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To hike or not to hike in Scotland? That is the question. Whether these are the best hikes in Scotland may up for debate, but not the quality of views on offer from each of these incredible mountains.

This is a very personal (and completely aspirational) list of the “best hikes” in the Scottish Highlands. Although I grew up in Dublin and have relatives in Edinburgh, I’ve never been to Scotland, a life-long blunder I hope to rectify soon.

This is my own research list of the best hikes in Scotland.

The process for building this list was simple: any time I noticed an amazing-looking Scottish Highland hike online, I added its location to my Google Maps master list. That’s it.

Over time, I ended up with 46 of the best hikes in Scotland to think about doing some day.

Of course, this list is not comprehensive. I’m sure I’ve missed many classic Scottish day-hikes. But what a selection of amazing hikes to choose from!

These Scottish Highland hikes all look incredible to me. They trend highly scenic, and several are quite rugged to boot.

Table of Contents

What are the Scottish Munros?

Just like the Catskill 3500 and Adirondack 46er challenges in New York State, Scotland has its own list of high peaks that “hillwalkers” push themselves to complete: The Munros.

Named after Scottish mountaineer Sir Hugh Munro (who published the list in 1891) the current list of Munros contains 282 peaks above 3,000 feet.

At the start of 2022, roughly 7,100 people had completed the list, including 82-year-old Nick Gardner (a local) and a handful of Americans like Peter Chingos.

The most famous Munro is Ben Nevis, the highest mountain in the British Isles. Many of the peaks listed below are Munros.

For Munros outside of Scotland but still within the British Isles, consult these lists of English, Welsh and Irish furth munros.

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Scottish Mountain Regions

This list of the best hikes in Scotland covers the Northwestern Highlands, the Isle of Skye, Glencoe, and the Grampian Mountains.

Rab-k, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Scottish Highland Mountain Terrain

The character of mountains in the UK and Ireland is very different from the mountains of the northeastern USA where I hike, and where trees dominate the landscape.

In the Catskills, most of the summits are completely treed-in and wide-open views are hard to come by. Hiking the Adirondacks often means long hikes to the base of a mountain before climbing through several layers of forest to get above treeline and, finally, into open alpine terrain.

In Scotland, the treeline is typically found around 1,600 feet (500 meters). The mountains of Scotland are generally bare and grassy — which affords incredible wide-open views for the majority of hikes.

Used to hiking the northeastern USA? You’ll find the Scottish highlands relatively easy-going. But there are also exceptionally rugged locations, and several mountains require technical skills to summit. Always research your hike.

The Best Hikes in Scotland

All mountains listed below include exceptional beauty. You will not be disappointed by any of these locations.

Scotland is renowned for multi-day through hikes. There are many incredible trails and routes through glens and valleys, and over mountains. This list focuses on day-hikes.

Bookmark this page now and check back later for the most up-to-date version. Your future self will thank you.

I hope you find this list of the best hikes in Scotland to be very useful in your own research and planning. Happy hillwalking!

Northwest Highlands

Paul Hermans, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Suilven

pillar mountain — location for Edie (movie)
731 m (2,398 ft)
walkhighlands.co.uk/ullapool/suilven.shtml

Cùl Mòr

849 m (2,785 ft)
walkhighlands.co.uk/ullapool/culmor.shtml

Stac Pollaidh

the pinnacle of the pool river
612 m (2,008 ft)
walkhighlands.co.uk/ullapool/stacpollaidh.shtml

Ruadh Stac Mor

great red stack
remotest munro
919 m (3,015 ft)
walkhighlands.co.uk/munros/ruadh-stac-mor

