One of our clients told us this was the reaction of her daughter when she announced her plans after booking a walking holiday:
“Mum – enjoy your cold, wet holiday with strangers!” implied “rather you than me”
Seriously – this isn’t what it’s like. There’s so much more to a walking holiday.
You know when you join a themed holiday or vacation like this, doing an activity you enjoy, that your fellow guests will be like-minded people. Everyone who books a hiking holiday enjoys hiking – why else would you agree to do it. Therefore you have a common interest to start with. I’ve often overheard people exchanging hiking experiences; finding more and more in common as time goes on.
More often than not it’s more than hiking which you’ll find you have in common with the others. Maybe you share an interest in gardening; or in nature/bird watching; or photography; similar tastes in reading material and the list goes on.
It’s amazing how quickly a few individuals can become a group and thence be friends. Some of our guests have returned year after year to meet up with each other on a trip with us; so much so that we now build some of our trips around them.
Obviously the advantage of hiking every day, is that your fitness levels will improve by the end of the week. Guests quite often feel pretty tired mid-way through the week but by the end of the week, not so much.
You might not notice directly the lack of trees and living green spaces when you’re living in the city; but you might notice that you can get stressed quite easily. It’s really quite phenomenal how much easier it is to relax, to sleep and to be calm it is in the countryside. Certainly we receive quite a few comments about the lichens on the trees (indicating the purity of the air here); people notice because it’s not the same where they live.
Playing with lichen
Walking is not only a fantastic form of exercise but also a natural mood enhancer. A guided walking holiday encourages participants to embrace the great outdoors, providing a perfect balance of physical activity and mental relaxation. The rhythmic pace of walking is known to reduce stress and promote overall well-being.
When you’re outside, engaging in a physical activity, whether it’s hiking or kayaking or climbing, this totally engages your body and mind. There is no space left for worrying about work or home life concerns. We’ve taken hiking breaks before which have been little more than 24 hours, only one night away from home, but they’ve felt like a week away. It’s felt totally refreshing and ready to get back to work.
It’s a simple formula but it works. Somehow taking life back to these simple but essential tasks (especially when someone else is doing the cooking and cleaning) makes for a very relaxing holiday.
There are 2 kinds of tired: stressed tired and happy tired. When you’ve been out hiking all day, your body is physically tired but your mind is relaxed. Hence when you go to bed, you tend to sleep like a log.
Travelling at walking speed means that you have plenty more opportunities to spend time with local people. If your trip is also guided then your guide/travel experts will have curated the best places and people for you to meet.
One of the primary advantages of a guided walking holiday is the expertise of the tour guides. These knowledgeable professionals not only ensure your safety but also enhance your experience by sharing insights into the local history, flora, and fauna. Their presence adds depth to your journey, turning a simple walk into an educational and engaging adventure.
Walking is an eco-friendly mode of travel that minimizes your carbon footprint. Guided walking tours often emphasize sustainable practices, promoting responsible tourism and a deeper appreciation for the environment.
In conclusion, booking a guided walking holiday is an invitation to slow down, engage with the world on a more intimate level, and savor the beauty of each step. These journeys not only nourish your body and soul but also leave you with a newfound appreciation for the diverse landscapes and cultures that make our world so extraordinary. So, lace up your walking shoes and embark on a guided walking holiday – a transformative adventure that promises to be as enriching as the destinations themselves.
From the Inverness Courier
Iain said: “If you’re anything like me, and you go to the gym, I would do 20 minutes and say that’ll do, I’m away up the road – but when you go and climb a Munro, for instance, you can’t stop until you reach the top. Then you’ve got to head back down, so the physical benefit is immediate. (Read on…)
Benefits of a guided walking holiday
Exploring the mental health benefits of being in the outdoors
Whatever winter sport is your passion, getting the most out of the UK winter season is inevitably about being opportunistic. You need to jump to it when the conditions are right. Getting into the hills requires some degree of planning. You need to learn all the tips you can on about how to forecast snow. When forecasters tend only to predict 3 days in advance, it doesn’t give much time to get organised.
Season passes have been released by Cairngorm Mountain and quite possibly the other ski centres across Scotland. Now’s the time to keep your eye out for the snow predictions.
This changes though when you understand atmospheric thickness and how it relates to the 5 day synoptic weather charts. Have you ever noticed those numbered dashed lines hiding behind the isobars? (see below – on Bracknell charts predicting 36 hrs or more ahead) Well they represent the thickness of the atmosphere and this directly relates to the temperature of the air-mass. Bear with me, here’s the techie bit.
Air pressure at sea level tends to equalise at around 1000mb. The colder the air, the greater the density and hence you need less of it volume wise to create that 1000mb pressure. Therefore the atmosphere is thinner at the poles than it is at the equator. Meteorologists have realised that by measuring the altitude at which the air pressure halves (i.e. is 500mb) they can plot the movement of cold air from the polar regions towards the equator. In the northern hemisphere these thickness lines represent the southern limit of cold air moving down from the north.
As far as wintry weather in the UK’s mountains is concerned it’s the 528 line (equates to 5280m) you want to watch out for. When it crosses the UK you can expect snow on the hills at least. They are a bit like contour lines. The closer together they are the more the marked the temperature change but if, lets say, the 528 line is 300 miles out to the west over the Atlantic you might be at least be expecting snow on the highest tops in Scotland. If the 510 line approaches the UK wrap up warm, very warm! The charts predicting the arrival of the “Beast from the East” had the whole of the UK enveloped beneath the 510 line!
For those of you who can jump to it and might be in need of accommodation in the Northern Cairngorms area check out Fraoch Lodge.
We run our New Year Winter Walking trip every year on the same dates. It’s always a great trip and an ideal way to spend that period between Christmas and over the New Year; which can be lonely for some. It’s not always a sell out but it’s always great fun and includes the local street party in Grantown to bring in the New Year with a bang.
The New Year trip doesn’t include an overnight snow hole (all your nights are spent comfortably in the warmth at Fraoch Lodge). It’s a wee bit early in the snow season to be able to guarantee enough snow depth to safely build a snow hole. You will cover all the essential winter walking safety skills: how to use your ice axe, cramponing techniques, how to stop a sliding fall etc. No previous winter walking experience is required.
If you need any more persuading, check out the trip slideshow below:
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We’re busy pulling together the final details for all our winter Munro walking trips, including a planned return to the Glencoe area. Despite not having written the prose to promote this itinerary we do already have bookings so best to express your interest as soon as possible.
We are delighted to announce our new, revised itinerary for our Winter Munros trip in Glencoe. We will again be based at River Mill Cottage and will be following the itinerary below as closely as the weather allows:
We have been in the Glencoe area before and have designed other itineraries for previous groups. Please do feel free to check these out in the private groups section, but bear in mind that in order to run one of these other itineraries for you we will need plenty of notice in order to arrange accommodation for your group and make sure that there is availbility for your proposed dates. Ideally we would plan a private group tour at least 6 months in advance.
Please bear in mind that since the Covid pandemic it has become increasingly difficult to book accommodation in remote areas with limited options.
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Fraoch Lodge, Deshar Road,
Boat of Garten,
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