Walking Trail Archives | Out About Scotland

The Best Outdoor Winter Activities in Scotland

May 11, 2021June 13, 2021 Craig Smith

Winter is an amazing time to be in Scotland, especially if you love exploring the great outdoors. There’s something magical about the country when winter visits and there are more things to do in this season than you might expect.

In this article I’ll show you the top activities to enjoy in Scotland between November and March whether you want to see wildlife, go on an invigorating walk or take part in exciting sports, along with a couple of other winter activities that just might surprise you.

Arran Forest Walks: Complete Visitor Guide

January 9, 2021June 3, 2021 Craig Smith

The forests of Arran offer some of the best mountain biking routes of any of the west-coast islands and any cycle ride is almost guaranteed to include sightings of Arran’s famed red squirrels. The most popular wooded areas are; Brodick Castle, Dyemill, Glenrickard, King’s Cave, North Sannox and South End.

The Arran Coastal Way: Complete Visitor Guide

December 17, 2020June 3, 2021 Craig Smith

The Arran Coastal Way is a circular cycling and walking route around the perimeter of the Isle of Arran on Scotland’s west coast. This easy-going trail rewards visitors with stunning views at every section of its 65-mile length and there are plenty of opportunities to deviate onto nearby attractions along the way.

Loch Leven – Kinross: Complete Visitor Guide

December 11, 2020June 3, 2021 Craig Smith

Loch Leven is a large expanse of water situated in the rural Scottish county of Perth and Kinross. The National Nature Reserve is renowned for the number of wildfowl that live there and in fact, it’s home to more breeding ducks than anywhere else in Europe.

Goatfell Mountain – Arran: Complete Visitor Guide

September 11, 2020June 3, 2021 Craig Smith

Goatfell is an 874-metre mountain on the Isle of Arran on Scotland’s west coast. The mountain (designated a Corbett) is one of four on the island and is located three miles west of Brodick Castle.

Although Goatfell is the highest point on the Isle of Arran the walk to the summit is quite easy with a robust staircase of boulders towards the top and a well-laid path through moorland and forest at the bottom.

Ben Ledi – Stirlingshire: Complete Visitor Guide

August 15, 2020June 3, 2021 Craig Smith

Ben Ledi is an 879-metre high mountain in the lower Scottish Highlands. It can be found 5 miles north-west of the popular country village of Callander in the Trossachs National Park.

The Trossachs are famous not just for their mountain ranges but also for their lochs which include the mighty Loch Lomond – one of the most scenic bodies of water in the United Kingdom.

Muir of Dinnet – Aberdeenshire: Complete Visitor Guide

June 13, 2020June 3, 2021 Craig Smith

The Muir of Dinnet is a national nature reserve located on the eastern border of the Cairngorms national park in the Scottish Highlands.

The reserve features a wealth of different habitats including heath, woodland and wetland, but it’s perhaps best known for ‘the vat’, a natural gorge formed by glaciers over 10,000 years ago.

A Guide To The Best Forests in Scotland

April 21, 2020May 13, 2021 Craig Smith

Discover the best forest and woodland walks in Scotland with this in-depth guide that covers their locations, facilities, paths and wildlife.

Plus, learn why walking is good for you, what you should wear, and which animals you need to keep an eye open for.

Burncrooks Reservoir – Stirlingshire: Complete Visitor Guide

February 20, 2020June 3, 2021 Craig Smith

The John Muir Way is one of Scotland’s greatest trails, running across the country from Helensburgh on the west coast to Dunbar on the east.

Ben Lawers – Perth & Kinross: Complete Visitor Guide

January 16, 2020June 3, 2021 Craig Smith

Scotland’s 10th-highest Munro is one of Central Scotland’s most popular tourist hotspots, famed not only for the fantastic walks to the massif summit but also for the wonderful views visitors get to enjoy along the way.

Schiehallion Mountain – Perthshire: Complete Visitor Guide

November 27, 2019June 3, 2021 Craig Smith

Schiehallion mountain lies between Loch’s Tay, Rannoch, and Tummel roughly 10 miles north-west of Aberfeldy in Perthshire, and it’s renowned amongst Scotland’s hillwalkers as being one of the easiest Munro’s to ‘bag’ in the country.

Talmine Bay – Sutherland: Complete Visitor Guide

July 21, 2019June 2, 2021 Craig Smith

It was during my last visit to Sutherland, and while exploring the nearby Kyle of Tongue, that I took a minor diversion down a single-track road just a few hundred yards north of the A838 bridge and discovered a place that I just had to share with you.