Sgùrr Mòr (Fannichs)

big peak
1,109 m (3,638 ft)
walkhighlands.co.uk/ullapool/fannichs.shtml

Sgurr Breac

999 m (3,278 ft)
walkhighlands.co.uk/munros/sgurr-breac

Beinn Eighe

file mountain
1,010 m (3,310 ft)
walkhighlands.co.uk/torridon/Beinneighe.shtml

Spidean Coire nan Clach

972 m (3189 ft)
walkhighlands.co.uk/munros/spidean-coire-nan-clach-beinn-eighe

Beinn Liath Mhòr

big grey hill
926 m (3,038 ft)
walkhighlands.co.uk/torridon/Beinnliathmhor.shtml

Mick Knapton at the English-language Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Sgorr Ruadh

the red peak
962 m (3,156 ft)
walkhighlands.co.uk/munros/sgorr-ruadh

Maol Cheann-dearg

red-headed brow
933 m (3,061 ft)
walkhighlands.co.uk/munros/maol-chean-dearg

Forcan Ridge / The Saddle

a classic Scottish mountain expedition
widely regarded as one of the finest mountains in Scotland
1,011.4 m (3,318 ft)
walkhighlands.co.uk/kintail/Thesaddle.shtml

Sgùrr na Sgine

peak of the knife
946 m (3,104 ft)
walkhighlands.co.uk/munros/sgurr-na-sgine

Aonach air Chrith

highest peak on a long ridge of seven Munros
1,020 m (3,350 ft)
walkhighlands.co.uk/munros/aonach-air-chrith

Sgùrr na Cìche

rocky peak of the breast
wettest location in the United Kingdom
1,040 m (3,410 ft)
walkhighlands.co.uk/munros/sgurr-na-ciche

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The Hebrides: Isle of Skye

“Skye’s Black Cuillin, composed of basalt and rough gabbro, is generally regarded as the most serious mountain terrain in Britain with bare rock, jagged in outline and steep cliffs and deep cut corries. Ropes are required for some summits and the area is host to the only Munro necessitating climbing apparatus, the In Pinn” [Source WikiPedia]

Trotternish Ridge

“One of the finest ridge traverses in Britain. Spectacular views throughout.”
walkhighlands.co.uk/skye/trotternishridge.shtml

The Storr

719 m (2,359 ft)
walkhighlands.co.uk/skye/thestorr.shtml

Sgùrr nan Gillean

peak of the young men
966.1 m (3,170 ft)
walkhighlands.co.uk/skye/sgurrnangillean.shtml

Bruach na Frìthe

slope of the deer forest
958 m (3,143 ft)
walkhighlands.co.uk/skye/bruachnafrithe.shtml

Sgùrr Dearg & The Inaccessible Pinnacle

red rocky peak & the “in pinn”
985.8 m (3,234 ft)
walkhighlands.co.uk/skye/innpinn.shtml

Sgùrr Alasdair

alexander’s peak
992 m (3,255 ft)
walkhighlands.co.uk/skye/sgurralasdair.shtml

Sgurr na Stri

the peak of strife
494 m (1,621 ft)
walkhighlands.co.uk/skye/sgurrnastri.shtml

Glencoe Area

Technically, the mountains around Glen Coe are part of the Grampian Mountains — see below — but this wonderfully scenic area deserves special mention because it’s regarded as the home of Scottish mountaineering.

Glen Coe is massively popular with both hillwalkers and climbers. It’s one of the most beautiful and scenic places in Scotland. A drive through the glen on the main A82 road is “one of the classic Highland journeys” [NatureScot].

The Aonach Eagach

large mountain ridge made up of Sgùrr nam Fiannaidh and Meall Dearg
includes horizontal scrambling and steep grassy slopes
walkhighlands.co.uk/fortwilliam/aonacheagach.shtml

Beinn a’ Bheithir: wfmillar / Loch Leven

Beinn a’Bheithir (Sgorr Dhearg & Sgorr Dhonuill)

horseshoe-shaped mountain with two Munro summits
1,024 m (3,360 ft)
walkhighlands.co.uk/munros/sgorr-dhonuill-beinn-a-bheithir

Bidean Nam Bian

peak of the mountains
1,150 m (3,770 ft)
walkhighlands.co.uk/fortwilliam/bideannambian.shtml

