Scotland's great trails

Follows the old Highland Railway line from Forres to Grantown-on-Spey over Dava Moor. Short, gentle and a natural link between the Moray Coast Trail and the Speyside Way. 2 days, 38 km (24 mi), 450 m of cumulative ascent; a waymarked route best tackled best north-to-south — a friendly short trail.

Dramatic cliff-top walking along the Berwickshire coast with sea stacks, harbour villages and nesting seabirds. Connects to the Southern Upland Way at Cockburnspath. Best walked best north-to-south over 2 days. The full route covers 48 km (30 mi) with 1,100 m of climbing — a manageable mid-distance route.

Traverses the Isle of Bute from south to north through beaches, Victorian architecture and gentle hill paths. CalMac ferry from Wemyss Bay makes it one of the most accessible island walks in Scotland. Around 48 km (30 mi) point-to-point and 800 m up; allow 3 days. Signed throughout.

A short, accessible route connecting Loch Lomond, the Gareloch and Loch Long. Forest paths, loch shores and hill passes within easy reach of Glasgow. The route uses lochside paths, forestry roads and one substantial hill crossing; suits Glasgow-based walkers wanting a short weekend trail with rail access at both ends.

Coastal walking along Scotland's southernmost coastline to the Mull of Galloway lighthouse. Gentle terrain, warm climate (by Scottish standards) and a genuine sense of remoteness in Dumfries and Galloway. 3 days, 56 km (35 mi), 900 m of cumulative ascent; a waymarked route best tackled best east-to-west — a friendly short trail.

Follows the River Clyde from the centre of Glasgow upstream to the UNESCO World Heritage Site of New Lanark and the Falls of Clyde. Urban, suburban and then genuinely rural. Best walked in either direction over 3 days. The full route covers 65 km (40 mi) with 600 m of climbing — a friendly short trail.

Follows the River Ayr from its source in the Ayrshire uplands to the coast at Ayr. A gentle riverside walk through farming country and Ayrshire towns. 3 days, 66 km (41 mi), 500 m of cumulative ascent; a waymarked route best tackled best east-to-west — a friendly short trail.

Connects Loch Ness to the west coast through Glen Affric, widely considered the most beautiful glen in Scotland. Remote, wild and deeply rewarding. Combines forest tracks, glen paths and a remote mountain pass into one of Scotland's most beautiful through-routes; well-suited to experienced hillwalkers happy with one wild-camp or hostel night in the middle.

Follows the Moray Firth coast from Forres to Cullen past fishing villages, dramatic cliffs, dolphins and long sandy beaches. The sunniest and driest walking in Scotland. Best walked best west-to-east with the prevailing weather behind you over 5 days. The full route covers 80 km (50 mi) with 1,100 m of climbing — an accessible introduction to long-distance walking.

Follows ancient cattle-droving routes through the heart of the Scottish Borders hill country. Rolling moorland, hidden valleys and a genuine sense of stepping back in time. Best walked best south-to-north over 4 days. The full route covers 84 km (52 mi) with 2,000 m of climbing — a manageable mid-distance route.

Follows a disused railway line from Aberdeen to Fraserburgh and Peterhead. Flat, easy and perfect for cycling as well as walking. The gentlest long-distance route in Scotland. Stretches 85 km (53 mi) and around 400 m of climbing; most parties take 3 days walking best south-to-north — a friendly short trail.

Traverses the Cowal Peninsula from Loch Fyne to Loch Lomond through quiet forests, coastal stretches and hill passes. One of the least-walked Great Trails. 5 days, 92 km (57 mi), 2,800 m of cumulative ascent; a waymarked route best tackled best south-to-north — a manageable mid-distance route.

Traces the life of St Cuthbert from Melrose Abbey across the Scottish Borders and into Northumberland, finishing at the tidal island of Lindisfarne. A cross-border pilgrimage route. 5 days, 100 km (62 mi), 1,900 m of cumulative ascent; a waymarked route best tackled best west-to-east with the prevailing weather behind you — an accessible introduction to long-distance walking.

A circular route through the rolling Perthshire countryside following ancient cattle-droving paths used by the Caterans — Highland raiders. Gentle hills, farmland and forests. Best walked in either direction over 5 days. The full route covers 103 km (64 mi) with 2,100 m of climbing — a manageable mid-distance route.

Follows the River Spey from the Moray Firth coast into the Cairngorms, passing through the heart of Scotch whisky country. Best walked best north-to-south over 5 days. The full route covers 105 km (65 mi) with 1,100 m of climbing — an accessible introduction to long-distance walking.

