[Closed] 5/6 day walk, Scotland, March what ye got?

WHW is the obvious choice but Cowal and Kintyre may be worth a look.

If it could be outside scotland then the Bob Graham route divides nicely into 5 sections. Not sure how the Charlie Ramsay round compares, but the high ground might be more of a snow issue in March than further south/lower altitude of the lakes.

I do a fair amount of this sort of thing. You of course I am sure know of the "Scottish Hill tracks" book

One thing I realised a few years ago is that its not the destination - its the journey and in the light of that many of our best routes have been rather meandering. We tend to do 10 - 14 miles a day - dunno what your target would be

5 or 6 days is a lot of food to carry so do you want a resupply stop midway? ( 3000 calories a day is hard to get under 800g or so)

Probably the nicest we did was Braemore junction near Ullapool to StrathCarron. Thats probably a bit far and we did have two days in a canoe on Loch maree as well although a less meandering route and more miles a day it could be possible

Another really good one Was Drimnin on Morven to Glenfinnan - to get to Drimnin is a ridiculous public transport journey that takes more than a day. You could also walk from Glenfinnan to Inverie on Knoydart - plenty of scope there for adding bits in a taking shortcuts. I have done most of this in bits and my nephew did it last year.

Any of that sound any use? I can give mo e detail. all the trips we have done require a public transport link at each end and we have done quite a few more. Kyle of lochalsh to Inverie, Stromeferry to Braemar. etc etc

Edit - Glenfinnan to Inverie would be my reccomendation of the stuff we have done. Easy train to Glenfinnan ( you are a weeggie IIRC) and then Ferry from inverie to Mallag for the train back.

We are going to walk From Callendar to Cape Wrath nest summer! 10 weeks or so via a meandering route

Southern upland way?

Badger divide?

2 less travelled ones

Infact with a quick look at maps you could do Glenfinnan / Inverie / Mallaig and back to glenfinnan which would allow you a resupply in Mallaig

[i]5/6 day walk, Scotland, March what ye got?[/i]

Blisters, mossie bites, wet clothes, frost bite and probably sunburn too

We have done the Stevenson Way, a coast to coast trail which follows the route in the book Kidnapped from Erraid on Mull back to Edinburgh. It is a 20 day or so walk but could be broken down into sections 'fairly' easily. There is a normal service bus that stops virtually at the beginning. Hand on heart one of the best walks I've done. It has high and low sections so would work in March.

Also walked back from Durness to the ullapool road (finishing near where TJ mentions starting a route at Braemore - food for thought). Bus to the start and Bridge of Oykel Hotel midpoint. Similar to the Cape wrath trail but avoiding the crowds and taking in Foinaven, Arkle, Conival, Ben More Assynt, Beinn Dearg and it's satellite Munro's. Pretty sure it was 5 nights/6 days. The views will make you weep, it's an epic route.

Ayrshire Coastal Path obvs!

Failing that the Clyde Walkway, the sewage works at Dalmarnock is lovely in March.

Long Distance Routes

Having spent a bit of time up there in August the Lochness 360 looks nice, not really remote though, but you could add on on bit of the Affric Kintail way

https://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/long-distance-routes.shtml

https://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/skye/skye-trail.shtml

Vader - can you give me more details on the route you took durness to ullapool? Ta

WHW is the obvious choice

I should've said, not the WHW! sorry!

Cateran trail in March, nae midges probably good visibility clear days, lots of snow on the hills

Fife Coastal Path would be a good one. Surprisingly interesting, lots of towns for food and beaches for camping and campfires.

I also really enjoyed cycling up the Angus coast - would make a great walk too. Look up the cliffs at Arbroath and beach at Lunan. An oft overlooked part of the country.

If you want to go further north, I thought Strathnaver was amazing - gorgeous river and lochs and loads of interesting signposted historical way points

I have walked the whole east coast from the border to dundee. Some good walking but even the best bits are nothing to compare with going off piste in the highlands

Live on the coast, no coastal routes, thanks though ygh

tj and Vader, good info, I'll be looking into those, thanks a lot.

