How to Hike the Highlands Without Putting a Foot Wrong

Just an hour-and-a-half from London Gatwick, you’ll be in the Highland capital city, Inverness. From here, pick up a hire car and head out in any direction and there are hills begging to be climbed, hidden waterfalls waiting to be discovered and all manner of adventures to be had wherever you choose to go. Northwest of Inverness is the county of Sutherland, often described as the “Last great wilderness in Europe.”

With mountains tumbling all the way down to the sea, white sandy beaches and salmon-filled rivers chasing through rocky gorges, it’s a hiker’s playground.

Of course, it’s also a challenging landscape and anyone thinking of doing some serious walking needs to be well prepared. There are several great ways to do this and you should pick the one that best suits your needs.

For total peace of mind, you can hire a mountain guide. Hamlet Mountaineering offers guided hikes, scrambles and rock climbing. You’re guaranteed a safe but challenging ramble with one of their experienced guides. Guide Ben tells a great story about climbing the mighty Suilven with a 76-year-old gentleman who shed happy tears at the summit. The mountain features in the 2017 film Edie – starring Sheila Hancock as a gruff widow in her 80s who heads out on the dream hiking trip her controlling late husband would never let her go on.

There are sites such as Walk Highlands with its encyclopedic guide to tackling Scotland on foot, used successfully for the last 15 years by a wide demographic. A newer kid on the block is the Komoot app, covering both hiking and cycling. You can plan your own “Tour”, or search existing Tours and Highlights and choose from there.

The app allows you to check forecasts for local weather conditions, which is incredibly useful when deciding whether to go up high or stay low and sheltered. Pick a planned Tour and Komoot will tell you its length and difficulty – along with the terrain it covers, so you can choose the best gear for your expedition. Remember – there is no such thing as bad weather, just the wrong equipment.

With a planned Tour you can follow your progress on the map or even choose spoken route instructions – all good news for novices. Once you’ve recorded your route and added photos, you can get bragging about your accomplishments on social media, too. If high winds are forecast, take note as there will be lower-level and more suitable hikes out there.

The Secret Waterfall Tour is one of these. It takes you up as high as you can safely go to the bealach – or mountain pass – at 1,700ft (518m) overlooking glorious Lochan Uaine. You might even long for a dram of Creag Dhu – one of Speyside’s most exciting new whiskies – to warm your insides as winds gusting up to 40mph (64kmh) knock your socks off.

There could well be some rain slapping you in the face, too – try to think of it as a free exfoliator – and don’t forget to enjoy the view towards the furthest north-west tip of the mainland before you head back down. Then, it’s onwards to find that waterfall, so well-hidden in a clump of trees you’ll almost certainly have missed it when you trampled past earlier.

It’s a fine spot to sit, sheltered from the elements while munching on roasted aubergine rolls and homemade flapjacks. Nothing beats the buzz of reaching a hiking goal and each step will feel that bit lighter on your long walk to catch a ride back to base.

At Braelangwell Lodge, you’re guaranteed an open fire crackling in the grate and a lovely hot shower, too. Slumped in a comfy sofa – with a peaty Talisker in hand perhaps – stories will be swapped while your private chef creates magic in the kitchen.

Sleep will be deep and satisfying in beds warmed by electric blankets and the snuggest of white cotton-swathed duvets. Packed up and ready to go, there may be one last treat. A wander in the grounds could bring you to a squirrel feeder and a quick glimpse of a perfect little gingery-red creature pelting away across the lawn and up a nearby birch.

Scotland seldom fails to enchant, after all.