Outstanding Walks Scotland

Welcome to Outstanding Walks Scotland, where you can enjoy the best and most varied walking opportunities, the equal of anywhere in Britain. Across Scotland, from Eshaness in Shetland in the far north to Mull of Galloway, at the nation’s most southerly point, and from westerly Barra in the Outer Hebrides to the Sands of Forvie on the Aberdeenshire coast in the east, this fabulous compendium of carefully selected locations contains a wealth of walking ideas, catering for all tastes and abilities.

Enjoy this lavishly-illustrated volume in the comfort of your own home, using its balance of inspiring and practical content to plan your own Scottish adventures, and then redeem the OS Maps digital subscription that comes free with this book to undertake the walks and visits presented within its pages. Scotland has a hugely diverse range of walking opportunities in an extraordinary number of landscapes and habitats, all with an enormous breadth of history, heritage and cultural interest. The most outstanding of these treasures are brought together in this carefully curated selection of 60 walks, 48 ‘don’t miss’ sites and 42 picture essay locations, in total including more than 300 very special features of interest for you to visit. From the white-sand beaches and turquoise sea around the island of Berneray, to the rare Alpine flora in Ben Lawers National Nature Reserve, and the resurgent riverside of Glasgow’s West End and vibrant waterfront at Dundee, to majestic Glen Coe and expansive Galloway Forest Park, there is an array of environments to explore, with each walk not only showing you the way but picking out the extra-special features of interest along the way. Prehistoric sites, like the Callanish Standing Stones, idyllically-set Ardvreck Castle, the Poet’s Path in Alloway, and the giant 21st-century artwork of The Kelpies, are among the many fascinating places to which this book leads you.

Encounter Scotland’s finest viewpoints, its plummeting waterfalls, and places to watch wildlife, such as red squirrels, dolphins and white-tailed eagles; take in the away-from-it-all tranquillity and remote beauty of Glen Affric, or revel in the Highland festival at Braemar and the history of Scottish kings and queens at Stirling; visit national monuments, and poignant memorials, battle sites, centres of worship from Sweetheart Abbey to St Magnus Cathedral, famous literary settings like Abbotsford and Loch Katrine, and film and TV locations.

For the purposes of this book, to guide you around Scotland effectively, we have divided the country into seven convenient regions. This title comprises 40,000 words, 350 photographs and 67 maps. There are 25 short walks (that can be completed within 2½ hours); 23 half-day walks; and 11 full-day hikes, including the ascent of five Munros. Walks are included in the Cairngorms and the Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Parks; visit the wealth of National Scenic Areas, nature reserves, forest and country parks; as well as exploring Scotland’s internationally important historic sites and vibrant cultural centres.

The perfect way of touring all of these wonderful locations is on foot, and so let this beautiful book lead the way to your enjoyment of outstanding Scotland.

Outstanding Walks Scotland (Pathfinder Guides): • 315 miles of outstanding walking in 60 top walk Locations in Scotland • 25 short walks (that can be completed within 2½ hours); 23 half-day walks; and 11 full-day hikes, including the ascent of five Munros • With an additional 48 Don’t Miss sites, all outstanding features of great natural beauty, huge historic significance and cultural beacons • And 42 Picture Perfect photo essay images to inspire your Scottish adventures • Maps: there are 60 walk overview and 7 regional maps • Images: the book is sumptuously illustrated, with 350 wonderful photographs • Words: 40,000 words, from respected outdoor writer and photographer Felicity Martin: based in the heart of Scotland, her goal is to help others connect with the natural world and appreciate its wonders