TJ yes of course.
From Inverness we took the train to Lairg where it connects with the Durness bus (basically a mini bus). The driver will drop you anywhere so we got off about 5km north of Rhiconich on the A838. From there traversed Foinaven, took in Arkle then descend to Lone, then Lochmore Lodge path to Bealach nam Fiam. Take the fork to Maldie Burn/Glendhu Bothy. We pushed on to Glen coul Bothy for the night via the aird da Loch headland. From Glencoul go up Abhainn an Loch Bhig, passing below the waterfall. It's vague on the map (1/50k) but there is a network of old stalkers trails that get you up about 1km east of the 740m summit of Beinn Uidhe. Skirt Loch nan Cuaran then head south over the vast plateau that leads to Conival/Ben More Assynt. Descend via Carn Nan Conbhairean to reach the track to Ben More Lodge and Oykel Bridge Hotel. Take track up River Einig south side into Strath Mulzie and eventually Loch a' coire Mhoir, Ascend Seanna Braigh, traverse all the tops south to Beinn Dearg then from Cona Mheall head east below Loch Prille to finish on Am Faochagach. Then down to head of loch Gascarnoch and the A835.

I finished typing that out and realised you will be going north! (probably).

That does indeed sound magic Vader!

Just pondering...

North West often has the mildest weather around then, so I thought bits of the Cape Wrath Trail / HT550 would work. But, resupply could be problematic and you might struggle for cafe/pub stops.

Gorms have obvious resupply - Blair Atholl, Aviemore, Tomintoul, Braemar etc but snow likely to be an issue at altitude and its definitely colder than the NW coast.

Morvern, Ardnamurchan, Ardgour might work. There are a few shops etc dotted around. Weather generally milder. Some of the tracks do go quite high but you'd be unlucky to be severely impacted by snow.

St Cuthberts Way, maybe starting further East perhaps?

I'd love to recommend the Speyside Way, especially now it has been extended but a combination of familiarity and dislike of some of the routing prevents me from doing so.

Loch Ness 360 would be a decent bet regarding weather, resupply and distance. Being a loop simplifies logistics.

We will be going north but thats vcool - I can work it out. Thanks a lot.

March - my worry is that the weather could be sunburn or the Incessant Snow thread.

Imo, the WHW is very crowded these days.

I would either look at:
- the southern upland way, better weather being further south, but a lovely route I fancy doing.
- take a chunk of the Scottish National Trail, 5/6 days would get you a good chunk of the central section from Trossachs and head North. It's big and wild while being well path'd and some shelter in villages if you got crappy weather. North of great glen it gets more remote I think.

Of course the other one I did was just pick a shoogly line from the outdoor centre at Ardgour to Nethy Bridge via Rabnoch - some bothies and valley use meant we did it through wintry weather with trainee ML's, who just needed some exped experience. That was 5 days iirc.

Pilgrims way there and back. After that you'd never want to set foot in Fife again

No beer - I can give you a lot more detail if wanted.

Have a couple of pics to whet the appetite

[url= https://live.staticflickr.com/7441/14193969954_5b3f97dbc7_c.jp g" target="_blank">https://live.staticflickr.com/7441/14193969954_5b3f97dbc7_c.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/nCgNKU ]11 campsite[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/25846484@N04/ ]TandemJeremy[/url], on Flickr

[url= https://live.staticflickr.com/4123/4735391694_1a2e6a484a_c.jp g" target="_blank">https://live.staticflickr.com/4123/4735391694_1a2e6a484a_c.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/8ds7Yo ]20 Across Loch Shiel to Glen Aladale[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/25846484@N04/ ]TandemJeremy[/url], on Flickr

[url= https://live.staticflickr.com/3136/3110687384_860a33145e_c.jp g" target="_blank">https://live.staticflickr.com/3136/3110687384_860a33145e_c.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/5JT5Z7 ]18 Camp 2[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/25846484@N04/ ]TandemJeremy[/url], on Flickr

None of those pics are on the routes I mentioned tho

I'd do bits of the Cape Wrath trail.

