Researching where to hike in Scotland is not necessarily an easy task You probably have access to such sites as WalkHighlands. We’ve recently come back from New Zealand. While there we toured the North Island (but not the south, despite frequent recommendations to go there). We didn’t take a campervan (despite recommendations) but we did hike the Tongariro Crossing. However, even though we speak English, we found it much more difficult to get an idea of where to go to hike on the North Island and what to expect when we got there.
What you have to bear in mind when you’re planning your trip, is who is giving you recommendations. Are their priorities are similar to yours or not? Just because someone else thought it was great to isolate themselves in a campervan, doesn’t mean that it will be your thing – nor that it will be within your budget. Equally when someone recommends a hike to you – this doesn’t always mean that it is the best the area has to offer.
Hiking in to a secret wild camping spot in Assynt
What are your priorities?
Is time going to be an issue? Can you afford to be relatively spontaneous? Remember sometimes it’s the experiences you haven’t planned which end up being some of the most memorable parts of your trip. For example, before we went to New Zealand we knew we would spend most of our time on the North Island. We knew we’d be spending the first week in Taranaki, visiting family. We thought we’d like to go on through Taupo, Rotorua and the Coromandel peninsula including the Tongariro Crossing along the way.
In the end, we only passed through Rotorua and diverted to Lake Waikaremoana. This is one of the North Island’s few “Great Walks” (as designated by the Department of Conservation). The walk was stunning and not popular at all. Around 90% of visitors are Kiwis. We loved the whole experience because it was remote. The few people we met were extremely friendly, the views were amazing and we were surrounded by nature. We saw more wildlife on this hike than on all the others put together.
Are you using images on social media to influence your choice?
The problem with using social media to help you decide where to go is that 1000s of other people are seeing the same images. When you get there you might be disappointed when the reality doesn’t match up with the (probably) enhanced image you’ve seen. You will also probably find that the place is much more popular than you anticipated. If you, as a first time visitor to the area, have found information about this place, and seen it more than once, the likelihood is that many other travellers have too.
When making your choice of where to hike in Scotland, bear in mind that you are likely to meet many other people on the shorter hikes on Skye, but many of the other Hebridean islands will be just as beautiful and much less crowded (except during HebFest).
If you choice where to hike in Scotland includes the West Highland Way, this is the most popular long distance hike in Scotland – try to go off season if you can. It will be much less crowded in October than July. NB High season on the West Highland Way also co-incides with high season for midges.
Speak to local people about alternative options. Ask experts for advice or take a knowledgeable, local guide. Most hiking guides will avoid popular hotspots. They endeavour to take you to places you wouldn’t otherwise reach.
Exploring the hills of Harris. Watch out though there are few if any way marked paths which might come as a shock to some of our continental visitors.
Sometimes the highlight of a hike in Scotland is a chance encounter with reindeer, red deer, red squirrels, ptarmigan, … there’s quite an extensive list. Your chances of seeing wildlife during your hike in Scotland are greatly reduced if you choose a popular route. Wildlife in almost all circumstances will avoid areas where there are a lot of people.
Top tips for wildlife sightings
All the best when it comes round to your turn to choose a hike in Scotland. There are some great books, but if you can afford it we would highly recommend booking a guide for your first walk. You’d get a much better feel for the country and probably learn some unexpected trivia!
Stuck for gift ideas for hikers? What to get the hiker in your life? Read on. We’ve come up with a list we’ve organised into a couple of blogs to make it easier for you to find something which will fit your budget and your giftee.
If your short in the leg, or long in the body, sometimes it can be a nightmare to get gear which fits you pefectly which can be frustrating and irritating when your out and about, particularly for legwear. Cioch Direct use Nikwax Analog material (also used by Paramo) to create waterproof clothing tailored to fit your measurements and the cost is very little more than off-the-peg jackets and trousers.
Jackets start at £200
Waterproof trousers start at £195
http://www.cioch-direct.co.uk/perfect_fit/perfect_fit.html
Down jackets have come a long way from the times when they were alternatively known as “puffer” jackets. There are so many different options you can choose from now and also different weights of jacket; differing sizes of ribbing, hydrophobic or regular down; down/wool combination?
Rab have always lead the way in down but there are a huge number of other outdoor clothing/gear manufacturers now making inroads into their market.
I found a couple of reviews of alternatives on Fiona Russell’s blog which you might want to take a look at.
– http://www.fionaoutdoors.co.uk/2015/11/jottnar-fenrir-850-fill-hydrophobic-down-jacket.htmlor http://www.fionaoutdoors.co.uk/2015/11/smartwool-phd-propulsion-60-hoody-sport-jacket.html
NB Down jackets are often not the best for Scottish weather conditions as they loose a lot of their thermal potential if they get wet. Hydradown does halp a wee bit with this but the mid to light weight jackets can still leave the wearer feeling chilly in Scotland. Generally speaking many thin layers and fleeces under a windproof, waterproof shell jacket provide the best thermal protection. Down jackets are better in alpine conditions.
