Scotland

Below you'll find all the PDF guides to 2 weekends in Scotland

1) Highland Adventure: Rannoch Moor, Glen Coe and Ben Nevis
2) Edinburgh, Arthur's Seat and the Pentlands

Downloads

  • Highland Adventure
    Highland Adventure

    Oh my oh my. This is the big one! Literally; it doesn't get any bigger than this.

    This is a truly epic trip where even the travelling part is a fun adventure. If you can pull this off, it will be a really memorable experience filled with excitement and achievement. Oh, and the views just get better and better as the weekend goes on.

    You will take the sleeper train from London Euston, have a whisky or two in the lounge car (a restaurant on the train!) before going to sleep in your cabin. You'll wake up next morning deep in bonnie Scotland and get off the train at the Bridge of Orchy. From here you'll follow the West Highland Way across the remote wilderness of Rannoch Moor - home to herds of red deer - to the famous Kings House Hotel at the head of Glen Coe, with dramatic views of the mountain Buachaille Etive Mòr behind.

    The next day you will walk down Glen Coe, where each turn in the road brings a more amazing viewpoint, with steep mountains all around. Half way down the Glen you will climb up to the Hidden (or Lost) Valley, where the clan MacDonald hid rustled cattle. You'll walk to the wonderful Clachaig Inn where you can settle in to the hiker's bar and, later, a comfortable bed.

    The next day is the opportunity to climb Ben Nevis, Britain's biggest mountain. You will leave the Clachaig early, get a taxi to Glen Nevis and climb the mountain! With careful planning, you will have enough time to get a bus or taxi back to Fort William where you can take a shower at the train station and hop back onto the sleeper train, which departs at 7pm. But the trip is not over yet; head straight to the lounge car and settle in for the evening with a meal and some 'wee drams' and glue yourself to the window for one of the most incredible train journeys in the UK. The train heads from Fort William, alongside gorgeous Lochs, across Rannoch Moor, through Tyndrum and towards Loch Lomond. Watch the sun set behind the mountains and spot herds of deer from your window. Finally, head to your cabin and wake up in London the next morning.

    Absolutely amazing.

Highland Adventure: Route Walk Through

Highland Adventure: Photo Walk Through

Downloads

  • The Pentlands and Arthurs Seat
    The Pentlands and Arthurs Seat

    Londoners often head for a holiday in Edinburgh and no wonder, as it's a truly beautiful city with plenty to see and do. Who can resist a capital city with a mountain in the middle of it?

    This guide is slightly different from the others, as it suggests some shortish, fairly relaxed day walks you can do whilst visiting Scotland's capital and assumes you will be spending some time looking around the city and experiencing all it has to offer (*cough* whisky *cough*).

    Two options are suggested in the Pentlands, a range of hills a bus ride away from the city. Take a high level ridge walk taking in the peaks of the Pentland hills, or in bad weather a low level walk is suggested. Both end in the Flotterstone Inn, where you can while away a few hours having some hearty pub grub and a few pints whilst you wait for the bus back to the city centre.

    Finally if visiting Edinburgh you obviously must climb Arthur's seat; I suggest a good route and an excellent pub lunch option (hello haggis!). Yes, it's all about the pubs. It's a hard life sometimes isn't it?

    All of this leaves enough time to see some of the city's tourist attractions. Speaking of which... this guide also includes the bonus section 'see Edinburgh like a local' with 'off the beaten track' suggestions of things to do and see.

Edinburgh and Pentlands: Route Walk Through

Edinburgh and Pentlands: Photo Walk Through