The Skye Trail is a challenging, unofficial long distance route through the stunning landscapes of the Isle of Skye.
The trail covers 128 km of tough terrain including spectacular mountain and coastal scenery. It follows much of the celebrated Trotternish Ridge and also passes under the very shadow of the jagged Cuillin, the finest mountains in Britain. There are remarkable but almost unvisited coastal cliffs, steep trails above high drops, and the haunting ruins of deserted villages destroyed in the Highland Clearances.
Skye Trail is the 11th long distance route I've completed in Scotland and it was my last long distance walk of the 2014 season. Plans to walk it had been discussed about a year earlier while walking the East Highland Way. Skye would be visited late summer 2014 with one or two others and would be an epic adventure, backpacking with all the camping gear, all prepared for a week in the wild.
Unfortunately for my Youtube followers, I did not make a video of the trail. However you can view the photos here: Sky Trail 2014
Date walked: 30/08/2014 Time taken: 8 days Distance: 157 km
I started from Aboyne at 10:30 am and headed out to Glen Tanar on foot, reaching Glen Tanar visitor centre an hour later. I continued walking using the Walkhighlands description as my guide, stopping at the Half Way Hut for lunch en-route.
I arrived at the base of Mount Keen at 3:40pm and began my ascent to the summit which took me about an hour 20 mins. Conditions were good, a little windy at the top. Came straight back down, had planned to camp on the grassy area at the bottom but there was a group of kids there so I just went back to the half way hut, had Supper and wild camped by the river Tanar. The following day I walked back to Aboyne and caught the bus back to Aberdeen.
It took about 11 hours in total, that included stopping for lunch for an hour and doesn't include the camping.
Munros included on this walk: Mount Keen Date walked: 23/08/2014 Time taken: 11 hours Distance: 33 km Ascent: 795m
A day on the hills with Gary, Moray and Gavin, bagging Ben Macdui from the Linn of Dee.
I walked to the Linn of Dee from Braemar on the Friday evening and camped by Derry Lodge Friday night. In the morning I met up with the others as they passed Derry Lodge. We bagged Ben Macdui, Derry Cairngorm and Cairn na maim. A 19 mile hike. My 12th munro.
Munros included on this walk: Ben Macdui, Derry Cairngorm Date walked: 09/08/2014 Time taken: 10 hours Distance: 38 km Ascent: 1068m
A weekend in Aviemore, camping at Rothiemurchus. We caught the bus from Aviemore to the Ski-Centre Saturday morning. Climbed Ben Macdui and Cairngorm then finished back at the Ski Centre, caught bus back to the campsite.
Munros included on this walk: Ben Macdui, Cairn Gorm Date walked: 19/07/2014 Time taken: 6.5 hours Distance: 17.5 km Ascent: 932m
The Moray Coastal Trail is a waymarked long distance trail in north-east Scotland that covers almost the entire 50 miles of Moray's coast, linking the settlements (Forres, Kinloss, Findhorn, Burghead, Hopeman, Lossiemouth, Kingston, Garmouth, Spey Bay, Portgordon, Buckie, Findochty and Portknockie) between Forres and Cullen. My friend and I walked the trail over 3 days and 2 nights, staying overnight at campsites.
Date walked: 11/07/2014 Time taken: 3 days Distance: 88 km
I completed the White Mounth Munros circuit in bust boots, started from
Ballater and walked 8 miles out to Glen Muick. From Glen Muick I
wandered 2 miles along Loch Muick to Glas-allt-shiel bothy where I had
lunch before starting the big ascent by the waterfall to bag Lochnagar,
Carn a' Choire Bhoidheach, Carn an t-Sagairt Mor, Cairn Bannoch and
Broad Cairn.
It took me 11 hours in total, I must have walked
about 26 miles, a long day but got great weather for it which was a
bonus. I had the mountains all to myself only passing 1 person who was
out for a jog. I had planned to make it back to Ballater for the last
bus but later realised there was no way that was happening. Luckily I
managed to get a phone signal and called a mate to come and pick me up,
which cost £30 for the privilege. If I had known it was going to take
me as long then I would have brought my camping gear.
A 79 mile (approx) walk around Loch Ness starting from, and finishing at Inverness Castle. .
. After an un-satisfying 7 day trek of the Rob Roy Way, a wet and wearisome experience, another short hike was required to lift the spirits.
Initially I was considering the Trail of 7 Lochs, a 50 mile long distance route which runs in a circuit between South Loch Ness and the East Highlands.
I soon stumbled upon a webpage documenting the Loch Ness 360 trail, a 79 mile (approx) walk around Loch Ness starting from, and finishing at Inverness Castle.
