Scotland – “the most beautiful country in the world” as voted by Rough Guide – it’s now on a lot of bucket lists, not that it wasn’t before. In autumn, the whole of Scotland can be particularly beautiful. The trees start to turn the most amazing shades of red, brown, orange and yellow which contrast beautifully with the deep green of the pines. Unfortunately, in general, there are just not as many people around wanting to tour or visit the Highlands. A lot of businesses up here start to close up shop and think about maintenance or their own holiday. So if late autumn is your time to visit to Scotland, you might have to consider some compromises.
Here are some of our top tips:
Timetables start to change after the end of September and you’ll find that some bus services might cease altogether. Ferries are also a lot less frequent.
Top tip:
If you want to hit all the places on your bucket list, particularly if you want, to head out to the islands it would be a bonus to hire a car. If you have to rely on public transport you could end up using a lot of your valuable vacation time waiting around for the next bus or ferry.
The hire car companies certainly don’t suffer from timetable changes in the autumn. In fact, it will probably be easier to get hold of the car you want as there will be less of a demand. You won’t need to plan so far in advance if you want to hire a car.
Points to remember:
Top tips:
Remember your driving licence and check that it is acceptable to the hire company. We have had guests who have had to amend their entire planned itinerary when the hire company didn’t accept the international driving licence they’d arranged.
If you’re not confident about hiring a car it might be worth your while investigating a tailor-made tour with a small company like Scot Mountain Holidays, it will be more expensive than a DIY tour but you’ll get to hit all the spots on your bucket list and may even have time for some surprises. Travelling with local guides also means that you’ll be able to visit places you haven’t heard about which may give you more of an insight and end up being the highlight of your trip.
You could also try booking with one of the minibus tour operators like the Wee Red Bus or Rabbies – but even they tend to travel less frequently in the autumn and you may not be able to get over to places like Skye unless you time your trip very carefully.
You’ll need to pick and choose your attractions carefully as a lot of places start to close in October including the Highland Folk Museum. But on the plus side, you’ll probably pick up some bargain entries as well. Dalwhinnie distillery, for example, are now offering free tours all “winter”.
The hills are never closed. There are good weather periods throughout the autumn though September is renowned for being the best month for sunshine. It is still possible to strike sunny days in October and November. The only thing to be aware of (which most people come prepared for) is that blue skies in autumn also mean cold days. Finally a chance to wear the woolly jumpers (sweaters) which have been gathering dust at the bottom of your wardrobe.
Clear, cold air also brings excellent photo opportunities
Don’t forget: headtorch
The natural tracks are never closed but be aware that some trail centres might close up. This year (2017) Glenlivet mountain bike trails have had to close for the winter due to a fungus in their lodge pole pines. A huge area of the centre will have to be clear felled to protect the remaining trees from the fungus. Autumn is in general an amazing time to go biking in Scotland and particularly in the Highlands. You can just cover that bit more ground when cycling and with the shorter days, it makes sense to go out on the bike and make the most of the day which you might still be able to finish in daylight.
Main disadvantage would be that the temperatures can get quite uncomfortable for biking, especially at the beginning and end of the day but all you need to do to combat this is to dress up warmer than usual, particularly on your hands and feet. (Check next week’s blog for top tips on how to keep warm on your bike with input from our local biking companies.) The views and colours will be a reward in themselves – and you can justify the hot chocolate(s) and cake(s). The cafe stops will help to keep you warm!
Essential gear:
Lights, gloves, warm footwear.
Extra comforts:
Sitmat and thermos flask
It might seem mad to go and deliberately get yourself wet at this time of year, but as with all outdoor activities in autumn the light and colours nature provides are a reward in themselves. The water temperatures are also some of their warmest too after a whole summer of above freezing weather. (Cairngorm swimmers are still swimming in Loch Morlich – but perhaps they are hardier than most of us.)
It is of course much easier to book a slot to kayak or go on the zip wire and you can afford to be a bit more spontaneous rather than be tied to a slot no matter the weather.
It will generally be much quieter everywhere you go, than the height of the summer season, but this is not necessarily a bad thing. You will probably find most people, including the staff at any attractions you visit, more prepared to spend time chatting to you.
The days will be shorter, but you’ll really appreciate a log fire at the end of the day.
Traditional Scottish cuisine comes into its own at this time of year as this is the weather hearty food was designed for. You won’t really get to enjoy the wonderful Scottish soft fruits unless you’re here a wee bit earlier, but wild mushrooms, venison and wild cowberries will be in season.
We’re spoiled for choice here in the Highlands when it comes to hiking opportunities. This can make choosing a walk even more difficult. Where do you start when you’re trying to make a decision on where to go? First you need to decide where your priorities lie:
Have you already seen loads of beautiful pictures of a particular area? Are you planning to tour around the majority of the Highlands? If hiking or mountain biking are your main interests you may want to consider reducing the amount of car travel you do during your stay in Scotland. Instead it would be a good idea to concentrate on one area in particular and explore it in more depth. If you enjoy this visit, then perhaps you can be persuaded to come back and explore again; or visit another area and explore this one too. Remember, if you’ve seen lots of beautiful shots of a particular area, it probably means that loads of other folk have seen them too and this might reduce your enjoyment of the area when you get there and find hoards of people there.
