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Winter walking holidays and courses in the Highlands of Scotland

January 2018 has been a very busy month which Andy is currently rounding off with (another) snowhole trip into the gale-bound Cairngorms with a team from the BBC Travel Show. Nerves were displayed by the newbies presenting the programme. I think they were daunted by the Triathlon enthusiasts who’d been drafted in to help dig.

New Year Winter Walking

We welcomed in 2018 in the company of our select winter walkers. The group all brought in the New Year with a great deal of good-humoured and crowded dancing in the street in Grantown on Spey. Dancing was followed by a magnificent firework display. Great fun for everyone which topped off some fabulous snowy walks.

Striding out across the snow before bringing in the New Year in the Highlands of Scotland

Andy was even able to get out the tentipi and show off it’s capabilities over a cosy whisky in the evening. His market research (which might be skewed by the whisky and warmth inside the tentipi) shows some demand for his pony wilderness glamping proposals.

Checking out the luxury tentipi wilderness glamping beds – deemed superior and mattress-like

5 Day Winter Skills

5 younger enthusiasts joined us on January 1st for the first winter skills and navigation course of 2018. We think the photos tell most of the story. Great fun and quantities of cake kept everyone happy throughout.

Winter Skills group hamming it up for the camera

Striding out into the Cairngorms to practice ice axe and crampon skills – January 2018

Practising cramponing techniques in the Cairngorms, Scotland. There’s nothing more fun than legitimate play in the snow.

Putting their crampon techniques into play on the slopes of the Cairngorm mountains

January snow cover in the Cairngorms (2018)

Tumbling down the mountain, alternatively known as ice axe arrest on a 5 day winter skills course with Scot Mountain Holidays

Successfully stopping a sliding fall on an ice axe arrest – 5 Day Winter Skills course

Head first ice axe arrest – what fun!

What’s going on here? This is part of the navigation instruction on the 5 day winter skills course

Work or pleasure? Heading up into the mountains.

Classic Winter Cairngorms

Back for some more trailbreaking through the snow-decked Cairngorms. Our blog advice on how to keep your hands warm and how to keep your phone going in the cold were of great help this week.

Atop Bynack Mor deep in the heart of the Cairngorms National park. Not everyone goes on to see these magnificent “barns”. Quite a feat of climbing to get to the top, especially after the walk in!

The view you’d be rewarded with for the challenge of pitting yourself against potentially the worst conditions nature can throw at you. When you come out on top, you can feel the adrenaline.

Walking through the snow – January 2018. Winter walking is a completely different experience and a different challenge. If you haven’t tried it, maybe this is your time.

Cairngorms (January 2018) Spectacular views are the reward for challenging yourself to a winter extravaganza.

A winter wonderland here in the Cairngorms

Getting a workout through the snow in the glorious outdoors. Plenty of fresh air and stunning views.

Glorious winter walking on the Classic Winter Cairngorms week with Scot Mountain Holidays this January (2018)

Lucky or what? The views of the Classic Winter Cairngorms week were stunning at times as this shot shows.

A view for miles – the snow brings this landscape alive.

Snowhole Expedition

Lorna chose to encourage her friends and family to join her on a Snow Hole Expedition with Andy to celebrate her 50th birthday. We felt honoured. Lorna herself must have enjoyed the experience because she’s back right now helping the BBC to dig in tonight. Let’s hope they get to see the blue moon despite the snow showers.

Heading out into the Cairngorms fully prepared for a night out on a Snow Hole Expedition with Andy Bateman

Snow mascara! Who would have guessed?

Lorna is enjoying the break through moment. Now they can see that their overnight residence is a real possibility

Dinner in the snow hole – carrot soup and vegetarian bolognese

If you’d like to join us for a winter walking extravaganza or to learn new winter skills, there’s still plenty of time. Winter in the Highlands lasts well into March and sometimes even April.

Plenty of choice of walking holiday or skills course

2017 remembered

The best of 2017 for Scot Mountain Holidays – 19 years in the Cairngorms!