Stob Coire Sgreamhach

peak of the dreadful corrie
1,072 m (3,517 ft)
walkhighlands.co.uk/munros/stob-coire-sgreamhach

Buachaille Etive Beag

little herdsman of Etive
958 m (3,143 ft)
walkhighlands.co.uk/munros/stob-coire-raineach-buachaille-etive-beag

Buachaille Etive Mòr

great herdsman of Etive
1,021.4 m (3,351 ft)
walkhighlands.co.uk/fortwilliam/buachailleetivemor.shtml

Stob a’Choire Odhair

peak of the dun-coloured corrie
945 m (3,100 ft)

Stob Ghabhar

goats’ peak
usually climbed with Stob a’Choire Odhair (above)
1,090 m (3,580 ft)
walkhighlands.co.uk/argyll/stob-ghabhar.shtml

Grampian Mountains

The Grampians occupy roughly half the land of Scotland and includes the Cairngorms, the two highest mountains in the UK — Ben Nevis and Ben Macdui — as well as some of the highest plateaux in the world.

Sgòr Gaoith

windy peak
1,118 m (3,668 ft)
walkhighlands.co.uk/munros/sgor-gaoith

Ben Vrackie

841 m (2,759 ft)
walkhighlands.co.uk/perthshire/ben-vrackie.shtml

Creag Meagaidh Range

a complex mountain: flat summit plateau with five ridges spreading out
1,130 m (3,710 ft)
walkhighlands.co.uk/fortwilliam/creagmeagaidh.shtml

Aonach Mòr

big ridge
4,006 ft (1,221 m)
walkhighlands.co.uk/munros/aonach-mor

Aonach Beag

small ridge
1,234 m (4,049 ft)
walkhighlands.co.uk/munros/aonach-beag-nevis-range

Ben Nevis

cloudy mountain (perhaps)
highest peak in the British Isles
1,345 m (4,413 ft)
walkhighlands.co.uk/fortwilliam/bennevis.shtml

Ring of Steall

excellent hillwalking route over four Munros (includes the devil’s ridge)
Sgurr a’ Mhaim / Am Bodach / Stob Coire a’ Chairn / An Gearanach

Ben Lawers

mountain of the loud stream
highest mountain in the Breadalbane region
exceptional selection of arctic-alpine plant species and habitats
highest peak of the ‘Ben Lawers group’, a ridge that includes six other Munros
1,214 m (3,983 ft)
walkhighlands.co.uk/perthshire/ben-lawers.shtml

Ben Vorlich, Loch Lomond

943 m (3,094 ft)
walkhighlands.co.uk/munros/ben-vorlich-loch-lomond

Ben Vane

middle mountain915 m (3,002 ft)
walkhighlands.co.uk/lochlomond/ben-vane.shtml

I, Grinner, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Beinn an Lochain

not a true Munro but it’s on the list and is a beautiful mountain
901 m (2,956 ft)
walkhighlands.co.uk/lochlomond/beinn-an-lochain.shtml

Beinn Narnain

hill of notches
926 m (3,038 ft)
walkhighlands.co.uk/munros/beinn-narnain

The Cobbler

very rugged and climby
one of the best-known mountains in Scotland
884 m (2,900 ft)
walkhighlands.co.uk/corbetts/the-cobbler

Disclaimers

This list is not comprehensive. This list is not based on my personal knowledge of Scottish mountains. This is my own research/wish list. Treat all information in this post as preliminary fact-finding — that’s what it is for me.

Before hiking any mountain anywhere, always research locations, trailheads and routes, as well as any necessary gear and skills necessary to hike safely.

When I do finally go “hillwalking” Scotland, this list is my jumping off point for much deeper research.

Several Scottish mountains have very similar names. A few have identical names. I’ve been as careful as I can to provide accurate links above.

Familiar with hillwalking in Scotland and feel I’ve missed an amazing location? LMK in the comments below and I’ll update this page! Thank you!

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