Highland Walks by Nick Drainey sampler
While other guides plot intrepid mountaineering missions, workouts and route marches, this book returns to the core of what walking really means. It is unhurried, leisurely and, most importantly, an ‘act of travelling’ – an experience, not a box to be ticked. Highland Walks provides details of environmentally-conscious and budget-friendly outings for all the family. Each walk is hand-picked to be accessible from the public transport network between Perth and Inverness. Walk times and difficulty ratings are set out for every route, alongside interesting facts for curious minds and key landmarks to spot. Once you learn to lose yourself without ever leaving the path, every stroll can become an adventure.
While other guides plot intrepid mountaineering missions, workouts and route marches, this book returns to the core of what walking really means. It is unhurried, leisurely and, most importantly, an ‘act of travelling’ – an experience, not a box to be ticked.
Highland Walks provides details of environmentally-conscious and budget-friendly outings for all the family. Each walk is hand-picked to be accessible from the public transport network between Perth and Inverness. Walk times and difficulty ratings are set out for every route, alongside interesting facts for curious minds and key landmarks to spot.
Once you learn to lose yourself without ever leaving the path, every stroll can become an adventure.
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9<br />
Introduction<br />
This is not a book for those who see hills and mountains as places to<br />
train for the SAS. It is designed for people of all ages who want to explore<br />
more of the wonderful landscapes in Scotland.<br />
The following pages are full of routes for everyone which can be used <strong>by</strong><br />
walkers looking to find new, exciting places to see. They are also a great<br />
way to introduce friends and family to the joys of walking amid superb<br />
scenery.<br />
I once got some sound advice from my son who was around 8 at the<br />
time – he told me a walk <strong>by</strong> a burn and around a wee lochan had been ‘ok’<br />
but would have been much better if there had been ‘more time to stop and<br />
play’. What he meant was walking with children should be more about the<br />
exploration on the way, than getting to the actual objective.<br />
And it is that sense of discovery which can make a stroll a brilliant<br />
adventure, whoever you are. Adults also benefit from enjoying a new<br />
experience and they can take some of the tips given to enjoy the walks and<br />
maybe ‘stand and stare’, as the poet WH Davies would have had us do, or<br />
slow the pace to spot wildlife – and you are never too old for hide and seek!<br />
This guidebook is great for anyone who wants to explore the grandeur<br />
of Perthshire and the <strong>Highland</strong>s. It aims to provide walks for all levels of<br />
ability and fitness involving a variety of settings from big hills to rivers,<br />
glens and little lochans. None of the routes are technically challenging<br />
and can be enjoyed <strong>by</strong> anyone, although some take longer than others<br />
and therefore involve more exertion, and a little more preparation in<br />
terms of clothing, food and water, etc. The routes are graded in a way<br />
that makes it clear they are mainly suitable for all. However, some will<br />
require at least average fitness, sometimes more for the higher hills. The<br />
harder routes are graded as needing ‘good’ fitness – this does not mean<br />
you need to be able to run a marathon, just have the ability to keep going<br />
for a few hours.<br />
The routes are between Perth and Inverness, a stunning area of<br />
<strong>Highland</strong> landscapes. They have easy access from the Central Belt of<br />
Scotland, and virtually all can be started at a railway station, or from a<br />
bus taken from the station, reducing the environmental impact of a trip<br />
to the outdoors. However, for two reasons most routes begin at a car<br />
park. One, this is usually where you will find information boards about<br />
the locality. Two, with the ongoing Covid situation some may still want
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