The Highlands and
the incomparable island of Skye are a walker's paradise
Within the area knows at the Highlands and Skye, there is magnificent mountain scenery, a
superb coastline, lovely long glens, loads of history and walking to suit everyone.
Many of Scotland's finest Munros and Corbetts
are found here, and they range in character from straightforward rounded summits to
serious challenges bordering on climbing. Major hill days include the narrow crest of the
Aonach Eagach above Glencoe, Ben Nevis, Britain's highest mountain at 1,344m/4,406ft, the
two contrasting sides of Glen Shiel - seven easy Munros on the south and the strenuous
Five Sisters switchback on the north - and of course the incomparable Cuillin of Skye,
topped by the jagged rock tooth of the Inaccessible Pinnacle, which has terrorised many a
budding Munroist! A short ferry ride from Skye, the lovely island of Raasay also has fine
walks.
High Tops
This is not just one area, in walking terms it is many. The Glencoe/Lochaber area
with its multitude of rocky peaks divided by deep and spectacular glens is quite different
from the expanses of Caithness and Sutherland, where gnarled hills of Lewisian gneiss, the
oldest rock in Britain, rise weirdly from a flat landscape of heather, bog and lochan.
Between Loch Ness and Strathspey is the 'empty quarter' of the rounded Monadhliath
Mountains, where all the summits can look the same and accurate navigation is vital.
Kintail, Moidart, Ardgour, Assynt... the names roll off the tongue, and each area repays
exploration.
Low Level Rambles
But it is not all high mountains. There is plenty of excellent lower-level walking
too, from the ultimate flat walk along the Caledonian Canal (a lovely way to spend a day,
the boats adding an extra dimension to your outing) to outstanding coastal walks in many
parts of the area. There are excellent shorter walks around Aviemore and Grantown-on-Spey,
on the Rothiemurchus Estate near Aviemore, and on the Ardnamurchan and Black Isle
peninsulas. An increasing number of good local guidebooks have become available in recent
years to help you find good places to walk.
Each time you come, you will find more to do,
more hills to climb, more walks to discover, more places where it seems no-one has been
before you. The wildlife is superb and the hospitality is of course legendary.
The Highlands of Scotland Tourist
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