In January we were fortunate enough to meet a group of novice winter walkers from Barings Bank all keen to learn new skills and experience Scotland in winter. They were lucky enough to time their visit to coincide with the most wintry weekend of January 2017.

High in the Cairngorms, January 2017

First outing of the Tentipi in Knoydart made for quite an adventure in Barisdale, though unfortunately not a lot of snow.

The stories they had … survival of the fittest under trying and wet circumstances:

Do the pictures say 1000 words? What do you think the whole story would involve?

Inside the Tentipi with the glorious explorers – check out the drying system.

Would this be a welcoming sight at the end of a day’s hike? Warm, light and food.

This is the reason for being out with the Tentipi. What a day out.

What was the full story? Ask Andy for details. Definitely one for the memoires.

We all know that the 2017 season was not at its best in terms of snow. We did still manage to run all our snow hole expeditions. None of our groups retreated.

Certainly Challenge Sophie

and the Lonely Planet team seemed to have a great time out in the Cairngorms.

The Lonely Planet team out in the Cairngorms with Scot Mountain Holidays

May Day 4000ers

More snow at the end of April in 2017 than we saw for a lot of the winter season. The 4000ers group were treated to several avalanche sightings as they completed their route around Braeriach, Angel’s Peak etc.

Avalanche debris at the beginning of May in the Cairngorms National Park (2017)

The hikers in the sunshine deep in the heart of the Cairngorms National Park (more snow than most of January).

Admiring the view, early May 2017 in the Cairngorms

Check out the potential avalanche sites on the head wall. You can see how the corrie came to be made

Lewis, Harris and Skye

We had an amazing week in the Outer Hebrides. The ladies loved paddling along the white sand beaches. Heading back in September if there’s enough interest. Check out the photos.

Paddling on the beach at Harris

Heading down to civilisation from the hill tops of Harris

Admiring the seemingly endless wilderness views from the hills of Harris

Endless beach views along the western shores of Harris

Paddling along the white sand beaches of Harris

Unfortunately the weather didn’t really hold out for the group who came to do the Skye Munros later in the month (unfinished business for some perhaps?) but towards the end of the week, we still have some amazing weather.

High in the Cuillin mountains of Skye

The magic of Skye

Stunning views across Skye

Enjoying a well-deserved break with views in the Cuillin hills

Checking out the view across the Cuillins in Skye.

Popular view of the Cuillin mountains from the Sligachan area.

On top of a cold grey Cuillin Munro

Self-guided mountain biking in the Cairngorms

We’re working with some French partners to introduce more of our international guests to the glories of hiking and mountain biking in the Highlands of Scotland. In June 2017, we met a lovely group of mountain bikers who stayed a week at Fraoch Lodge, exploring some of the classic routes and also the Glenlivet area.

A profitable visit to the Whisky Castle for both sides: the cyclists and the shop

We also ran a trial weekend in Knoydart with the Tentipi for a friend’s 50th birthday.

Relaxing outside the tentipi as the whole crew gathers to celebrate

Check out the gourmet options available on a luxury wilderness glamping experience.

Goodbye to Mick

Many of you may have met Mick as in the course of our last 19 years here in Scotland, Mick Wansborough has probably been are most “frequent flyer”. So much so that Mick has lost track of how many times he’s been on our trips.

These are Mick’s parting words as he won’t be able to  participate in any future trips due to ill health in his family:

“I have had many (15?16?) enjoyable times with Scot Mountain Holidays. Andy always devises varied and interesting itineraries and, although I regarded myself as a reasonably experienced fell-walker, I have learnt much from Andy’s guidance and advice and have gained in confidence. And Rebecca’s catering is superb – just the thing for a hard day’s hill-walking

I wish you both continuing success – you deserve it. As I’ve said before: you both work very hard and are both very good at what you do!”

We are very sorry to lose Mick but he will be fondly remembered on all future trips. Someone else will now have to step up to Mick’s self-appointed position of “shop steward” on the walks.