As
I had previously done the Great Glen Way and parts of the South Loch
Ness Trail, I already knew most of the route and the hike would be easy to follow.
The Rob Roy Way is a Scottish long distance footpath that runs from
Drymen to Pitlochry. The path was created in 2002 and runs for 92 miles.
The route crosses the Highland Boundary Fault, a geological fault where
the Highlands meet the Lowlands
After walking the Great Glen Way, The West Highland Way, The East
Highland Way, The Speyside Way, The Formartine & Buchan Way, The
Deeside Way and The Three Lochs Way, the next long distance route would
be the Rob Roy Way.
The original plan was to walk the full 94
miles, from Drymen to Pitlochry via Amulree, but things didn't go quite
to plan (do they ever?) and we ended up walking the 77 mile route,
adding on an extra 12 miles by starting from Milngavie on the West
Highland Way.
Personally I would of quite happily walked the extra
miles to Amulree but my hiking buddy was on holiday in Scotland and felt
there would be no time left to relax after a days walk. So be it.
The Southern Upland Way is Britain's first official coast to coast long
distance foot-path. It runs 212 miles (340 km) from Portpatrick on the
south-west coast of Scotland to Cockburnspath on the eastern seaboard.
It offers superb and varied walking country, still undiscovered by many
enthusiasts.
Friday 16 May 2014 - Portpatrick to Knockquhassen Reservoir The old man (my father) dropped us off at Portpatrick Harbour about half past 3. We took a few snaps before making our way up the cliffs. We walked along the coastal path for about two and a half hours before following the minor road for the rest of the way. It turned out to be a nice evening.
We continued walking late into the evening and eventually about 9pm we came across Knockquhassen Reservoir which turned out to be a good spot for some wild camping.
Saturday 17 May 2014 - Knockquhassen Reservoir to Beehive Bothy We were up at the crack of dawn, the rain had appeared overnight, light showers mostly. We took down the tents and got everything packed away before making our way to the anglers hut to make Breakfast. We set off in the rain, returning to the Southern Upland route. The rain soon calmed down and it stayed dry for the rest of the day.
A couple of hours passed and we reached the outskirts of Stranraer, then it was minor roads and some woodland trails before arriving at Castle Kennedy.
Once at Castle Kennedy we stopped for supplies at the Petrol Station before making our way down to Castle Kennedy Gardens, where we had lunch.
We soon made a start on the long hike to Beehive Bothy, passing through some boggy fields, woodland and moorland. We saw some old farmhouse ruins. We eventually reached Beehive Bothy around 7.30pm, in plenty of time to get organised and have a bite to eat before dark. Nobody else was around. It soon got dark and we attempted to get a small fire going.
Sunday 18 May 2014 - Beehive Bothy to Bargrennan Up bright are early, we had a quick Coffee in the bothy before heading off on the next stretch towards Bargrennan. It had stayed dry through the night and for the remainder of the day. The path through the forest in the next section was difficult to follow due to missing waymarkers in the demolished forest.
Friday 2 May 2014 Four of us met at The Horse Shoe Bar in Glasgow on Friday afternoon. We visited a couple more bars and had some food before catching the train to Balloch where the walk starts. Having no idea where we were going to camp on the first night, the best idea was simply to head into a bar in Balloch, get tanked up and forget that we were camping. The DogsHouse Bar seemed as good a place as any, as we ended up spending most of the night there before stumbling our way out with our rucksacks, having no clue where we were going to end up! Balloch Country Park became our campsite for the night, two of us by the river where the ground was boggy and the other two, further into the woods where the ground was dryer and where we could be out of view from the public eye. (I am pleased to annouce that I was part of the latter two!) :D It was mostly dry through the night with some light rain.
Saturday 3 May 2014 Up bright and early (and very hungover) we re-grouped and got some supplies at the local corner shop before heading down to the start of the walk by Loch Lomond Pier. My mate's buddy decided he'd had enough already and made his way back to the train station, leaving just three of us. Leaving Balloch behind, we head for the Hills, towards our first port of call, Helensburgh. It stayed fairly dry in the morning with some light showers later on. It was a trek over some open hills, across some moorland and through some woodland, including a steep muddy hill and a deforested area before a long dwindling descent down into Helensburgh, arriving in time for lunch. After a well earned rest and an enjoyable lunch at Weatherspoons, we set off towards Gairlochhead, amid lots of Hills. The best way to deal with the hills is just to think about the amount of calories you're losing without having to go to the gym. As we head away from Helensburgh we passed some Woods, farmland and moorland before following a minor road towards Gairlochhead, taking us onto the American Road which surrounds the MOD military training area. Once arriving in Gairlochhead the next task was to find somewhere to camp, but not before a drink or two at The Anchor Inn. Also phone charging time before heading to camp. A pint or two later and after speaking to Anchor Inn staff about suitable places to camp, (apparently none) we head over to the river at the other side of the loch, which was pretty much a perfect little location for a wild camp, although the local kids playing nearby could have been a little more welcoming instead of shouting "happy camping, hope you get p*ssed on!". Charming! It was a peaceful night, it rained through most of it but I slept like a log since I never got much sleep the previous night. It wasn't long before first light and we got up and had some Breakfast (Porridge & Coffee) before packing up again, making our way about 9am and spotting a wild Bear across the river! It looked hungry.
