Whether you have no car, are trying to minimise your impact on the environment, or are just looking to save the stress of driving and instead enjoy the comfort of relaxing on a train rather than face driving home with tired legs, Scotland’s railways can help you reach some truly superb walks in comfort. Following on from last year’s article, we’ve selected another ten great walks you can reach using our railways, scattered all around the country. This article was sponsored by ScotRail, Scotland’s rail operator. Plockton Explorer, Plockton Walk the walk This short walk explores what is one ..read more

A lightweight windproof jacket or smock is an incredibly useful addition to your pack. On dry days this will reduce wind chill without the overheating caused by full-on, heavier waterproofs. Sometimes called windshirts or windbreakers, these take almost no space in your pack – usually squashing down extremely small. They are most usually worn by runners, and often mountain bikers, but are actually a great addition to a walkers’ pack too, keeping the wind off whilst you are working hard heading uphill. As usual with Walkhighlands reviews, as we don’t sell gear we give the manufacturer’s recomme ..read more

There’s a big, dome-shaped mound on my regular walk through the local pine forest. Light brown, it’s seemingly made of soil but, on closer inspection, it’s covered in a thatch of heather, pine needles, moss and dirt. Although its summit stands higher than my waist, it makes for a surprisingly inconspicuous feature because, even a few metres away, it’s well hidden behind the heather that flanks it. You could therefore be forgiven for not really noticing mounds like this, huge as they are. For the past five months, the mound has been still and lifeless. But today is that rarest… Read more ..read more

Our latest Common Ground interviewee is Caitlin McCollum Martinez, who moved to the UK last year. She was a participant in Ramblers Scotland’s ‘Out There Award’, and is now one of the scheme’s ambassadors. This year, Ramblers Scotland will run more than 30 Out There Award weekends at ten locations across Scotland. It’s a unique chance for 18 to 26-year-olds to kick-start their journeys into the outdoors. Participants learn entry-level skills, meet new friends and enjoy fun walks together. Details and registration at www.ramblers.org.uk/outthereaward Can you begin by telling us a bit about ..read more

Taking in a huge swathe of Northeast Scotland, Aberdeenshire has remarkable variety. There’s the Granite City itself, set on a dramatic coastline of towering cliffs and perfect sandy beaches. Inland is a rural hinterland of rich farmland, dotted with castles and iconic smaller hills, rising in stature to the west into the high mountains of the Cairngorms National Park. Local residents know that it’s a real paradise for walking, but there are many secrets to discover for those from further afield. When you’ve finished your hike you’ll have built up an appetite to enjoy the fabulous local produc ..read more

As usual with our reviews, the prices given here are the manufacturer’s recommended price – Walkhighlands has no affiliation with any retailers and you will usually be able to find most of these discounted for less. All weights given are per pair; the women’s shoes were tested by Helen and the men’s by Paul, so weights are given for the actual pair tested – note the sizes. Hanwag: Blueridge Lady ES RRP: £185Weight: 1.1kg (women’s UK size 6)Upper: Suede and 100% recycled fabric, Hanwag EcoShell waterproof membraneMidsole: PUSole: Hanwag Hike Pro Comfort is first and foremost with this mid heigh ..read more

Every Journey Starts a Story There’s little that can match the magic of visiting an island. Places are transformed by the feeling you get when you have to board a ferry and cross the water to reach them. Nowhere is this more true than with the Scottish islands, which have some of the finest mountain and maritime landscapes in Europe, teeming with wildlife including whales, dolphins, otters and spectacular seabird colonies. There are endless layers of human history to uncover too, from the prehistoric remains such as the standing stones at Callanish, evidence of the long era of Norse rule,… Re ..read more

Her watercolours of Scotland’s high mountains – painted in her sketchbook whilst in the field – have deservedly drawn attention for Aberdeen-based geology student and mountain leader Phoebe Sleath (see her website, Sketching from sea to summit). Here she tells of her approach to our great outdoors. Can you begin by telling us a bit about yourself and your background? I’m a Geology PhD Student and creative adventurer living in Aberdeen. I grew up in Herefordshire and, although my parents liked walking and took us on family holidays to Scotland and the Lake District, it took quite a long time ..read more

February’s walk report of the month winners sum up the joy of being able to make the best of the small number of great mountain weather days we’ve had last month. The winning report is an account of an epic single day by Mrandmrsod Seeking the perfect Winters day on Ladhar Bheinn. A voucher for £100 of Highlander gear is on its way to you. Congratulations also to Pointless Parasite who wins the £50 runner up prize for Three classic Snowdonia scrambles in one day. For a chance of winning just post a walk report (everything from tiny bimbles to multi-day adventures welco ..read more

In our new series, we aim to find out what makes our fellow outdoor enthusiasts tick. Joshua Adeyemi is the man behind the hugely popular talesbyjosh instagram account, through which he shares videos of his adventures in Scotland’s mountains. Josh describes himself first and foremost as a human. He was Ramblers Scotland’s ‘Walking Champion’ in 2023, and is a co-founder of Black Scottish Adventurers, a community-interest company that aims to: introduce more ethnic minorities to the Scottish outdoors, help benefit their physical and mental wellbeing, and educate people about how their daily acti ..read more