Scotland – Walking Trails, Landscapes & Wild Places

A Country of Mountains, Coasts, and Open Space Shaped by Distance and Time

Scotland is a country defined by scale, space, and the routes that cross some of Europe’s most expansive landscapes. From long-distance paths through glens and along sea lochs to old drove roads, military tracks, and coastal ways, a wide network of trails links mountains, islands, and remote settlements, creating one of the most distinctive environments for self-guided travel and walking in the British Isles.

The geography shifts dramatically from south to north. Rolling farmland and wooded valleys in the Borders give way to lochs, glens, and high passes, before rising into the mountains and plateaux of the Highlands. To the west and north, deeply indented coastlines, peninsulas, and island chains stretch into the Atlantic, where routes follow cliffs, beaches, machair grassland, and quiet harbours shaped by wind, tide, and weather.

Much of this land is protected. National Parks and National Landscapes, wild coastlines, and extensive upland areas preserve habitats ranging from ancient Caledonian pine forest to blanket bog, moorland, and alpine terrain. These protected landscapes sit alongside working estates, crofting communities, and small towns, where land use, culture, and history remain closely tied to the terrain.

Movement through Scotland is often guided by historic routes. Old drove roads once used to move cattle across the Highlands, military roads built in the eighteenth century, and centuries-old trading paths still influence today’s long-distance trails. These lines across the landscape connect glens, passes, and settlements, revealing how people have travelled through difficult terrain long before modern infrastructure.

Walking here is shaped as much by distance and atmosphere as by elevation. Days can feel remote and elemental, with wide skies, changing light, and long stretches between villages. Progress follows natural contours — along lochsides, across open moor, or over broad ridges — encouraging a steady, attentive pace that brings the landscape into focus step by step.

Scotland rewards patience and immersion. Whether tracing a coast for days, crossing mountain passes, or linking small communities through glens and valleys, the experience is less about reaching a single viewpoint and more about understanding how land, weather, and history combine to shape each place.

This is a country best understood slowly: through its trails, protected landscapes, and wild places that together form one of Europe’s great walking environments.

Explore Scotland by Region

The Highlands

Large-scale mountain and moorland landscapes shaped by glens, lochs, and long distances between settlements. Broad ridges, ancient pinewoods, and remote routes create some of the most spacious walking in Britain.

The Islands

Sea cliffs, white-sand beaches, machair grassland, and Norse and Gaelic heritage define the Hebrides, Orkney, and Shetland. Coastal routes link crofting townships, harbours, and archaeological sites across exposed Atlantic edges.

North East Scotland

Rolling farmland meets wide beaches and dramatic headlands. Clifftop paths, fishing villages, and castle-lined coasts give the region a strong maritime character, with gentler inland routes through forests and river valleys.

Central Scotland

Lochs, wooded hills, and accessible uplands lie within easy reach of towns and cities. Canal paths, parkland, and shorter hill routes create varied walking close to historic settlements and waterways.

The Borders

Soft hills, river valleys, and abbey towns define this quieter southern landscape. Long-distance routes follow old drovers’ roads and ridgelines through pastoral countryside shaped by centuries of farming and cross-border history.

South West Scotland

Forest parks, open coastline, and the uplands of Galloway create a peaceful and lightly travelled landscape. Estuaries, beaches, and remote moorland offer quieter routes away from busier areas.

Greater Glasgow & The Clyde Valley

Urban and industrial heritage meets river corridors, canal paths, and nearby hills. Walking here connects city edges with woodlands, reservoirs, and the wider landscapes beyond.

Edinburgh & The Lothians

Coastal paths, volcanic hills, and historic estates sit alongside the capital. Routes follow the shoreline of the Firth of Forth, cross open farmland, and climb prominent local summits with wide views.

Beginning to explore Scotland

Scotland’s trails, landscapes, and wild places form a connected network rather than a single destination. Exploring by region allows each area’s scale, terrain, and history to emerge naturally, revealing how geography and culture continue to shape the country on foot.