The 10 best scottish highlands hiking trails with photos. The border hotel in kirk yetholm is well known to long distance walkers. I will be walking the scottish national trail again in 2020 my 2020 route contains variations on the official route from maol bhuide bothy to kinlochewe village. Planning advice for walking the scottish national trail. I survived river crossings most of which were in spate. The scottish national trail is an amalgam of 6 different routes. The scottish national trail is a magnificent 540 mile walk running the length of scotland from kirk yetholm at the scottish border with england to the most northwesterly point in. The scottish national trail originally devised by cameron mcneish is an unmarked route from kirk yetholm to cape wrath.
Scotlands great trails discover scotlands finest long. Options, wild camping, bed and breakfast, hostels, bothies. There is a great guide on hiking the scottish national trail on the walkhighlands website, and for the most part i stuck to this but there were a few times when i deviated from the course to save time, or take a safer or more picturesque route. Scottish national trail calander to aberfeldy youtube. Nov, 2012 i always think of official footpaths more as suggestions than fixed routes anyway wainwrights coast to coast is the right idea but there is no doubt it is much easier to sell a fixed route than a vague choose your own adventure one. Whilst i was away walking the gr5 trail through the alps my book on a previous long walk, the scottish watershed, was published. May 07, 2019 this encouraged us to book in to the hostel again once wed caught up with our schedule. The trail, which is the longest in scotland, forms scotlands first ever endtoend walking route, from kirk yetholm in the scottish borders, through to cape wrath the most northwestern point on the british mainland. If i complete the scottish national trail and reach cape wrath early enough, i will then head for the isle of skye and walk the skye trail before leaving scotland at the end of may. The scottish national trail originally devised by cameron mcneish is an. They currently have books available for st cuthberts way and the southern upland way.
If you would like to support the channel, you can become a patron via my patreon page. Notes and tips advice for walking the scottish national. Choose and book a national trail break or be inspired by our suggested itineraries. The scottish national trail is a very tough walk progressively becoming more difficult as each stage progresses, on stage 4 walking 5 kilometres can take 34 hours hours due to conditions underfoot grade 4 bogs gale force winds and rain. His coffee table book scotland end to end narrates his pathfinding walk along it, in his usual colourful, enthusiastic style this book isnt a trail guide but a souvenir, readable and entertaining with great photographs, although it could do with a few more of the latter and their print quality isn. I walked the scottish national trail 870km alone in mid august\sept 2018 to raise money for childrens hospices across scotland chas. A blog for hikers wishing to walk the entire length of scotland on the scottish national trail. Recommended accommodation on the scottish national trail. Cape wrath trail with added sections to comprise one trail running the length of scotland from kirk yetholm near the border of england to the far north west of scotland at cape wrath. A bothy list for the trail is contained in the bundle of files at this site or you could purchase the bothy book. Scottish national trail page 3 with douglas sewell. Find out about the trail and use the interactive map to explore accommodation, services and attractions on the route.
A new guide to britains toughest backpacking route. Whether you are a walker, cyclist, paddler or horserider, scotlands great trails await you. The entire trail, beginning in kirk yetholm and finishing at cape wrath. My experience hiking the scottish national trail wayfaring kiwi. Oct 16, 2018 the walk highlands website is an excellent resource for all things skye trail and the scottish highlands. The scottish national trail is a magnificent 540 mile walk running the length of scotland from kirk yetholm at the scottish border with england to the most northwesterly point in britain, cape wrath in scotland. This means despite the love and desire to share our friendly, passionate and unique country, we must ask everyone at this time not to make any unnecessary trips around scotland to go walking. The scottish national trail is a 864kilometre 537 mi longdistance trail between kirk yetholm in the scottish borders, and cape wrath in the far north of the scottish highlands. Oct 01, 2012 to link the all various routes together has been the challenge of the goretex scottish national trail, a route that i believe can stand comparison with the best walking routes anywhere in the world. Mar 09, 2020 walked in 2016, and as explained in the video, ive picked up on cameron mcneishs scottish national trail route and lucked it with the weather.
Scottish national trail including map, gps files and statistics. Ldwa long distance paths scottish national trail aberdeenshire, e dunbartonshire, edinburgh, falkirk, highland, midlothian. How to hike the scottish national trail she went wild. The first sign that you see to announce the scottish national trail is at the entrance to the border hotel at kirk yetholm which is the start of the scottish national trail the next sign you will see about the scottish national trail is at the ozone cafe next to the cape wrath lighthouse i.
