Guides and Routes
The Scotland Library
From Munros and remote glens to ancient paths, wildlife and Highland history, discover our Scottish guides and hiking routes, complete with downloadable GPX files.
Not Just Loch Ness
Scotland is home to thousands of lochs, from vast inland waters and sea lochs to tiny mountain lochans hidden among the peaks. Discover the stories, history, wildlife and landscapes behind Scotland's most famous — and most overlooked — lochs.
4 guides
Loch Ness Volume: When Twenty-Three Miles Hold More Water Than Every English Lake Combined
Loch Ness contains more freshwater than all the lakes in England and Wales added together — about 7.45 cubic kilometres of it, in a glacial trench reaching roughly 230 metres deep. It's Scotland's second-largest loch by surface area but largest by volume, and its sheer size and peat-stained water make comprehensive searching difficult.
Loch Arkaig: When the Road to Nowhere Takes Fourteen Miles and the Jacobite Gold Stayed Lost
Loch Arkaig sits at the end of a single-track road that runs about fourteen miles from Achnacarry, Clan Cameron's seat, along a loch shore where gold intended for the Jacobites was hidden in 1746 and its full fate remains unresolved. The same remote glen trained commandos during World War Two and now serves as the gateway to Glen Dessarry and some of Scotland's least-visited mountains.
Loch Beoraid and Prince Charlie's Cave: When a Fugitive Needed Water and a Hiding Place in the Same Glen
Tradition says Bonnie Prince Charlie sheltered in a cave west of Loch Beoraid after Culloden. The Highland Council route from Arieniskill reaches the cave after about 1½ miles and the loch roughly half a mile later; continuing to Meoble and Loch Morar makes a demanding nine-mile return.
Loch Morar: When Britain's Deepest Freshwater Has a Monster Nobody Talks About
At 310 metres deep, Loch Morar makes Loch Ness look shallow — and it has its own monster legend, a disputed name origin, and far fewer visitors. Britain's deepest freshwater loch lies near Morar on the west coast, about 42 road miles from Fort William.
The Stories Behind Scotland’s Hill Lists
Munros, Corbetts, Grahams and Donalds are familiar names to Scottish hillwalkers, but who were the people behind them? Discover their lives, their work and how their names became part of Scotland’s mountain history.
4 guides
The Corbetts: Scotland’s 500-Foot Hill Climbing Obsession
While the Munros get the headlines, the 222 Corbetts offer a quieter route into the Scottish hills, each meeting a clear height and 500ft drop rule.
John Rooke Corbett
The man who gave Scotland’s overlooked 2,500-foot peaks a name: the Corbetts.
The Munros: Scotland’s 3,000ft Standard
Everything you need to know about the 282 Munros—Scotland’s iconic list of 3,000ft peaks defined by strict height requirements and a century of hill-walking tradition.
Sir Hugh Munro
The story of Sir Hugh Munro and the mountain list that shaped Scottish hillwalking.
Hiking Routes in Scotland
Our Scottish hiking route guides, with practical route details and a downloadable GPX file for each walk.
Featured Scotland Hiking Routes
Four handpicked routes from across the region, each with a full hiking guide and downloadable GPX file.
4 guides
West Highland Way: Milngavie to Fort William
A complete 153.6 km GPX route from Milngavie to Fort William, following Loch Lomond, Rannoch Moor and Glen Coe with 2,766 m of ascent and no promise that the weather has read the itinerary.
An Sgùrr from Galmisdale: Eigg Route Guide
Climb Eigg’s unmistakable pitchstone summit from Galmisdale on this 9.7 km out-and-back route, combining a boggy moorland approach, a short rocky scramble and huge Small Isles views.
Buachaille Etive Mòr: Stob Dearg via Coire na Tulaich
A strenuous 7.3 km out-and-back from Altnafeadh to Stob Dearg, gaining 762 m through Coire na Tulaich. The summer route is steep and rough with a loose headwall; in winter the corrie is a notorious avalanche blackspot.
Ben Nevis via the Mountain Track
A strenuous 16.3 km out-and-back climb from Ben Nevis Visitor Centre to the UK’s highest summit, with 1,353 m of ascent and a GPX-led route guide.
Continue exploring