Sunday 4 May 2014
We went to the village shop for supplies then made our way back up to the american road, we still had a good few miles to walk through the military training area, before our first views of Loch Long. After a long hilly viewless walk in heavy rain and mist, we finally arrived at the village of Arrochar by Loch Long. We head to the Ben Arthur Bothy to put our feet up, certainly the most luxurious bothy I have ever encountered! We had a few drinks and a meal before deciding to retire for the day due to unforseen RAIN!! ...and pure laziness. While in the bar, we got chatting to one of the local B & B owners who offered us beds for £25.00 per person. Having no idea where we were going to camp that night we decided some Bed & Breakfast would be in our best interest. We could dry our clothes, shower and just chill for the rest of the evening. Monday 5 May 2014 Went downstairs for a fantastic cooked Breakfast plus Cereal, Toast, Coffee, Orange Juice... the works! Great start to the day, and I must use this opportunity to give the [b]Rowantreebank[/b] a mention. It wasn't the best accommodation I have encountered, the bathroom light didn't work, the ceiling was stained, but it was still better than a wet tent. (and the breakfast made up for its faults) [url]http://www.rowantreebank.co.uk[/url] After breakfast we took a walk over to Arrochar & Tarbet station to see Pete off, he had to leave us, expecting to have completed the walk the day before. There were now just the two of us with the last 6 miles to Inveruglas to complete. We head off from Arrochar & Tarbet station into the woods taking us round the outskirts of Arrochar with some fine views of Ben Arthur (The Cobbler) and the Arrochar Alps. After our visit to Inveruglas Pier, we walked 6 miles back to Arrochar & Tarbet station, plus an extra 2 miles to Tarbet Pier where we camped by Loch Lomond. We waited for it to start getting darkish before pitching the tents so we didn't offend any locals. In the morning my mate caught the train from Arrochar & Tarbet Station back to Glasgow while I caught the Waterbus across Loch Lomond to Rowardennan where my plan was to join the West Highland Way, where I would reach Fort William by the following Sunday and head home on the Monday. Unfortunately due to horrendous rain, I got as far as Tyndrum before calling it a day, catching the next bus and heading home on the Wednesday afternoon/evening. photo gallery here> https://get.google.com/albumarchive/100408387173570597610/album/AF1QipMyQHG2wYqNjOcIIPM-vlDN0pD1jPuIyKh6QqlU
The Deeside Way is a long distance path running from near the centre of
Aberdeen City, to Ballater, in the Cairngorms National Park. It is
mostly waymarked. The path is suitable for walkers and cyclists
with many sections suitable for horses as well and is Route 135 of the
National Cycle Network which is coordinated and promoted by Sustrans.
The
route follows the line of the Old Royal Deeside Railway from Aberdeen
to Banchory, through woodland and countryside to Kincardine O’Neil and then
rejoins the old line from Aboyne to Ballater, total distance 41 miles. I completed the Deeside Way
over a
period of 4 days, between March and May 2014. I used buses to return
to Aberdeen after each walk. It would be possible to take a
tent and wild camp en-route, there are campsites at Aboyne and Ballater
but since it was only March, camping was not going to be
considered! Once again I made a video blog.
Day 1 (23 March 2014) Aberdeen to Banchory (17 miles, 5 hours taken)
It
was a sunny Sunday morning, Spring was in the air and it was too nice
to sit about the house. I headed off down to the Duthie Park and began
walking on the old Deeside line, towards Banchory.
Once arriving at Duthie Park, the path of the Deeside Way is picked up by the Polmuir Road entrance, and follows the Old Deeside Line/Cycle Route for the next few miles, passing many old stations, most of which have now been converted into homes. First up is Holburn Station (now flattened), followed by Ruthrieston, Pitfodels, Cults, West Cults, Bieldside, Murtle, Milltimber before finally reaching Culter.