Not sure how the Charlie Ramsay round compares, but the high ground might be more of a snow issue in March than further south/lower altitude of the lakes.

That wouldn't be a great choice for 5 or 6 days in March. Potentially full on winter and doesn't split up easily into that number of stages.

I also wouldn't be too keen on some of the gravel bike routes suggested like the Badger. Could be a bit dull to walk and much better ridden.

Use the fact that it's a walk to go somewhere you definitely wouldn't ride!

Talking about that route again reminded me of being up on the high plateau north of Conival. We were looking for a campsite with a hint of shelter when I jumped down into a bit of a fold to do the breeze/midge/damp test. The spot failed but as I turned I found myself confronted with what was clearly a piece of a plane, and a big bit too. I was utterly shocked as it looked in really good condition and for a moment or too thought it might have been recent. I took a closer look and realised it was WW2 vintage and then slowly remembered that there was a crash there during the war. Eventually we found the marked 'grave' of the crew nearby. It was a sobering moment. We moved away before camping at a respectful distance, but we spent the evening thinking about the sadness of something like that happening somewhere so peaceful.

Of course, if (bloody good chance!) we're still in Tier 3 locally, it'll be a circuit of the Galloways!.

it’ll be a circuit of the Galloways!.

Could be worse, you could be on the same road as Nationwide in Swindon.

One can only dream Matt, 5 days of Nationwhistler action....

I did 3 days on the Cape Wrath Trail from Glenfinnian to Morvich in October and think this might meet your needs. You could start from Fort William instead to add another day and go a bit easier than I did.

Its a fickle month march. Can be mid winter or early summer.

I have been looking at Glen Clova to Braemar, to Aviemore to Fort Augustus and then maybe Inverness as a summer route, not brave enough to try it in March.

There is also the Scottish National Trail https://www.scottishnationaltrail.org.uk/

West coast of Jura. Couple or three of bothies if you want; caves and raised beaches for camping if you don't. Day trip up the Paps. All the driftwood you could ever burn in March after a winter of Westerlies bringing it onshore - take a folding saw.

I can't see me getting to travel in 10 weeks time montgomery, sadly.

Sat yesterday and plotted out a route that starts and finishes within the county, taking in the Galloways - Rhinns of Kells, awful hand, all the tops south of those and within the flow country, then onto the carshphairn and East ayrshire tops, before heading down and doing all the lowther hills.

Just need to talk my employer into letting me to it solo, unless I can talk a mate into it!.

I've got a week's leave booked at the end of January and planned a return trip up the way there but, like you say, it's not going to happen. Fantastic wild coastline a long way from anywhere. I like the Galloway hills, too, if you find the bits they're not planting with turbines or ripping trees out of.

The vast majority of the galloways has no wind turbines, and tbh they don't really bother me, but aye, the shit tip they leave when they pull the trees out is god awful.

Sounds like a good route.

I do miss the emptiness of some of Galloway.

Plus coolest place names - "Range of the Awful Hand" and "Murder Hole"...

Sounds like a good route nobeer, assuming it can go ahead I'm looking forward to the pictures
Thinking about a week or two visiting old haunts in Galloway though that might be in 22

There are several realistic ways to add distance and interest to the standard Cateran 50-ish mile circular route, with good links east to the Clova Hotel via Prosen and the Minister's Path, Capel Mounth over to Muick & then Braemar, continue around via Geldie to Tilt, then either come out at Blair Atholl for the train or back into the hills by Fealar Lodge to re-join the Cateran at Enochdhu. These circuits include lower & higher options, in case we get some real snow, with realistic escape routes out if the weather turns while you're on the move.
Bikepacking.com have a 3 day suggested Deeside circular route that might also fit your bill as a challenging walking route, again with interesting stop offs along the way.

@highlandman sans restrictions on travel, that would be a contender for sure.

@gordimhor I'm sure you'll get down this year, love the Galloways. I start training with Galloway MRT in March, so this would be a good opportunity to increase my knowledge of some lesser known (to me) parts.

