Arran delivered in spades for our guests this year. We had an amazing week at a stunning cottage in Blackwaterfoot, despite the logistical nightmares of organising the trip this year which included ferry hiccoughs galore.
Andy and the guests explored some stunning geological features and coastal walks and despite having been over to Arran before (more than once) we still found new spots to explore.
Below are the posts Andy made on Facebook summarising the fabulous days out they had.
A quick album from our Skye Munros trips in 2022 – Skye Black Cuillin Munros (excluding climbing gallery) and Skye Black Cuillin for Hillwalkers, based in Portree.
If you’re considering joining us in 2o23, places are already limited (one place remaining) on the climbing itinerary. Take a look at the images below for an idea of what to expect when you join us next year. As you can see the weather wasn’t always perfect, but there still seem to be lots of smiling faces even if the jackets, hats and gloves did come out on occasion.
Portrait images will not display in the gallery except in landscape format which makes them awkward to view so they are only displayed in the gallery where they are displayed correctly.
For full versions of the images please check out this link to our google album.
Walking holiday options on the west coast of Scotland are almost endless. Knoydart or Skye – where to go? One of the most popular and endlessly filmed locations is the Isle of Skye. The dramatic jagged images of the Skye hills have formed the backdrop for many a dramatic movie. However, there are places which are just as satisfying to walk all up and down the west coat where the views are as magnificent or even more stunning. We’re heading over to Skye and to Knoydart in May this year. See our assessment here of the advantages and disadvantages of each to help you make a decision.
Skye has a huge reputation as a destination in Scotland based on the dramatic nature of its scenery and its romantic attachment to the Stuart/Jacobite legend. The attraction of Skye for hillwalkers and Munro baggers comes from the nature of its terrain. There is nothing to match the jagged peaks of Skye in the UK. The closest comparable peaks are in the Alps, when you may also have to contend the the altitude and the additional possible complication of altitude sickness.
Topping out on the Innaccessable Pinnacle in glorious sunshine weather, Skye May 2016
Skye is more accessible. The bridge over to Skye has made it much more accessible to everyone, especially now there is no toll. However, it has also taken away a small part of the mystique which comes from taking a ferry to get somewhere; it makes you feel more like you’re going somewhere exotic and unknown, almost as if you’re abroad. That’s now missing from the Skye experience (unless you choose to take a ferry route or are island hopping through the Hebrides), but is still a part of going to Knoydart
To reach the actual Munro summits on Skye you will need to do some roped climbing. It is the ambition of many a Munro bagger to reach the top of the Innaccessible Pinnacle. Some will never make it as you do need to have some elementary rock climbing skills and a very good head for heights (see Skye photos below)
Knoydart is only accessible after a boat ride from Mallaig or a long walk in along the peninsula. There is no motorised transport allowed on the peninsula for visitors i.e. you can not take your car there. It still has the feel of being remote and inaccessible. You feel privileged to have the opportunity to visit. Even the public ferry is a relatively small boat but most groups end up chartering wee motor boats to get down the loch to Inverie.
Loch Nevis looking towards the islands of Eigg and Rhum
All the peaks in Knoydart are accessible to a walker without the use of ropes.
You can see the Cuillin Ridge clearly from Knoydart while climbing the peaks there.
Both have excellent dining opportunities, especially if you like seafood.
See our pictorial comparison below:
We’ve chosen 3 images from our Skye collection. They certainly give you an idea of the kind of terrain which makes up the ridge. If you’re on social media (and connected to the right people, which includes us!) you might have seen the famous film of Danny Macaskil riding his mountain bike along the ridge. In fact, you don’t even need to have been on social media as a short programme about the making of the film was shown on BBC TV.
High in the Cuillin mountains of Skye
Sunset over Am Basteir from Sligachan on the Isle of Skye during the Skye Munros itinerary
Sunset over the Cuillin hills in Skye
Britain’s most remote wilderness (on the mainland) – Knoydart does have a very special feel to it.