You can’t really go wrong with gifting a base layer, so long as you get the sizing right. It’s always useful to have an extra layer for the winter weather. All outdoor stores will offer a range of “base” layers. The main choice is between synthetic or natural fibres. The complaint in the past has always been that synthetic fibres can start to whiff after quite a short length of time, hence the nickname “smelly helly” for a Helly Hansen top. Things have of course moved on quite a lot but natural fibres like merino wool or bamboo would definitely be preferable. You can sometime pick these up for nominal sums in Aldis or Lidls if you are there when they have the right offer on.
It is vitally important particularly in winter conditions to protect your extremities.
You can pick up a pair of silk liner gloves for next to nothing and they’ll always come in useful either for hiking or climbing or even cycling. They’ll protect your hands and give an added layer of warmth under your thick winter outer gloves which mean that you can manipulate delicate pieces of equipment, push buttons, change batteries etc without having to expose your skin to the colder winter temperatures. They could even be a useful stocking filler.
Delicate and dexterous are not adjectives which apply to Dachstein Mitts. Made of pre-shrunk wool, they are not items of high fashion. But when it comes to beating the cold they just can’t be beaten. No fancy designed mountaineering gloves beat them for building heat back up in the fingers. If your friend/partner suffers from cold fingers, they’ll be so grateful for a pair of these, even if they live in the bottom of the pack most of the time.
Ice axe arrest on a winter skills course
Last but not least on the clothing front – that old fail safe on the present front – a pair of socks! For a hiker though, the right pair of socks could be something to get excited about. After all it can ruin a good day out if you feet are not comfortable.
Other people have already written at great length reviewing several brands of hiking socks so I won’t add more except to say, that good socks may well be expensive – but they are worth their weight in gold and wool is definitely the way to go as natural fibres reduce the smell of sweaty feet.
Check out the lists/reviews below.
http://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/news/gear-review-serious-socks/006431/
http://www.headtothehills.co.uk/articles/215-hiking-socks.html
http://www.outdoorgearlab.com/Hiking-Socks-Reviews
http://www.gearreview.com/socks99.asp
We’ve written about ice axes several times on our blog and also in our FAQ section so we won’t go into reems of detail about ice axe models and choices. Only really a gift for someone you know is about to venture out into some winter challenge/adventure. Possibly not something you’re likely to give as a surprise gift and if you are at all uncertain it’s possibly better to go with a voucher for an outdoor store. Remember if you book a course or holiday with Scot Mountain Holidays, as a bonus you and anyone else on the course will receive a discount code for 15% off any future purchases with Cotswold Outdoor.
Probably an item that will be specifically requested if you or someone you know if looking to do some winter skills traning or move into ice climbing. Whichever activity you are thinking of, you’ll probably be taking slightly different kinds of crampons into consideration. The important thing is not to get too tempted by cheap versions for sale on ebay, as they really don’t pass the quality mark on the safety front when you present them to your instructor.
Check out our top winter skills tips and our FAQ section for more knowledge.
Definitely something which shouldn’t be a surprise. If you’re looking for some advice for something which would be suitable for winter walking in Scotland, check this out and don’t necesarily listen to the advice of a shop assistant down in the south of the country.
Which boots to choose for winter?
There are a confusing array of headtorches on the market but in order to choose the best one to add to your list or to buy for a friend, you need to know the primary purpose for which you’re buying it. Fortunately UKClimbing have done a comprehensive review of several options on the market. Take a read here:
http://www.ukclimbing.com/gear/review.php?id=5951
If you’d also like to take the opinions of users into account then check out the recommendations on the following forums.
http://forum.fellrunner.org.uk/showthread.php?15581-Head-torch-recommendations
http://www.outdoorsmagic.com/forum/gear/headtorch-recommendations/62016.html
I’m in the market for new trekking poles myself. I have to admit that I’m in the never-walk-without-them group. Ever since I started using them, I have found them invaluable. I tend to use them right from departing the car park to returning at the end of a hike, but I have to admit that many of the men I know who hike, have always denigrated poles as they consider themselves srong and experienced enough to go without. However, once taught to use them correctly, they have been known to convert.
I have no idea which pair of poles I’ll end up with, even though I’ve read the reviews listed below. My personal preference is for a click-lock system of extending the pole as I’ve seen the twist action ones fail repeatedly.
Weight is a consideration too, but not to the extent that I’m prepared to pay a huge amount more for my poles.
As I do travel as well, it is useful to have a pole which will collapse to a relatively short length to attach to the rucksack. It is not usually possible to fit the poles inside the pack when it is packed for a week’s holiday and if poles can’t fit inside your pack on a flight, you run the risk of damaging them.
Top tip for pole care: always take your poles apart at the end of the day and make sure that all sections are thoroughly dry before reassembling.
http://www.ukclimbing.com/gear/review.php?id=3454
http://www.outdoorgearlab.com/Trekking-Poles-Reviews
Of course, if they already have all the gear, or are extremely particular, there is another option. It is possible to buy a course or holiday voucher. You don’t even need to specify which trip you wish to purchase; you can just purchase a fixed value voucher to be used at a future date against any trip/holiday. Scot Mountain Holidays offer this option as do most other holiday companies. You have the “gift” ready to give in your email inbox within minutes of clicking “Buy now”. Your gift will be individual with a personally designed voucher specific to you/your friend.
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