A circular route around the entire coast of Arran — Scotland in miniature. Highland peaks in the north, gentle farmland in the south, beaches, castles and a distillery. Around 105 km (65 mi) point-to-point and 2,400 m up; allow 6 days. Signed throughout.

A circular route linking the four great medieval abbeys of the Scottish Borders — Kelso, Jedburgh, Melrose and Dryburgh — through gentle Tweeddale farmland and riverside paths. 5 days, 105 km (65 mi), 1,500 m of cumulative ascent; a waymarked route best tackled in either direction — an accessible introduction to long-distance walking.

An unofficial route through the wildest landscape in mainland Britain. Passes Suilven, Canisp, Ben More Assynt and the limestone karst of Knockan Crag. No waymarks, no crowds, no safety net. Around 112 km (70 mi) point-to-point and 3,200 m up; allow 6 days. Mostly unwaymarked.

Links Drymen (start of the West Highland Way) with Pitlochry, crossing the heart of the Trossachs and the southern Highlands via Aberfoyle and Callander. Best walked best west-to-east with the prevailing weather behind you over 6 days. The full route covers 124 km (77 mi) with 2,500 m of climbing — a manageable mid-distance route.

Low-level coast-to-coast walk along the Great Glen, linking Fort William with Inverness via the shores of Loch Lochy, Loch Oich and Loch Ness. The terrain is gentle throughout — towpaths, forest tracks and the occasional high-level alternative — and it suits walkers stepping up from short multi-day routes to a full week on the trail.

An unofficial trail traversing the Isle of Skye from its northernmost tip to Broadford. Passes the Quiraing, Trotternish Ridge, and the Cuillin foothills through some of the most dramatic landscape in Britain. Stretches 128 km (80 mi) and around 4,500 m of climbing; most parties take 7 days walking best north-to-south — a committing multi-day route.

Links Fort William to Aviemore through the heart of the Highlands via the Great Glen, Laggan and the Monadhliath foothills. The natural eastward continuation of the West Highland Way. 6 days, 131 km (81 mi), 2,500 m of cumulative ascent; a waymarked route best tackled best west-to-east with the prevailing weather behind you — a manageable mid-distance route.

Scotland's most famous long-distance trail and the busiest in the UK. Runs from a northern Glasgow suburb to Fort William under the shadow of Ben Nevis, via Loch Lomond, Glen Coe and Rannoch Moor. Best walked best south-to-north over 7 days. The full route covers 154 km (96 mi) with 3,200 m of climbing — a sustained week-plus walk.

Follows the length of the Kintyre peninsula from Tarbert to Machrihanish. Coastal walking, forest tracks, remote moorland and the famous Mull of Kintyre. Stretches 161 km (100 mi) and around 3,500 m of climbing; most parties take 7 days walking best north-to-south — a sustained week-plus walk.

Follows the entire Ayrshire coast from the Galloway border to Skelmorlie, passing Culzean Castle, Burns country, Troon links and Arran views. Gentle, accessible and steeped in history. Best walked best south-to-north over 7 days. The full route covers 161 km (100 mi) with 1,800 m of climbing — an accessible introduction to long-distance walking.

Follows the Fife coastline from the Forth Bridges around the East Neuk to the Tay Estuary. Gentle, coastal and refreshingly people-friendly. The terrain is gentle and almost entirely coastal — beaches, harbour walls, cliff paths and the occasional dune crossing — and it suits gentle multi-day walking with a strong food and history theme.

Coast-to-coast route across central Scotland named for John Muir, running from Helensburgh on the Clyde to Dunbar (Muir Stretches 215 km (134 mi) and around 2,000 m of climbing; most parties take 10 days walking best west-to-east with the prevailing weather behind you — an accessible introduction to long-distance walking.'s birthplace) on the East Lothian coast.

Scotland's only coast-to-coast long-distance trail, crossing the Southern Uplands from the Rhinns of Galloway to Cockburnspath on the Berwickshire coast. Best walked best west-to-east with the prevailing weather behind you over 14 days. The full route covers 341 km (212 mi) with 9,200 m of climbing — a committing multi-day route.

Unofficial but legendary route from Fort William to Cape Wrath, the north-westernmost point on the British mainland. One of the toughest long-distance walks in Europe. 18 days, 370 km (230 mi), 12,000 m of cumulative ascent; a unwaymarked route best tackled best south-to-north — a serious wilderness undertaking.