Scotland
Britain's biggest mountains, and the only ones that keep snow into summer.
High point: Ben Nevis, 1345 m
Where to base yourself
Aviemore
The Cairngorms' main railhead, walking distance from pine forest.
Station: Aviemore
Callander
The Trossachs' front door, an hour from Glasgow.
Station: None; the town's own station closed in 1965. Stirling is the nearest mainline station
Fort William
Below Britain's highest mountain, at the line's end from Glasgow.
Station: Fort William
Glencoe
The classic Highland glen, with a village at its foot.
Station: None; Fort William, about 16 miles north, is the nearest railway station
Portree
Skye's only town, and the base for the Trotternish peninsula.
Station: None; Skye has no railway. Kyle of Lochalsh, across the Skye Bridge, is the nearest station
Ullapool
The North-West Highlands' one town of any size, ferry port for Lewis.
Station: None; Garve, on the A835 towards Inverness, is the nearest railway station
Hot tubs in Scotland
Kinlochleven, Northern Scotland
Mountain View Cabin - Kinlochleven
Sleeps 2 · 1 bed
- Hot tub
- Wood burner
- Dogs
No photo
Walks
Ben A'an
A short, steep hill above Loch Achray, known locally as the Trossachs' mountain in miniature, with a summit view out of proportion to its height.
- 3.6 km
- 357 m up
- 2 hr
- Moderate
Ben Nevis by the Mountain Track
The standard walking route up Britain's highest mountain, a long, steady climb on a stony path with no scrambling but a serious amount of ascent.
- 15.7 km
- 1350 m up
- 8 hr
- Hard
Ben Wyvis from Garbat
A 14km Munro round from the A835 with 935m of ascent, a built stone path to An Cabar and a mossy plateau NatureScot asks walkers to cross in single file.
- 14 km
- 935 m up
- 5 hr
- Hard
Bracklinn Falls
A short, easy woodland walk from Callander to a series of falls on the Keltie Water, crossed by a footbridge above a rocky gorge.
- 3 km
- 1.5 hr
- Easy
The Devil's Staircase
The West Highland Way's steepest, highest section, a zigzag climb from Altnafeadh to the highest point on the whole long-distance route.
- 14.5 km
- 305 m up
- Moderate
Dog Falls and Coire Loch, Glen Affric
A 6km waymarked circuit through Glen Affric's ancient Caledonian pinewood, from the River Affric gorge at Dog Falls to a dragonfly loch, near Cannich.
- 6 km
- 254 m up
- 2 hr
- Moderate
Views without the walk
Cairngorm Ski Road and Coire Cas
A public road climbing to 635 metres below Cairn Gorm, among the highest points reachable by car in Britain, with views back over Strathspey.
- Drive to it
- Step-free
- 2 min from the car
- View all round
Chanonry Point
The Black Isle spit where the Moray Firth's bottlenose dolphins feed on a rising tide beside Alan Stevenson's 1846 lighthouse, on foot from Rosemarkie.
- Drive to it
Corrieshalloch Gorge
A mile-long, 60-metre-deep gorge crossed by a Victorian suspension bridge, with the 46-metre Falls of Measach seen from a viewing platform.
- Drive to it
- 5 min from the car
Glenfinnan Viaduct Viewpoint
The curving 21-arch railway viaduct made famous by the Jacobite steam train and the Harry Potter films.
- Drive to it
- View all round
The Quiraing
A high mountain pass on Skye's Trotternish ridge, with towers and hidden plateaux visible within minutes of the car park.
- Drive to it
- 5 min from the car
- Faces east
The Study, Glen Coe
A roadside pull-in on the A82 with the classic view of the Three Sisters ridges, one of the most photographed mountain scenes in Scotland.
- Drive to it
- Step-free
- At the car park
- View all round
Adventure
Cairngorm Mountain Funicular
Britain's highest railway, climbing from Coire Cas to the Ptarmigan building at 1,087 metres on the shoulder of Cairn Gorm.
- cable car
- Cairngorm Mountain
- from £17.95
Glencoe Mountain
A chairlift-served bike park and summer activity centre at the head of Glen Coe, with cross-country and downhill mountain bike trails.
- bike park
- Glencoe Mountain
- from £18
Nevis Range Mountain Gondola
Britain's only mountain gondola, climbing Aonach Mòr to 650 metres, with a downhill mountain bike track and hill paths at the top.
- cable car
- Nevis Range
- from £28.95
Sea Kayaking from Portree
Guided sea kayak sessions on Skye's coast, with tasters run from Portree harbour and half and full-day trips launching around Portree and Uig.
- watersports
- North Skye Outdoors
- from £65