The ridges of the Knoydart peaks
Eve negotiates the ridge
Mick admiring the view in Knoydart
Knoydart:
The Knoydart Foundation – http://www.knoydart-foundation.com/
The Old Forge, Britain’s most remote pub – http://www.theoldforge.co.uk/
Britain’s most remote wilderness in video – http://www.theguardian.com/travel/video/2013/jun/11/britain-wilderness-scotland-knoydart-peninsula-video
John Muir Trust in Knoydart – https://youtu.be/rGCL7uBRw5s
Skye:
Walkhighlands: The Black Cuillin
TripAdvisor: The Black Cuillin www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Attraction_Review-g186585-d196763-Reviews-Black_Cuillin-Isle_of_Skye_The_Hebrides_Scotland.html
Black Cuillin Ridge of Skye – http://www.mountainhiking.org.uk/scotland-mountains/skye/skye4.shtml
Danny Macaskill – The Ridge – https://youtu.be/xQ_IQS3VKjA
The Munro Show – Sgurr nan Gillean https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lfc-dDsfV6c
Our Highland Wilderness Glamping trips have really caught the imagination and produced some amazing images.
We asked Scottish Field and Trail magazine if they’d like to come along and join us to help spread the words. Both magazines sent teams to join us for a full-on Highland Wilderness Glamping Experience, producing the articles below. You may have seen them in the magazines if you’re a subscriber.
If you’re considering joining us on an adventure with the ponies, have a read and let us know what you think.
Back to: Highland Wilderness Glamping Adventure
Back to: Highland Wilderness Glamping Taster
Back to: Highland Wilderness Glamping Adventure
Back to: Highland Wilderness Glamping Taster
In fine summer conditions wild camping, in the UK can be a glorious experience. As a youngster, a high wild camp in the mountains was one of the most wholesome, formative and enjoyable experiences of my life, and still is.
For a large chunk of the year though, a wild camp can often end up being an experience that’s endured rather than enjoyed. Along with the sun loosing its summer strength goes its ability to appreciably warm and reduce the humidity of our damp maritime air as it moves inland. By Day 2 of any multi-day trip, that pervasive damp has invariably got into your gear. Worse, if any of your gear gets wet at this time, the only realistic chance of drying it is to wear it!
Without any risk of exaggeration, adding a camp wood burner to your tent is a COMPLETE and UTTER GAME CHANGER! This isn’t something new. The indigenous people of the Arctic have been doing it since time beginning. What is new is the availability of camp wood burners in the UK.
With the stove we use, it’s quite possible, whist having an outside temperature close to freezing, to basking in 25 degrees of heat inside!
With a smaller tent and a larger stove, the Ray Mears boast of 28 degrees C inside whilst the outside temperature is minus 35 degrees becomes entirely believable! (start at 4:30 in if you’re pushed for time).
This elevated temperature has the effect of substantially reducing the relative humidity of the air and the prospect of being able to banish that damp.
Combining a camp wood burner with a tent or teepee made of a naturally breathable poly-cotton canvas creates a remarkably dry atmosphere. Even to the point that the upper surface of a ground sheet in contact with cold ground will readily dry!
A teepee style tent gives a wonderful drying area in its upper reaches, the apex. It is, of course, the warmest part especially with the flue pipe going straight up through the centre.
In the depths of winter, if you’re able to keep the stove in over night it is quite possible to have dry gear by the morning, and that includes boots! A wood burner raised adequately up off the ground allows boots to be placed under it without drying the leather out too aggressively.
For us the “après” adventure, the evening meal, etc has always been an important part of the whole experience. The central camp stove provides a wonderfully cosy focal point around which guests can sit, relax and enjoy each others company. Often the only adequate cosy alternative when using conventional camping gear is to cocoon yourself in your sleeping bag.
Deadwood is a very important part of any woodland ecosystem, especially so in nature conservation areas, It’s the food of fungi, larvae, etc that then in turn feed other wildlife species. This should be born in mind when sourcing wood and if necessary fuel should be taken with you. It is also worth bearing in mind that deadwood is the legal property of the landowner.
Depending on the time of year it may be difficult to find dry wood in the wild. As is the case with burning any damp or “green” wood, a lot of heat energy is lost in the form of latent heat evaporating the water rather than it raising the temperature.
Make sure you take extra care to dispose of any ashes and cinders safely. You need to be super careful when wild camping to avoid any risk of starting a wild fire.
If you’d like to try hot tent camping, before investing in all the gear yourself you might want to consider this trip: Hot tent camping with Scot Mountain Holidays
We’re bringing out another trip soon based on the isle of Rum in early April and hot tent camping for the duration. Keep an eye on the website for details.
