Stumbled across this forum a little while ago and have been an avid 'lurker' since then and seeing what excellent advice was given here thought it was about time I joined! Anyways, a little about me and the purposes for the routes I'm wondering about: I'm a student at Glasgow School of Art studying painting. I have a love of the Scottish landscape and it is this that my work primarily focuses on. So, if you haven't guessed by now, I'm looking to go on excursions of at least 3 days (if not more) to gather resources, material to work from, and studies, and to just be there in it!
Experience-wise I've done a fair bit of hiking (two weeks through the White Mountains in the US with a resupply in the middle last summer being the most recent) but have (shamefully) done very little here in Scotland (being more than a day-hike really)! Any routes/tips/thoughts would be a great help as you all seem to really know your stuff! I don't have my own car so starting points near public transport is what I'm trying to find really, that being said I don't mind hitching.
A good place to look would be Scottish Hills - there are a lot of trip reports - thousands; multi-day trips are a bit of a minority though....although there are some good one's.
Another useful resource that I use is Steve Fallon's pages - some great walking routes can be found (although he runs them)!
Ah, thanks Restless. Those two sites are brilliant! I'm sure I'll be able to connect a few up (or just wander off a few of them for a while) to have a grand ol' time! Do you have any particular recommendations?
Those are some great reports there. You've got me cursing not being back in Glasgow for another 2 weeks! I'll be 'pinin' for the fjords' by then! Cheers for the direction!
Crikey - where to start! Not sure how far you want to travel. My favourite areas are Glen Affric, Fisherfield, Sutherland, Rum, Skye - oh, there's just so much! A three day wander around Loch Mullardoch is pretty good - big hills every day, very remote. You could make your way through Glen Affric and Glen Lichd, heading up into the hills on the way as you please. Good transport at West, not sure about East.
And then there's Knoydart... Simplest to come in from Mallaig but far more exciting is to take the tiny ferry from Arnisdale. Then you'll have the full works, mountains, lochs and sea in one of the most remote parts of Britain. Serious stuff!
I'm stopping now as it's beginning to hurt - painfull withdrawl symptons as I, unusually, have not been up there since Feb.
Hi Kate, thanks . I don't actually have any of my work up yet. I'm working on an online portfolio though, so anytime soon!
Cheers Rob, Loch Mullardoch is one that I've earmarked to be done for sure. Knoydart sounds brilliant as well. Am I right in thinking that the Mallaig area is accessible by the Glasgow-Fort William-Mallaig(? can't remember if this was the last stop on it) West coast rail line?
Planning to go pretty much as soon as I get back to Glasgow so any time after the 23rd of August. Would also love to get some done on the fringes of winter - glorious light around then.
What I do is go to ordnance survey's get a map which is the entire uk mapped out online.
http://www.getamap.ordnancesurveyleisure.co.uk/
I find a rough location I want to visit, normally the Cairngorms then use 'Leisure' setting to get the OS map detail up.
Then I just look for good landscapes, features, rivers, lochs and camping locations. Choose a starting place where I can leave my car and do a circle route.
Robin - yes, Mallaig is the last on the line, a fine spot. Totally seperate to the line to Kyle, too. I think that if I was there, I'd be heading to Rum, but Knoydart's pretty good. Would help towards Munro bagging, too, if that floats your boat. Nice bothies on both.
I'm getting those symptons again!
A thought - are you aware of the stalking issues in the highlands? This may affect your plans quite seriously. I'm not sure of all the areas but some are not stalked, so no issue (e.g. parts of Cairngorms and, I think, Torridon. Best to check it out, as it's as well not to cause problems. Many estates are quite enlightened and if you stay on the paths and ridges, it's not much of an issue, but if you want to go to other parts, say to camp, you could stuff plans for a stalking party. Try Hillphones, a M C of S initiative?
I have found most estates pretty good. They have their plans and are happy for you to go to certain areas provided you stick to what's agreed, day by day, so you may lose the flexibility you need to deal with bad weather and delays to plans.
I can recommend the Cairngorms (not in winter). Perhaps less picturesque, but it has a charachter of its own.
Please forgive any spelling mistakes: Rothiemurchus forest, across the boulder fields of the Larig Ghru or over Braierach/ Angels Peak if you are fit and carrying lightweight gear, down to Corrour Bothy, along to Glenn Derry (if you like windswept landscapes, i.e. lots of dead trees), up passed Hutchinson memorial hut to Loch Etachachan, camp by the loch, walk up to the summit of Ben Macdui if you have energy, then back either via Loch Avon or Larig an Laoigh, possibly Bynack More. Then shower in the Glenmore Shop: £1.50, and most importantly fish and chips at Glenmore Lodge in the evening.
Give yourself an extra day to enjoy it first time.
) suggest some of my own 
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