The trail starts in kirk yetholm, at the end of the pennine way. Scotlands most special places carry international, national and local designations that safeguard their natural heritage interests for the future. Scotland is a land rich in its distinctive national literature. Walking the goretexregistered scottish national trail. Scottish national sheepdog trial 2019 home facebook. We would like to show you a description here but the site wont allow us. Who wouldnt want to walk to what, according to the record book, is the uks windiest place. I am also writing a book about my journey, which i am hoping will be out in 2020. The scottish national trail is an 864 kilometrelong long distance walking route running the length of scotland from kirk yetholm to cape wrath. Jun 06, 2017 the scottish national trail was mashed up from sections of other trails by cameron mcneish. This year i was determine to walk the famous west highland way. Scottish national trail overview june 6, 2017 by andrew in itineraries, scotland 33 comments.
Scotlands first minister alex salmond has launched the scottish national trail. The longawaited harvey maps to the cape wrath trail. The scottish national trail was mashed up from sections of other trails by cameron mcneish. Scotlands great trails are longer distance routes for peoplepowered journeys. It is also the most popular of the scottish national trails. See behind the scenes, taste their products, hear their stories. Scotland end to end the scottish national trail wild. Eu exit brexit information snh is working with the scottish government to ensure that scotlands nature will have the same protections it had before eu exit. They are changing the national food and drink landscape with produce born of passion and pride. Accommodation on the scottish national trail accommodation. National trails guidebook 19 official cicerone press. The walk increases in difficulty and severity as it heads to cape wrath in the far heads northwest. My scottish national trail gear list may be changed slightly depending on the weather. Aug 11, 2018 the scottish national trail is an 864 kilometrelong walking route running the length of scotland from kirk yetholm to cape wrath.
Last year, i had completed my first scottish long distance walk. Scottish national trail launched by first minister alex. This is because the difficulty of the terrain and the lack of way marking or even defined paths in many places. Ranging in length from 24210 miles 40340 km, many are suitable for short breaks as well as endtoend expeditions. Read facts about the trail and watch the trail video.
The book is gloriously illustrated throughout by the photographs of landscape photographer richard else. Notes and tips advice for walking the scottish national trail. The scottish national trail is a 536 mile864 kmlong long distance walking route running the length of scotland from kirk yetholm to cape wrath. The book is gloriously illustrated throughout by the photographs of landscape. Highland trail inspired by outlander tour grand european travel. The goretex scottish national trail begins in kirk yetholm in the scottish borders and finishes at cape wrath in the northwest highlands and links a number of existing longdistance trails to form one 470mile walk. The west highland way was scotlands first long distance route established in 1980. Cameron mcneish is a scots hiker and backpacker and was for 20 years the editor of the great outdoors magazine. Its a great place to stay if youre doing the scottish national trail, the great glen way or any of the 66 locally accessible munros. Scottish national trail overview an oldie outdoors.
Devised by outdoors writer and broadcaster cameron mcneish, the scottish national trail is a challenging, 864 kilometrelong unofficial long distance walking route running the length of scotland from kirk yetholm to cape wrath. At thruhiker looking for advice for thruhiking the scottish. Apr 12, 2020 but the local artisans have protected their scottish heritage. That makes him a logical choice as the person to design the route of the newest longdistance walking trail in scotland. Browse the amazon editors picks for the best books of 2019, featuring our favorite reads in more than a dozen categories. Each is at least 25 miles long, largely offroad and offers visitor services. Walking the scottish national trail 540 mile walk in. These wellmanaged trails are clearly waymarked, run largely offroad and offer a choice of welcoming visitor services.
Common advice will suggest the trail can be done in five weeks but scotlands weather is notoriously. His coffee table book scotland end to end narrates his pathfinding walk along it, in his usual colourful, enthusiastic style. In fact, if i was you, id forget about the rest of this article and go there without further ado. The long awaited scottish national trail snt has launched, offering walkers a route from one end of scotland to the other. At thruhiker looking for advice for thruhiking the scottish national trail im looking to make my first trip overseas from the us this coming may and june, with the intention of hiking all of the scottish national trail. Oct 05, 2018 i walked the scottish national trail 870km alone in mid august\sept 2018 to raise money for childrens hospices across scotland chas. Posts about scottish national trail written by breavman99. The scottish national trail cape wrath trail guide. The scottish national trail has been created by outdoor writer cameron mcneish in collaboration with goretex and is the first route to go the full length of scotland, some 470 miles from kirk yetholm in the borders to cape wrath in sutherland.