It’s not easy to know what to pack for a new type of vacation, especially if you’ve got a longer holiday planned. You want to make the most of your trip though so always a good idea to have a check list of things you really don’t want to forget. It’s also nice to know what you don’t need to pack, if some of the gear is being provided for you then that takes the pressure off your bags.
We’ve put together the ideal kit list of the wilderness glamping trips just so there isn’t anything vital that you forget to bring because it’s not like you can stock up while you’re out on the adventure: there aren’t any stores around.
You might be surprised to find that you there’s little or nothing you need to buy to come on this trip. Hint: All the camping/glamping gear is provided by Scot Mountain Holidays.
featuring our newest innovative adventure – Highland Wilderness Glamping
Have you ever been trekking in Peru? Hiking in the Himalaya? Walking in France?
What about wild camping?
We have been hut-to-hut trekking and we have been wild camping. The joy of hut-to-hutting, especially in many parts of Europe, is that you really don’t have to carry much gear, but you get to stay in some of the most amazing situations; in huts high in the wild mountains. In Scotland, you can really only enjoy such a wild experience, well away from the road or camping high in the hills, if you carry all your gear with you. And if you’re also taking the family this means that at least one of you ends up carrying a truly heavy pack. You’ll have all your gear and half the kids’ gear as well along with a tiny tent and cooking gear.
Family Adventure Holidays in the Cairngorms
Having experienced both extremes, we’re happy to say that we hit on a solution to bring light weight/small pack camping to Scotland. The solution was right under our noses: camping + ponies! Why not? In many countries abroad mules and donkeys are used to carry camp equipment high into the mountain ranges. Then hikers can access really remote trails comfortably.
Highland ponies have been bred to carry loads. They are traditionally used to carry deer down from the hill. Many Highland estates keep ponies for this reason. It is a skilled job for both ghillie (pony handler) and pony. There are therefore a lot of factors to be considered when working with animals
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We asked the local experts and Andy spent a lot of time learning how to look after ponies and gathering the best gear he could find. He also needed to find some quiet routes and a suitable off-the-beaten-track camp site big enough for the tentipi and with grazing for the ponies. It’s hugely complicated to put these trips together, but after years of preparation they’re on the market.
We’ve found a way to remove the deal breakers of wild camping. After all, not everyone wants to carry a heavy pack; not everyone wants to poo in the wild (nor do they know how to do it in a respectful and leave no trace way); not everyone wants to eat freeze dried rations; no one wants to be soaking wet. With the gear Andy has invested in and the ponies to accompany us, we’ve found a way to get rid of all these issues. Join Andy for an unforgettable outdoor adventure with all kinds of unexpected bonuses: foraging, pony friends, hot tenting, dry clothes, dry shoes, fresh air, and COVID safe.
How a Highland pony always beats a quad bike
You can also check out the videos on YouTube featuring Sylvia Ormiston who manages the Queen’s herd of Highland ponies at Balmoral.
First snow of the winter at the end of November, signalled a chance to search for a new Jacobite site locally. Andy had been reading up on local legends and discussing the sites mentioned with local landowners. He was determined to find another Jacobite hideout used by our local hero and Jacobite legend, John Roy Stuart.
John Roy Stuart was a leader and advisor in the Jacobite army of 1745. He was very close to Bonnie Prince Charlie. If you visit Culloden Battlefield, you’ll find several mentions of him both in the visitor centre and out on the battlefield itself. There is a small memorial to him on the back road to Coylumbridge but it is easily overlooked.
After reading “In the Shadow of Cairngorm” by William Forsyth and speaking to Lynn of Lynbreck Croft, we were all set to explore on the edges of the croft.
We tempted out a friend and the rest of the family with a promise of a visit to the Christmas Cairngorm Farmers market in Grantown, followed by a short walk. We duly filled up on delicious local produce then headed out to find:
” In a wild, lone gorge at the foot of the cliff, shaded by birches and hazel, there still lies a smooth slab, under which he used to shelter. There, wrapped in his plaid, with his broad-sword by his side, he would lie, with the bracken for his bed and the music of the brook for his lullaby.”
Did we succeed?
Heading down to find the slab which might have been a hideout.
Maybe? Or Maybe not? Is this the hideout?
