 minutes and 8 seconds in 2017. Most walkers take a more civilised 6 to 9 days. Both approaches are valid. 

Tip: Walk south to north — prevailing winds are from the south-west, and the southern stages have shorter distances between overnight stops, building you up for the grandeur of the Highland mountains. 

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2. Ben Nevis — The Mountain Track, Glen Nevis

Distance: approx. 10 miles (17km) return | Difficulty: Strenuous | Time: 6–9 hours

If you’re going to climb a mountain in Scotland, you might as well climb the biggest one. At 1,345m (4,412ft), Ben Nevis is the King of the Munros and the highest peak in the United Kingdom. Shaped by successive ice ages from ancient volcanic rock, its Gaelic name — ‘An Beinn Nibheis’ — is thought to mean ‘venomous mountain’ or ‘mountain with its head in the clouds.’ 

The first recorded ascent was made by James Robertson, an Edinburgh botanist, in August 1771. Today it is estimated that around 125,000 people attempt the summit every year.

The main track to the summit is followed by thousands of visitors every year. The walk is often described as slow but steady and takes between six and seven hours to complete on average. As it’s the UK’s tallest mountain, it’s pretty likely that you’ll come across some snow on your way up, even in summer. At the top you’ll find the ruins of the world’s highest meteorological observatory, which operated continuously from 1883 to 1904. On a clear day, the views stretch to Northern Ireland and across to the Cairngorms. 

For experienced scramblers, the Carn Mor Dearg Arête offers a traverse across boulders to reach rewarding panoramic views from the mountain’s north face.

Tip: Start early, carry a full set of waterproofs, map, and compass. The summit plateau in poor visibility is a genuine navigation challenge even for experienced hillwalkers.

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3. The Quiraing — Isle of Skye

Distance: approx. 6.5km circuit | Difficulty: Moderate to Hard | Time: 2–4 hours

There are walks that offer beautiful scenery, and then there is the Quiraing — a landscape so strange and so otherworldly that first-time visitors often stop and stare in silent disbelief.

The Quiraing is a dramatic landslide landscape on the Trotternish peninsula of Skye. It is an ongoing geological feature — the largest of its kind in the UK — formed by ancient basalt lava slowly sliding over softer sedimentary rock. The result is a ridge of rock towers, hidden plateaus, and tilted shelves unlike anywhere else in Britain. 

The name Quiraing is derived from the Old Norse ‘Kvi Rand’, meaning ‘something folded’ — an apt description for this landscape. The circuit walk takes you past three extraordinary rock features: The Prison (a towering basalt buttress), The Needle (a soaring 37-metre pinnacle), and The Table — a hidden, flat-topped plateau of grass where local legend says the people of Staffin once played shinty, the ancient Gaelic sport. Local legend also holds that the Quiraing was a meeting place for fairies and where dragons hid to protect the area from Viking invaders.

The main Quiraing circuit is around 6.5 kilometres with moderate elevation. The path is uneven and boggy in sections, with some loose scree near the upper ridge. 

Tip: From the Quiraing, it is a 20-minute drive south to the Old Man of Storr — a 50-metre rock pinnacle and the most photographed spot on Skye. Combine both into a full day on the Trotternish Peninsula. 

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4. The Lost Valley (Coire Gabhail) — Glencoe

Distance: approx. 5 miles (8km) return | Difficulty: Moderate | Time: 3–4 hours

Glencoe is the kind of place that punches you in the chest the moment you see it. A deep, glacially carved valley framed by the soaring ridges of the Three Sisters — the dramatic spurs of the mountain Bidean nam Bian — it is one of the most photographed landscapes in Scotland. It is also the scene of one of the most infamous events in Scottish history.

The Glencoe Massacre occurred at 5am on the 13th of February 1692. The Scottish army massacred 38 men, women and children of the Clan MacDonald of Glencoe, with a further 40 dying of exposure attempting to flee the Glen in the snow. The soldiers responsible had been quartered as guests in the MacDonalds’ homes for almost two weeks — a profound violation of Highland hospitality — before receiving written orders to kill all those under 70. The pretext was that the MacDonald chief had failed to swear an oath of allegiance to King William III before the deadline. Romanticised during the 19th century as a clan feud between the Campbells and the MacDonalds, the real story behind the Glencoe Massacre is much darker — it has often been described as state-sponsored slaughter in pursuit of political ambition. 

Against this backdrop, the walk to the Lost Valley — Coire Gabhail in Gaelic, ‘the hollow of capture’ — is deeply evocative. This mysterious valley, tucked behind Beinn Fhada, is where the MacDonalds are said to have hidden stolen cattle. It’s a short but rugged walk, with a few scrambles — perfect for adventurous beginners. The views once you reach the valley are unforgettable.

Tip: Walking poles and solid ankle support are recommended. To this day, the sign above the bar of the Clachaig Inn in Glencoe reads: ‘No hawkers, no Campbells.’

