Scotland's Finest Lesser Known Great Walks
More wonderful trails that could be on your itinerary. You will not find the 'official' Long Distance Walks on this page. If you're looking for those, see here!
The walks below are other, lesser known walks and deserve, I think, a lot more attention! More 'discoveries' are added regularly!
A word of warning: Walking in the 'wilds' of Scotland can be tricky and sometimes outright dangerous! Do not take unnecessary risks!
The horrible tragedy on the The Aonach Eagach Ridge (5 August 2023) which involved 3 people, serves to highlight the dangers.
1 Region: Orkney Islands
St Magnus Way
Starts on the island of Egilsay, Orkney Islands.
A 90 km strenuous hillwalk (5 days). Website
Start: 5348+P8R Egilsay, Orkney Finish: X2HQ+9V4 Kirkwall
2 Region: Western Isles (Outer Hebrides)
Rhenigidale and Maraig from Urgha
A 20 km moderate to difficult hillwalk (6 hours). Website
Start & Finish: W63V+MWH Isle of Harris
3 Region: Caithness, Sutherland & Ross
Ben Klibreck and Loch Choire
A 29 km hard hillwalk (8 hours). Website
Start & Finish: 5FPQ+H4X Crask Inn, Lairg
Suilven via the Falls of Kirkaig
A 23 km very hard hillwalk (9 hours). Website
Start & Finish: 4PCX+J6X Inverkirkaig, Lairg
The Pictish Trail
A challenging 750 km (!) mixed-surface bikepacking route (no waymarking!) linking Dunnet Head with Edinburgh. The trail traverses Scotland’s ancient Pictish kingdoms, weaving between the present and the past, the mountains and the coast. The terrain is varied, with everything from quiet lanes to mellow riverside singletrack, high passes in the Cairngorms and remote gravel sections in the far northern Flow Country. There is no reason why this route can't be done on foot though......as long as you prepare for the lack of accommodation (especially in the most northern part of this trail) and bring your tent and food with you. Website
Start: MJCF+GHF Brough, Thurso Finish: WRX4+J6F Edinburgh
4 Region: Aberdeen(shire) & Moray
Beinn a' Bhuird and Ben Avon from Deeside
A 33 km very hard hillwalk (11 hours). Website
Start & Finish: 2G2R+6RR Allanaquoich, Ballater
5 Region: Dumfries & Galloway
The Awful Hand and Rhinns of Kells
A 38 km very hard hillwalk (13 hours). Website
Start & Finish: 6H73+9C9 Ayr
6 Region: England (Northumberland & Cumbria)
The Cumbria Way
A 112 km challenging low level hillwalk (6 days). Website
Start: 5WX2+2RP Ulverston Finish: V2PX+926 Carlisle
Separate GPX files can be downloaded from the above site!
The Lakeland Way
A 230 km easy to moderate hillwalk (12 days). Website
Start & Finish: 9H4R+5QR Ravenglass
Separate GPX files can be downloaded from the above site!
Coast to Coast Walk
A 319 km moderate to challenging hillwalk (16 days). Website
Start: F9RR+RHF Saint Bees Finish: CFJ9+43J Whitby
St Oswald's Way
A 156 km moderate to sometimes challenging coastal- and hillwalk (6 days). Website
Start: M693+M6R Berwick-upon-Tweed Finish: 2V9X+JM Wall, Hexham
Separate GPX files can be downloaded from the above site!
Ravenber Way
A 338 km challenging hillwalk (14 days). Website
Start: 9H2W+682 Ravenglass Finish: Q283+WPX Berwick-upon-Tweed
Northumberland Coast Path
A 100 km easy coastal walk (6 days). Website
Start: 6FP5+5VF Cresswell, Morpeth Finish: QX8Q+PRW Berwick-upon-Tweed