Scotland is a country in the United Kingdom that’s revered the world over for it’s incredible natural scenery. The best way to view this natural scenery is by taking a hike through the country’s wilderness, and there are so many great hiking paths to be found within the country that choosing one can be a bit of a chore! Thankfully, we’ve compiled a list of the absolute best hikes in Scotland for those who are looking for some excellent views of the country’s natural scenery. Join ViewCation as we take a look at the best hikes in Scotland for breathtaking views.
The Cape Wrath Trail
The first hike that we’ll be taking a look at in this video is the one offered by the Cape Wrath Trail. The trail will take tourists all the way to the top of Scotland’s mainland, with the trail running for well over 200 miles. As one might imagine, the hike along the Cape Wrath Trail is often considered to be one of the more challenging hikes to do in the country. However, those who are up for the journey will find that the terrain isn’t all that difficult to manage. Instead, the difficult of this hike comes predominantly from the trail’s vast length.
The Cape Wrath Trail starts at Fort William, and it ends at a location that goes by the unsurprising name of Cape Wrath. For the majority of hikers, it will take around two or three weeks to get from one point to the other, so be sure to come prepared! Cape Wrath itself sits on the northwest end of the United Kingdom’s mainland. Along the hike, you’ll go through such memorable areas as Assynt and Knoydart, both of which offer some beautiful scenery. These areas are so remote that you might go a couple of days without passing a single person. At certain points, it’s possible to go the entire hike without seeing another soul! The length and remoteness of the hike mean that it’s not for everyone, but those who are up for a long and isolated journey will certainly be rewarded by the incredible views to be found along this trail.
The Climb Up An Teallach
Many of the best hikes to be found within the country of Scotland will take you up mountains, and one of the best mountains to hike up in the country goes by the name of An Teallach. As with the aforementioned Cape Wrath, An Teallach sits on the northwest end of both Scotland and the United Kingdom’s mainland. This hike may not take you several weeks like hiking the Cape Wrath Trail typically will, but that doesn’t mean that it’s easy! In fact, the hike up An Teallach is generally considered to be much more difficult, if a good deal shorter, than the hike along the Cape Wrath Trail. Those who don’t have much experiencing scrambling up rocky ledges may want to give this hike a pass, but experienced hikers will find that the journey up An Teallach has enough to offer to make it’s difficulty worthwhile.
An Teallach is made out of sandstone, and it’s peak sits at over 900 meters. Once you make it to the peak, you’ll be treated to some incredible views of the surrounding area, as well as the mountain’s incredible sandstone gullies.
The Climb Up Liathach
Another popular mountain to hike up in Scotland goes by the name of Liathach. Liathach is a part of the mountain range that goes by the name of the Munros, with the Munros being the most popular mountain range in the entirety of Scotland. You’ll find that there are many Munros that are great mountains to hike up, but no other Munro offers the incredible views of Liathach. Once you get to the top of Liathach, you’ll be treated to some of the most stunning scenery that you’ll be able to find in the entirety of not only Scotland, but the greater United Kingdom.
Liathach is generally considered to be the absolute most beautiful Munro to climb up in Scotland, but the hike isn’t easy. As with the aforementioned hike up An Teallach, the hike up Liathach is decidedly difficult. Once again, there’s a good deal of scrambling involved, which may make the hike too difficult of a prospect for hikers that are just starting out. Still, as with An Teallach, the difficult journey up is made worth it by the unprecedented views from the top.
If you’re enjoying this video so far, be sure to hit the like button to show your support! Also, subscribe to the channel if you’d like to be among the first to know when more globetrotting ViewCation videos are on their way!
The Aonach Eagach Ridgeline
Another great hike to be found in Scotland is the hike along the Aonach Eagach Ridgeline. This is another dangerous hike that will take you to a significantly high elevation, which means that there are some staggering views waiting for you at the end! Still, the difficulty of this hike once again means that it’s not for everyone. This hike once again has a good deal of scrambling involved in it, but it’s also made even more dangerous by the fact that the terrain is often wet and slippery. Because of the Aonach Eagach Ridgeline’s oftentimes-dangerous conditions, hikers attempting to tackle the journey generally don’t go it alone. It’s best to take a friend with you on this one, and it’s going to be a good idea if one or both of you have a good idea of what you’re doing.