Once reaching Culter, the path leaves the old deeside line and continues on a quiet country road to reach Drumoak, where there is a bus stop. That would be the first 10 miles covered but too soon to head home, I kept on towards Banchory, passing through Milton of Crathes and a randomly unexpected section of lottery funded restored railway. Crathes Castle can be visted here if there is enough time, I didn't have!
Five hours and 17 miles later I finally found myself pondering along the riverside on the outskirts of Banchory, late afternoon. Unfamiliar with Banchory, I wasn't sure if I was to continue along the river or head up to the roadside.
I hadn't seen any waymarkers for a while so decided to leave the riverside (a bad idea). I soon found myself lost in the middle of a housing estate and had to ask several locals how to get to the town centre. If I had just stayed on the cycle route!! Luckily I found my way into the town centre just in time for the 6:15pm bus back to Aberdeen, and what a relief!
Day 2 (26 March 2014) I arrived in Banchory for about 12, got supplies from the Co-Op and headed back down the river side to continue the Deeside Way from where I left it. The route continues to follow the River Dee straight through Banchory, crossing the River Dee then heads up into the Blackhall Forest.
This is one big forest and I must have walked through it for about 7 miles before it finally came to an end at the Shooting Greens car park. Unfortunately once I came out here, I had no clue which way I had heading, I didn't see any waymarkers and missed noticing the cycle route just hiding away on the right, my instinct was telling me to follow the minor road to the left... Bad Move!!
So I ended up a few miles out in the wrong direction in the middle of nowhere but with some great mountain views, time was getting on and my only option was to walk the road 4 miles into Strachen, where I could maybe jump on a bus... Ha, that wasn't going to happen anytime soon as the only bus that was scheduled to run through Strachen was the School bus early morning. So from Strachen it was another 5 miles walk on the road to return to Banchory, where I completed a circuit and caught the bus back to Aberdeen. Big fail this day!! Least it stayed dry. However, I returned some time later to try again. I successfully completed the route second time around which is when the video was made.
Day 3 (18 April 2014)
So after studying the route a little better I returned to Banchory for a second attempt at this stage. I hopped off the bus, grabbed supplies from the Co-Op again and crossed over the river Dee before ascending into the Blackhall Forest for the second time.
Upon reaching the Shooting Greens Car Park, I turned right and followed the cycle route towards the Hamlet of Potarch, following the River Dee to eventually arrive at the village of Kincardine O'Neil.
Once reaching Kincardine O'Neil I got lost again! There were no way markers to indicate the route I should be following and so ended up following the main road to Aboyne, assuming I would be able to pick up the path. I did eventually pick it up... about 5 miles later, halfway to Aboyne. I later learned that the route continues from Pitmurchie Road in Kincardine O'Neil.
It wasn't too long before I arrived in Aboyne, around quarter past 6, annoyingly just missing the bus by about 20 seconds and had to wait an hour for the next one.
Day 4 (21 May 2014)(5-6 hours taken, 14 miles approx)
Approximately 1 month later, I returned to complete the long distance route. I jumped off the bus at Kincardine O'Neil to correct where I went wrong previously. I retraced my steps through Kincardine O'Neil, turning up Pitmurchie Road. A short distance up the hill, the cycle route continues, passing through farmland to later re-join the old railway line.
Once reaching Aboyne, I stopped for a bit before continuing on towards Ballater. The path leaves from the car park beside the Victory Hall in the village centre. From there it's back onto the old line again for most of the way, passing Deeside Gliding Club Airfield, Cambus O’ May and Cambus O’ May Cheese Creamery.
Once approaching Ballater the views improve with glimpses of hills and mountains beginning to become more frequent, closing in on the Cairngorms National Park. I arrived in Ballater at a decent time, and without getting lost again, with a cushy 15 minute wait for the next bus.
The Deeside Way was a fairly enjoyable walk which could be completed over 3-4 days with a tent, making use of campsites where available. For the more adventurous, the walk can be carried on past Ballater and into the Cairngorms.
Opened in the early 1990s, the Formartine and Buchan Way runs along the former route of the railway that extended from Dyce on the fringes of Aberdeen north to Maud, where it split with branches heading to both Fraserburgh and Peterhead. The line was a victim of the 1960s Beeching cuts, though it continued to carry freight to Peterhead until 1970 and to Fraserburgh until 1979. The Buchan Countryside Group began the work of reopening the route as a cycleway and footpath in 1987. Today the route offers a peaceful walking route through pleasant, lowland countryside and rich farmland.
I walked the length of the Formartine and Buchan Way over the span of 4 days throughout Spring 2014, starting on 9 March. I am not going to write a full report on this here but you can view a report I made earlier on the Walkhighlands forum which includes lots of pictures :
