Exploring Scotland
Walk through the Highlands, spend a few days exploring the countryside from a village inn, or follow a long-distance path through mountains, glens and some of Scotland's most distinctive landscapes.
In the north, the Scottish Highlands offer mountain walking, remote glens, lochs and open moorland, with routes ranging from gentler lochside paths to demanding days in the mountains. The Cairngorms National Park combines high plateaux, ancient pinewoods, rivers and Highland villages, while the landscapes around Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park offer wooded hills, lochside walking and mountain routes within reach of towns and villages.
Along the west coast, walking takes in sea lochs, rugged peninsulas and the mountainous landscapes of the Isle of Skye, while the Inner and Outer Hebrides offer coastal paths, beaches and island communities. Further east, the Fife Coastal Path connects fishing villages, harbours and historic towns, while the John Muir Way follows a route across central Scotland between the west and east coasts.
Inland, the Rob Roy Way passes through the wooded valleys, lochs and villages of Perthshire and the southern Highlands. The Speyside Way follows the River Spey through woodland, farmland and Highland settlements, while the Southern Upland Way crosses the quieter hills, forests and open countryside of southern Scotland.
For a longer journey, paths including the West Highland Way, Great Glen Way, Speyside Way and Southern Upland Way can be followed over several days. For a shorter break, choose one place to stay and explore the surrounding mountains, lochs, countryside, coast and local paths on foot.