This hike is located within the village of Glencoe, and it’s Glencoe and it’s surrounding area that offer the majority of the incredible views that tourists will be privy to along the hike’s length. As with the other hikes that we’ve taken a look at in this video so far, hiking the Aonach Eagach Ridgeline certainly isn’t for everyone, but those who are willing to take the risky journey will be greatly rewarded with the opportunity to view some of Scotland’s greatest natural scenery.
The Climb Up Stac Pollaidh
Stac Pollaidh is yet another mountain that makes a popular climb for tourists, though this mountain is on the smaller end. While the hike up Stac Pollaidh isn’t difficult and the supposed mountain can be said to be more of a hill than an actual mountain, that doesn’t mean that tourists won’t be treated to some incredible views when they get to the top! The views at the top of Stac Pollaidh are just as unique and beautiful as the views you’ll find at the top of any other mountain in Scotland, and they’re a lot easier to get to!
Stac Pollaidh is only a little over 600 meters high, and the hike up it can easily be made within the day. The hike is incredibly popular not only for how easy it is to navigate it’s terrain, but also for how short it is when compared to some of Scotland’s more demanding hikes. If you’ve only got a day to hike, then hiking up Stac Pollaidh will offer you the chance to see sights comparable to those that can be found on hikes that take upwards of a week. It’s no wonder that the hike up Stac Pollaidh has become one of the most popular hikes in all of Scotland, and most hikers will find it a breeze!
The Rob Roy Way
The Rob Roy Way is a hiking trail named after a famous outlaw. That outlaw would be Rob Roy MacGregor, who has been the subject of legend for centuries. Those who want to follow in the famous outlaws footsteps without getting on the wrong side of the law will certainly want to check out the Rob Roy Way, which offers one of the absolute best hikes in all of Scotland. The hike typically takes around a week to accomplish, meaning it’s not quite as accessible as the previously mentioned hike up Stac Pollaidh, but it’s also not as much of a time investment as some of the more extravagant hikes that we took a look at earlier in this video.
The Rob Roy Way runs nearly 100 miles, with the trail starting at the location of Drymen and ending at the location of Pitlochry. Both locations offer plenty of great natural scenery, and there’s even more beautiful scenery to be found as you journey in between them. Some of the many natural sights that hikers will get the chance to see include a variety of lochs, rivers, and stunningly beautiful glens.
The Southern Upland Way
For those who would like to journey from one side of Scotland to the other, the Southern Upland Way may be your ticket! The hike has come to be known as the only officially designated coast-to-coast hiking trail in the entirety of the United Kingdom, which certainly makes it stand out from the rest of the hikes on this list. As one might imagine based on that description, the hike isn’t short. The Southern Upland Way goes on for well over 200 miles, and the majority of hikers will require around two weeks to finish it. The hike is made even more difficult than it sounds when you take into consideration the fact that there are numerous peaks that you’ll have to tackle along it’s lengths. There are nearly 100 peaks along the hike, with some of those peaks stretching upwards of 2,000 meters into the sky!
The West Highland Way
Finally, let’s take a look at the beautiful Scottish hiking trail that goes by the name of the West Highland Way. The West Highland Way is less than half the length of the Southern Upland Way, but it’s 100-mile journey still isn’t going to be a reasonable undertaking for everyone. The hike starts at Milngavie and ends at a location by the name of Fort William. In For William, you’ll find a mountain by the name of Ben Nevis, which is considered to be the tallest mountain in the entirety of the United Kingdom. Once you get to the end of the West Highland Trail, you can choose to either soak in the views of this beautiful, large mountain, or choose to continue your journey by travelling up it’s length!
There is no shortage of hikes in Scotland offering incredible views, and the hiking trails we touched on earlier represent some of the most beautiful in the country. Now it’s time to hear from you: did you know that there’s a hiking trail in Scotland that will take you from one coast of the United Kingdom to the other, and that there’s another hike that takes the average tourist around three weeks to accomplish? As always, like this video to show your support, and subscribe and hit the notification bell if you’d like to be among the first to know when more ViewCation videos are on their way!