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5. Ben Lomond — Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park

Distance: approx. 9.5 miles (15km) return | Difficulty: Moderate | Time: 4–6 hours

Ben Lomond holds a special place in Scottish walking culture. The most southerly Munro at 3,193ft (974m), it offers spectacular views of Loch Lomond from its summit. The name comes from the Gaelic ‘Beinn Laomainn’ — ‘beacon mountain’ — reflecting its long history as a landmark and signal point visible from miles around. National Trust for Scotland

The main path covers 4 miles (6km), taking you through forested ground managed by Forestry and Land Scotland for the first mile, before emerging onto the more open hillside managed by the National Trust for Scotland. Most people take between 2½ and 4 hours to reach the summit, and between 4 and 6 hours for the full round trip. 

With over 30,000 people reaching the summit every year, Ben Lomond is one of Scotland’s most popular and deservedly loved Munros. Before or after the walk, the 1-mile Ardess Hidden History Trail reveals the mountain’s human history, including a replica of the type of thatched cruck-framed building you would have found here 300 years ago.

Tip: Rowardennan is accessible by ferry from Balloch or Balmaha during summer — a far more scenic approach than the road.

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6. The Cairngorms — Lairig Ghru Pass

Distance: approx. 27 miles (45km) point-to-point | Difficulty: Strenuous | Time: 1–2 days

The Cairngorms National Park is the largest national park in the United Kingdom, covering 4,528 square kilometres of sub-Arctic plateau and ancient Caledonian pine forest. At its heart is the Lairig Ghru — ‘the gloomy pass’ in Scots Gaelic — a magnificent mountain corridor that has been used for centuries as a trade and droving route, with cattle driven south over its 835-metre summit to markets in Perthshire and beyond.

The ancient Caledonian Pine Forests of the Cairngorms National Park represent a density of tree cover that is quite unusual in Scotland today, as most of the old forests have been lost. Walking through Rothiemurchus Forest at the northern end of the pass — one of the finest surviving remnants of the forest that once covered much of Scotland — feels genuinely ancient. Red squirrels dart between the pines; red deer pick their way through the heather; and golden eagles patrol the high ground above. 

The route runs from Aviemore in the north to Braemar in the south, passing the Pools of Dee — a series of icy mountain lochans at the summit — before descending through Glen Dee to the Linn of Dee. This is not a walk to be rushed or undertaken lightly. The terrain is remote, weather changes rapidly, and there are few escape routes. But for those with the experience and preparation to tackle it, the Lairig Ghru is one of the great mountain journeys in the British Isles.

Tip: The full pass is best done as an overnight trip, stopping at the Corrour Bothy — a free mountain refuge maintained by the Mountain Bothies Association. Carry everything you need and leave it exactly as you found it.

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7. The Fife Coastal Path — Kincardine to Newburgh (116 Miles)

Distance: 116 miles (188km) | Difficulty: Easy to Moderate | Time: 7–10 days

Not every great walk in Scotland requires a mountain. The Fife Coastal Path runs from Kincardine to Newburgh along the coastline of Fife. It was established in 2002, originally running from North Queensferry to Tayport, and was extended in 2011 and 2012 to reach its current length of 187 kilometres (116 miles). Around 500,000 people use the path every year, of whom about 35,000 walk the entire route. Wikipedia

Fife has been at the centre of Scottish history for over a thousand years. The path passes through Dunfermline, once the capital of Scotland and the burial place of Robert the Bruce. It passes through Kirkcaldy, birthplace of Adam Smith, whose 1776 work ‘The Wealth of Nations’ laid the intellectual foundations of modern economics. And it passes through St Andrews — home of the world’s oldest golf course, in use since around 1552, and of one of Britain’s oldest universities, founded in 1413.

The East Neuk of Fife — a cluster of beautifully preserved fishing villages including Anstruther, Crail, and Pittenweem — is one of Scotland’s most charming stretches of coastline, with crow-stepped gabled buildings, working harbours, and fish and chips that will ruin all future fish and chips. The path also passes the ruins of St Andrews Cathedral, begun in 1158 and destroyed during the Protestant Reformation in 1559 — a haunting reminder of how dramatically Scotland’s religious and political landscape was transformed in the 16th century.

Tip: The East Neuk section from Elie to St Andrews is widely considered the most beautiful stretch and makes a superb 2–3 day standalone walk with excellent accommodation throughout.

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Before You Go

Scotland’s walking culture is underpinned by the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003, which grants walkers the legal right to access most land and inland water for recreational purposes — provided that access is exercised responsibly. This ‘right to roam’ is one of the most progressive access laws in the world and one of the things that makes Scotland such an exceptional destination for walkers.

Whatever walk you choose, go prepared. Scottish weather is genuinely unpredictable at any time of year. Carry a map and compass — and know how to use them. Wear layers. Tell someone where you’re going. And when the clouds part and the light falls across the glen in that particular golden way that only happens in Scotland, stop walking for a moment.

That moment is the whole point.

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