One of the best days I ever had on a hill was on Corserine. We had rain sun snow wind hail all in a couple of hours. Turned back still well below the top, more snow and rain followed by sun for the last mile . Satisfaction of knowing that we had made a good decision and still enjoyed the day. Actually I think that would have been about March time. 😄

Coserine is a wee gem, it's madness how few people around here even know of it's existence, yet will drive for hours to get to busy hills that are in no way superior. A mate and I once had a day riding the Rhinns of Kells from Carlins cairn over Corserine and down to Meikle Millyea.

The climb was a push, as was the descent*, but the ride along the top was fantastic.

*With all this footfall recently, it's now one I want to go back and throw a bike down!.

So, they're allowing us to delay until June for this now, still getting the week off work to do it, and hopefully by then I'll be allowed to travel a wee bit further. 🙏🏻

This appeals, getting the train and going point to point, really like that idea.

https://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/Forum/viewtopic.php?f=25&t=59007

I have done most of that route ( In bits) A long way in 5 or 6 days as it goes over some very rough terrain in places

As above I have done loads of point to point by train routes. its the best way especially if you get a hour or two at your final point to stock up on beer and snacks for the train home. so much nicer than driving back

Spent last night reading an old favourite I ain't picked up for a while, Storer's hill tracks, and poring over maps.

Another option that I like the look of would be from blair atholl, taking in the minigaig, feshie, geldue, lairig thru, strath nethy, lairig an laoigh and back via tilt, with some summit excursions along the way.

End of May may be touch and go with ground conditions, but sounds good.

I did Inverness to Glenelg a few years ago. It was mostly superb! I could send you the GPX if you want more information.

The route was the same as what's shown here, although we didn't use this company:

http://www.transcotland.com/affric.htm

MM looks good, though I'm for biking a fair bit of that this year. Fadda has been on my list for a while, looks awesome.

Just plotted the Cairngorms route on OS maps (how much better is it being able to snap to paths in national parks btw?!).

Blair Athol - Minigaig - Feshie - Geldie - White bridge - Lairig Ghru - Chalamain gap - Glenmore - Ryvoan - Bynack More - Lairig an Laoigh - Loch Avon circuit - Derry lodge - Linn of Dee - Bynack lodge - Glen Tilt - Blair Atholl.

Loose plan to camp at Feshie crossing at Creag na Cailich, pools of Dee, Loch Avon and lastly on Beinn a' ghlo if weather allows.

Works out just shy of the ton, with plenty options to go higher or bail in bad weather. Exciting stuff.

Got my backpacking and sleep kit down to a decent weight now, wee bit of tweaking to do but not much.

This appeals, getting the train and going point to point, really like that idea.

https://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/Forum/viewtopic.php?f=25&t=59007/blockquote >

That's very close to the Cape Wrath Trail route. The only major difference I can see is in Glen Sheil.

 

Blair Athol – Minigaig – Feshie – Geldie – White bridge – Lairig Ghru – Chalamain gap – Glenmore – Ryvoan – Bynack More – Lairig an Laoigh – Loch Avon circuit – Derry lodge – Linn of Dee – Bynack lodge – Glen Tilt – Blair Atholl.

Depending on your plans, let me know if you need any help with re-supply at the northern end. There's not much in Glenmore.

Thanks SR, had thought about roping in the captain wi a wee parcel, not as if he's doing much else.... 😂

So, it's finally arrived, off on my travels with yokaiser of this parish around the Cairngorms on Monday.

Finally settled on a route that a few have done in one day, but we'll be taking 5 days and enjoying it - the Rigby round. 75ish miles, 18 munros, 1500-2000m ascent per day, carrying all of our own supplies.

Nearly at £5k raised for save the children too, which my employer GSK matches. 🙏🏻

Pictures to follow....

have fun

Pictures please!! Mega jealous!!

Woohoo. Hope the weather is kind.

Cheers fellas!

That should be a great few days. Bloody cold and windy in the gorms this weekend though!

Aye, a friend of mine has been up all week, hes a photographer, not had a great week!.