Eat Sleep Wild
Routes Recipes and Wild Experiences from the West Coast of Scotland
Quinag’s dramatic western face is one of those hallmark views as you drive west from Lochinver. Its sheer, seemingly unscalable slopes make it look daunting for casual walkers, which explains why most ascents start from the east. I’ve been curious about alternative approaches and stumbled across a route in the Cicerone guide to Scotland’s Far …
The Fannichs are a group of remote mountains in the northwest of Scotland near Ullapool. There are nine Munros in the Fannichs, and many require a rather long (and boggy) walk in. But as this day proved, it’s totally worth it. It helped I had spectacular weather: cloud inversions, a calm breeze, balmy weather for …
Field notes from a hike up spectacular Arkle in Sutherland. With its fascinating geology and exciting ridge scramble, this is easily one of my favourite hills in Northwest Scotland! FYI: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase through one of my links, I might earn a small commission. Thanks for supporting the …
One Sunday last November 2022 we decided to seek out the remains of the American B29 Super Fortress that crashed near Strachur on 17th January 1949, just after the end of World War II. I’m not great on my history, so part of this undertaking was a learning exercise. I was born in 1979 and …
The landscape around Ben More Assynt is a great area to explore on foot as there are numerous options all around depending on the weather and what you’re in the mood for. This point to point journey took us on a section of the Cape Wrath Trail from Inchnadamph to Glen Oykel with a diversion …
Assynt is one of my favourite places in Scotland for a backpacking trip. With few people and even fewer roads, it doesn’t take long to journey on foot into some wonderfully remote and wild places. I’m grateful to live here with a lifetime ahead of me to explore Assynt on foot. This adventure took us …
Achmelvich Bay is famed for its white sand beach at the south end of the bay. It’s a superb setting, popular with tourists, with a neighbouring caravan site adding to draw. For these reasons I find it a bit ho-hum, however a short walk from this beach is a smaller more secluded beach with some …
Ben More Assynt and Conival are the only two Munros in Assynt and coincidentally, the closest Munros to our home base on the Stoer Peninsula. This there and back route from Inchnadamph is a long but enormously rewarding day out – in good weather, that is! Read on for highlights, and if you’d like a …
Just north of Ullapool in the far north of Scotland is the North West Highlands Geopark, a UNESCO status geopark comprising around 2000 square kilometres of coastline, beaches, mountains, peatland and forest. It’s my favourite part of Scotland, not just for the geology, but also for its sparse population, inherent wildness, and unique landscape of …
My birthday tradition for years has been to start and finish the day in a tent, and so this year took me to Glen Affric, often described as “the most beautiful glen in Scotland”. After this trip it was easy to see why. The glen, stretching for 30 miles from Kintail to near Cannich, is …
The West Highland Train Line is one of the most scenic rail journeys in Scotland, travelling from Glasgow to Mallaig through mountains, moorland and lochs. The line also passes through some convenient stations for point to point walks. I’ve had a few on my mind, including this trip from Fort William to Corrour Station via …
Highlights from a week in the northwest highlands…here’s my day-by-day notes from the trip where we took in some iconic hills including Suilven, Stac Pollaich, and Ben Nevis. To quote Mark, “the whole trip was a huge success – a good thing came out of every hill we climbed” – in fact a good thing …
The Cobbler (aka Ben Aurthur) is one of the most popular hills in the southern highlands and for good reason. Its distinctive “triple fang” outline is visible for miles and begs you to take a closer look. From afar it looks intimidating, but a clear path makes the journey relatively straightforward. And if you dig …
I have a birthday tradition that involves starting and finishing the day in the outdoors (usually in a tent!) and 2022 was no exception. This year’s birthday getaway took me to the Cairngorms for a 3-night backpacking trip through the Grampian Glens with Mark and Lucky. The trip was inspired by Route 14 in Graham …
This was a weekend of many firsts, not least of which was our first time around this epic circuit in Glencoe via Bidean Nam Bian, the highest summit in our home county of Argyll (it still feels amazing that I get to call Scotland my “home” – I don’t think that will ever get old!). …
In this post I’m sharing highlights from a Summer Solstice two-nighter near Fort William that we took on 20-22 June 2022 (how cool is that date?). The original plan was to find a wild camp, but I was inspired by the “Overnight at Staoineag Bothy” route in Scottish Bothy Walks, which I’ve had on …
A few scenes from a walk on a perfectly clear day up Beinn a’Chochuill and Beinn Eunaich, two Munros east of Loch Etive in Argyll and Bute. We were lucky to have such good weather and enjoyed sensational views for miles, all the way to the Cuillins on Skye, the Paps of Jura, and Ben …
Highlights from a January overnight stay a Achnanclach Bothy in the farthest reaches of Northern Scotland with my #bothybuddies, Jane and Jimmy (J2). Scotland in winter may seem like a daunting prospect: it’s cold, it’s dark, and unless you have winter mountaineering skills, walking options can be limited. Still, winter has become one of my …
This trip report covers a walk up Creag Rainach via Loch a’ Bhraoin and the associated Lochivraon bothy originally taken on 11 July 2021. For you hill baggers, Creag Rainach is a Corbett at 870m, and like many Corbetts, is very remote and requires an off piste slog to get to the top. The reward …
I’ve been really lucky over the last few years to not only take a few stupendous trips to Scotland, but to also have the pleasure of staying at Pinewood Steading, a dog-friendly self-catering cottage near Loch Ness. I’ve known the owners Jane and James Slaughter for years, so I may be a little biased, but I …
This trip report details a summer wild camping trip to Shenavall Bothy with a climb up Ruadh Stac Mor, considered one of the most remote Munros in Scotland. The Munro is located in the Fisherfield Forest, known as the “Great Wilderness” as the area is wonderfully devoid of any settlements. Ambitious folks take on not …
For insane mountain views and idyllic wild camping, head to Assynt in the Scottish Highlands and plunk yourself in the middle of Glencanisp Forest between Suilven and Canisp, two exquisite mountains with totally different personalities. I recommend a two nighter for this one. The two mountains are a challenge but doable in a day. Or …
This Loch Glass walk follows straightforward tracks, taking in a lesser appreciated side of Ben Wyvis. Starting point: Free parking at the start of the walk or further along the road at Eileanach Lodge. Distance: 7.8 miles (12.5km). Height gain: 350 meters (1140 feet). Time: ~5 hours. OS Map: Explorer OL437. See route summary and …
This trip report includes notes and photos from a winter ascent of Bac an Eich (849m), a Corbett above Strathconon in the Scottish Highlands. For a detailed route description, see the Walkhighlands website. I’ve come to Scotland for a January escape. Scotland may not the most obvious place for a winter holiday – the daylight …