At least we had a lovely sunset to enjoy
Slow travel is all about forming a connection with a place in Scotland and making personal memories. It’s not about making agendas or constantly checking your social media. It’s more about switching off, chilling out and immersing yourself with your surroundings and the locals there to welcome you. Of course, the ultimate in slow travel is to travel on foot by hiking/tramping/trekking to your destination.
The essence of Scot Mountain Holidays has always been about slow travel, so we could be considered experts to a greater or lesser degree. We’ve always encouraged our guests to dwell a little longer in one spot: to take time to smell the daisies as it were. This is one of the reason most of our trips are based from one centre and walks head out from there, like a star.
Here are the top 3 benefits you can receive from slow travel and how you can try it for yourself.
Getting from one destination to another shouldn’t be fast-paced. It should be about sitting back in your seat and soaking up Scotland’s picturesque landscapes and scenery. Not only is booking a bus, ferry or train an easy way to travel across the country, but it’s also sustainable and cheaper!
We encourage all our visitors on guided walking holidays (or just using our accommodation at Fraoch Lodge) to travel by public transport. We do still offer an airport pick up from Inverness but we limit this to one per trip and we are hoping that once the train station is operational we will be able to stop offering airport pick up completely. After all it is already possible to reach us by travelling completely on public transport from the Netherlands!
Food is a very important part of life for many people including us. We take the food part of our trips very seriously (you should see the number of cookbooks Rebecca has, many from local Scottish chefs). We love trying new and traditional Scottish products and recipes. Due to the pandemic we have been limiting our visits to the local restaurants but we’ll be back soon.
Haggis, fish and chips, seafood, porridge, cranachan: these are just some of the many different types of Scottish food and drink you can sample when exploring Scotland. Whether it’s in a cosy little pub down by the harbour or in a seafood shack by the shore, there are many local businesses you can stop by to get a bite to eat using locally sourced ingredients. See how familiar you are with our Scottish specialities
Top book to invest in if you’re interested in what’s best for Highland Produce:
Even though we’re not personally mentioned,we know and use a lot of the produce mentioned in the book which makes it extra special for us.
Take the chance to reconnect with nature, and you and your loved ones can enjoy together. There is no shortage of great places to stay in Scotland for you to relax. These include eco-friendly lodges, cabins and treehouses.
Down on the Farm provides a unique accommodation experience for anyone looking for the perfect getaway situated in a working farm. The location of the ‘Coastal Carriage” features stunning views across the sea and animals dotted about on the landscape.
Suppose you’re looking for something more adventurous. In that case, we offer a Highland Wilderness Glamping Taster: a guided three days and two nights hiking holiday combining pony trekking with luxurious glamping, including Nordic tipis, warm showers, and comfortable beds.
Heading into the dining room in Strathfarrar
Caption: Ultimate slow travel option – there’s something so good about walking with ponies. Does wonders for your mental health and the ability to disconnect with the hurly-burly of everyday life.
Post in association with Kirsty Anderson at VisitScotland
2021 reviewed – We’ve included some images of our personal explorations this year as we were not able to share our winter with you.
It’s always interesting to look back at the photos you’ve taken during the year. Obviously, we tend to take photos when the weather is better so looking back over them, we get the impression that there have been loads of sunny days.
We did have an exceptional summer this year: we all went for a swim in the river Spey – which has never happened before! Unfortunately there’s no photographic evidence of this. However, check out the pictures from our Cairngorm 4000er trip in July; in contrast to the weather we started off with in Strathfarrar. Thank goodness for hot tenting in the tentipi which allowed us to have a relatively social but warm and socially distanced dinner together.
Thanks to those who have already shared images with us (some of which you might recognise below) particularly Peter Johns, Mayank Balsara, Looi Oon, Rhona Grant and Cassie Ronaldson.
Happy memories!
If you have any other images you’d like to share with us we always welcome additions to our library!
Also if you haven’t been able to review your trip yet – Facebook and Google are the best platforms at the moment.
For full versions of the images click through to our google album where you can also download images if you wish. Please let us know if you’d like to download any particular images for your personal use.
If you’d like to see the full galleries from the following trips please email us for the link:
Remote Munros: Strathfarrar
Magical Mull
Cairngorm 4000ers
Complete Cairngorms
Glens, Forests and Lochs
Western Isles Wilderness
Classic Torridon
Autumn Munros
Scot Mountain Holidays (Ltd),
Fraoch Lodge, Deshar Road,
Boat of Garten,
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