Once you’ve decided on an area (not the easiest thing to do), you’ll want to think about how long you plan to walk. Do you want to follow a multi-day, long distance route or would you rather return to a comfortable base at the end of the day? Do you want to walk all day? Would you rather incorporate some attractions into your walk or for a rest between walk days?
Long distance, way-marked paths in the Highlands, like the West Highland Way are really the only way to enjoy linear walks, unless you have 2 vehicles at your disposal. Public transport to most hiking areas is virtually non-existent, so trying to return to the start of the walk to pick up your vehicle can be a nightmare. Unless of course you sign up to a transfer service, like we offer for our self-guided itineraries: Self-guided Cairngorms, Lairig Ghru Logistics or for mountain biking.
Most people are amazed by the scenery they see when they visit the Highlands of Scotland. What a lot of people don’t realise is that much of the scenery they are seeing is heavily influenced by man-management of the land. For example, if you visit the west coast of Scotland, you’ll notice a lot of barren hillside. This is the influence of many years of over-grazing by deer. The reason the deer numbers are so high: no predators other than human hunters. Unfortunately though we have the red deer commission to regulate deer numbers, many estates are privately run and maintain relatively high numbers of deer so as to offer the opportunity of shooting a stag to their clients.
Here in the Cairngorms, we have a landscape which offers a wider variety of habitats including Caledonian pine forests, moorland and sub-arctic tundra. The variety of habitat is one of the reasons the area is so popular with bird watchers.
You might also want to consider the wildlife watching opportunities when you are choosing a walk. Some coastal walks are great for spotting otters, seals and even dolphins, but you won’t see ptarmigan. In the Cairngorms, you’ll probably see at least 2 different kinds of deer alongside plenty of birdlife (crested tits, ptarmigan, scottish crossbill, buzzards, red and black grouse and if you’re lucky a Capercaillie).
Have you come to Scotland with any preconceived ideas? Do you have a tick list of features you want to see? You might be surprised by the opportunities which open up if you let a guide make the choice for you. This works particularly well if you’ve never been to the area before. It is obviously more expensive than exploring on your own, but you can learn so much with an experienced guide that we can guarantee that your guided day will provide plenty of fodder for chatting about your experiences with your friends.
The Highlands of Scotland cover a massive area and there are literally 1000s of routes which could be walked. Some days it feels like everyone and their dog have chosen to visit the same spot as you. This almost always applies if you are choosing a walk in certain honey spot locations: Ben Nevis,the Old Man of Storr, Glenmore or Rothiemurchus, Meall a’Bhuchaille and certain Munros particularly on sunny days.
Fortunately it is possible to walk away from the crowds. You can also avoid the crowds completely by choosing less well-known routes and less well-known areas. For example, the Outer Hebrides are very well-known for glorious white sand beaches – far fewer people venture into the hills of Harris. In the Cairngorms, there are routes up many hills but there is no public transport down Glen Feshie. Far fewer people make it here, but it is one of the most glorious parts of the Cairngorms – don’t tell everyone!
What will you see when you reach the climax of your route? Do you want to climb a mountain or hill? It’s always good if your walk will offer you a change of perspective. It feels so much more rewarding at the end of the day when you have some magnificent photos to show for your efforts.
Fortunately Scotland is small enough that a great number of hill walks will also offer a view over the coast. There is something about the combination of mountains and coastal scenery which is so satisfying for us. This is one of the utter joys of the Assynt area. The hills look stunning and grand, but are actually not too high, and they’re right next to the sea. Definitely an area which we love to visit. If you have the time, add it to your bucket list as it is just as stunning as Skye, but receives far fewer visitors because it is north of Inverness.
Don’t you ever wonder how the mountains got their shapes? Nature is so intricate that there is always something to provide us with interest and fascination. When children are young they find the outdoors endlessly fascinating. Parents can then be much more relaxed as the outdoors with all the rocks, sticks and water provide entertainment (or education) in and of themselves.
Or book a guide and leave the choice to him/her once you have talked with them.
Of course if you are having trouble balancing all the various factors yourself, or if you don’t have a lot of experience choosing a walk in Scotland, you may want to go for a safer option. Let someone else make the choice for you. In 2017, we launched our first week long Cairngorm Self-guided itinerary. It has proved to be very popular, particularly with our French visitors. We’ve selected a range of walks in the area; we’ve collated the transfers and we’ve provided the accommodation, maps, meals etc. You don’t even need a car. What could be simpler!
We did of course already offer a logistical package to facilitate the Lairig Ghru This 2 day package includes 2 nights accommodation, transfers and all meals to help access a popular 18 mile hike through the centre of the Cairngorm National Park. If organised by yourself you have the logistical nightmare of hours by public transport to return to your vehicle and a longer walk to access the main road – amongst other problems.
Choosing a walk in Scotland – which area to visit
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