Walking through Scotland

[Jock Scot]

Some good advice has been given and I hope you all come and visit us in the highlands,I know you will be made very welcome and if I can help then please ask away.

There are some things not mentioned here though. Firstly, if camping please be aware of the fire risk. Ok, I hear you all saying "but it always rains in Scotland" well it rains alright,a lot, but in the right conditions heather can and will burn out of control for miles and even the peat underneath the heather can catch alight! It has been known to burn underground for weeks.Please take care.

The highlands also is also a shooting area and deer stalking,grouse shooting is a major money making activity here. There are scant few others.The main deer stalking season(red deer) is from July to mid February and grouse shooting is from August to early December.Now let me be quite clear here, there is a "right to roam" policy for all in Scotland and without going into detail, that is accepted by landowners. However it can be disconcerting for a high powered rifle to be around on the same hill as you, or a party of grouse shooters appearing on the horizon whilst you are having your stroll around the highlands.The system does work very well and safely, but as a landowner, can I ask for your consideration for "our" needs too.Thank you.

[Jock Scot]

Alan H.

As far as I am aware there is no ferry from Fort William to Oban.

For every one. The train system is not bad at all in the highlands and the journey by train, from Glasgow to Fort William is wonderful and is reputed to one of the world's finest. Do not make the mistake, though, of thinking you can go from West(Fort William) to East(Inverness) by rail----you cannot. You either take the western rail route from Glasgow to Fort William(actually you can go another 30 miles or so to Mallaig----I recommend it). Or, you take the East route to Inverness. I repeat, there is no rail route from Fort William to Inverness.

[robthehiker]

My wife and I spent the second week of our honeymoon hiking in Skye. We used a local company to book our bed and breakfasts and arrange our daily baggage transport. It was fantastic (although the actual daily hiking was less than what we'd have done if we'd have planned it ourselves).

This was 7 years ago but the company is still around. PM me if you're interested in their URL.

[Thunderbolt]

I have to say that my personal dream vacation in Scotland would be with a pack on my back. If I got to a town with a bed and breakfast place every, oh 20-25 miles so I could warm up, have a meal that someone else cooked and take a shower every other or every third day, then I wouldn't mind slogging around in the rain now and then.

I know about hiking the Great Highland Way, but if I wanted to hike through Glencoe and Glen Etive,and make my way over to Loch Awe/Inverness, would it be possible to camp along the way?

This is a dream vacation of mine also. I will do it. It's just a matter of when.

How cool would it be to get a group of X-Markers together to do this?

I thought about this as well, however, I think it would be in the best interest to keep the group small, no more that 4, I'd think.

My plan is to start in Gasgow and hike the WHW to Ft William, (wild) camping along the way, with a reasonable B&B or hostel along the way every few days, mainly for rest and a hot shower.

Then rest in Ft. William for a few days with maybe a trip over to Mull (My Clans home) for a couple of days hiking/camping. Maybe making the whole round the isle. Then from Ft William along the Great Glen Way, along Loch Ness to Inverness. Camping along the way, same plan as the WHW.

I've got a large map of scotland on my living room wall, just to the left of my T.V. with the WHW and the GGW marked out with red marker pins, reminding of my plan.

I originaly planned it for early spring of 2009, but I'm probably going to have to push it back a bit. With my wife in nursing school, funds get short, but it gives me time to get in better shape for the long walk.

I plan on posting myself supplies along the way, and I'll just pick them up on my way through the towns with a postmaster.

I'd also like to make the trip in at least my kilt, but tennativly planning on my great kilt right now. They were very useful 100's of years ago in that environment, I suspect they would be today, as well!

I started a thread on this some time ago and got some great feedback, here;

http://www.xmarksthescot.com/forum/b...x.html?t=33387

If anyone wants to join me in my quest, or if I can join someone else's group, please feel free to PM me or email me off the boards if you like.

Thanks for reminding me about this, not that I forgot, just that it's given me some renewed excitement!

Thunderbolt

P.S. I receintly read a blog about a fellow who hiked through Spain, north to south, to raise money and awarenes of amyloidosis. He did it entirely kilted as well. Maybe we can use the idea to help raise money and awareness for a good cause as well? Here's the blog:

http://walkacrossspain.blogspot.com/...and-after.html

[Derek Conley]

I thought about this as well, however, I think it would be in the best interest to keep the group small, no more that 4, I'd think.

If this continues, please count me in. Talk about an adventure...

[Thunderbolt]

If this continues, please count me in. Talk about an adventure...

Thinking about it, I wouldn't think larger groups would be a problem, we'd just need to do a little more planning and keep the groups small at night to reduce impact on the land and respect land owners. There would have to be a limit though.

I wouldn't want this to turn into a huge expedition, but it would be fun to do the hike with other kilties/ x-markers.

I'd be willing to be on the planning committee if we want to get a bit more organized...

T.

[Jock Scot]

Its just something that I have noticed over the years and on this website too and of course I am generalising here,but what about that huge chunk of Scotland North of the Inverness/Fort William line(the Great Glen)? If you want wild,wet,sparsely populated,spectacular scenery,midge ridden,historical sites(sparse,but very interesting),then don't ignore the far north of Scotland and the islands.

[Redshank]

I see a market in Waterproof nylon Ripstop hiking kilts!

Available only from the Tourist Info Office at Inveraray, No............ I am only joking

Chris

[Alan H]

Its just something that I have noticed over the years and on this website too and of course I am generalising here,but what about that huge chunk of Scotland North of the Inverness/Fort William line(the Great Glen)? If you want wild,wet,sparsely populated,spectacular scenery,midge ridden,historical sites(sparse,but very interesting),then don't ignore the far north of Scotland and the islands.

Oh yes!! I would *love* to get up to the Orkneys, as well, since I am a huge fan of the poet George MacKay Brown...

http://www.georgemackaybrown.co.uk/

But I think that getting up there might require two trips to Scotland. Gosh darn, how awful!!

[Thunderbolt]

Hi all,

I've been doing some searching and found this;

http://www.undiscoveredscotland.co.u...way/index.html

It give a nearly perfect itinerary for both the WHW and the GGW, a total of 168 miles, and 13 days. However, I plan on taking a bit longer with a side trip or two and resting an extra day or so after some of the longer legs, or by simply breaking the longer legs in two. I'm not up for a marathon hike. I want to take my time, and take a lot of pictures. So all told, I'm planning on 3 weeks with travel and all.

Most all of the legs seem to end up near accomodations, for those who wish to travel light, and sleep in a real bed. Weenies.

Of course, I plan on staying in some of the B&B's or hostels along the way, however, I plan on spending at least half of the trip under the rain, um, I mean, stars.

Anyway, thought you'd enjoy the link.

Thunderbolt