Scotland's Best Small Mountains. Kirstie Shirra

      Bourblaige with Ben More on Mull behind

      When Sir Hugo Munro compiled a list of mountains in Scotland over 3000ft (914m), back in 1891, it’s unlikely that he would have predicted the enthusiasm that arose for climbing them all. ‘Munro-bagging’, as it’s become known, has fed that part of human nature that loves to collect, to tick off lists and to reach for an ultimate goal. In this case, climbing all 282 of the 3000ft-plus mountains, or Munros, in Scotland.

      While this offers a challenge and an opportunity to climb some of the best mountains in the world, the downside is that many of Scotland’s finest mountains are overlooked by walkers, purely because they lack a few metres in height. Yet what they lack in stature, they often more than make up for in other ways. This book champions just some of Scotland’s best smaller mountains, each of which has been selected for its character, location, views, historical significance, technical difficulty or simply its beauty. From the surreal and striking landscape of the Storr in Skye, the pagan festivals of Ben Ledi in the Trossachs, to the imposing and rugged ridges of Quinag in Sutherland, this guide is, in its own way, ‘an antidote to Munro-bagging’.

      But neither is this another guide to the Corbetts (2500ft-plus peaks) or the Grahams (2000ft-plus) in Scotland – it is a guide that shuns height altogether as a factor for climbing a mountain. People who climb mountains to tick them off a list, and then do not return, never find out more about the mountain than how to reach its summit. This guide sets out to convey some of the character of the mountain, its history, who lived there and why they left, the wildlife, the flora and the geology. It encourages you to climb a mountain many times, in different seasons, until you know it as you would an old friend.

      There is, obviously, a question mark over what a mountain actually is. In England and Wales, a mountain is defined as a landmass over 600m. This fits with other definitions that use 2000ft (610m) as their benchmark. In Scotland, however, there is no such definition and, in keeping with the spirit in which this book is written, no attempt is made to offer one, or to exclude peaks that fall below 2000ft. Few who have gone up the 528m of Ben Hiant from sea level could say it was any less of a climb than the 1245m of the mighty Cairn Gorm, which most climb from a starting point of 625m.

      Above all, this guide aims to increase the enjoyment of Scotland’s mountains. Whether you are an avid Munro-bagger (please don’t take offence), an experienced walker, or new to Scotland’s mountains, this book offers something for everyone. While it can’t do anything about Scotland’s weather or midges, it does describe opportunities to get away from it all on mountains that are far less climbed, with the potential for discovering new peaks and new places, and finding out more about the landscape you’re walking in.

      There are so many wonderful ‘smaller’ mountains in Scotland that one guide could not possibly attempt to cover them all. This is a selection of some of the best, but by no means exhaustive.

      This book divides Scotland into seven areas (see overview map), with routes in each, so that wherever you are, there will be some of Scotland’s best small mountains to explore. The routes range in length and difficulty, so you can easily choose what best suits your experience and plans. Where possible, circular routes are described, and different options are highlighted to increase your choices and make the routes even more interesting.

Walking in Scotland

      While Scotland is a relatively small country, the combination of stunning mountains and spectacular coastlines make it one of the best walking destinations in the world. Few other locations offer dramatic rocky ridges that rise up from stunning sandy beaches, and fewer still offer this and the opportunity to get away from it all completely.

      As one of the least populated areas in Europe, the Scottish Highlands are one of the last great areas of wilderness. Characterised by remote peaks reached, in some cases, only by single-track roads, or occasionally only on foot, walking in Scotland can be a splendidly secluded experience. Rough footpaths and few waymarks are more than made up for by breathtaking sea views, an eagle soaring overhead, or nothing but the sound of the wind in the trees.

      Scotland is home to two national parks – the Cairngorms National Park and the Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park – but much of northern and western Scotland is mountainous, offering many more beautiful destinations to choose from.

      Wherever you go, water is likely to be a major feature. From the coast and the sea to the many beautiful lochs, lochans, rivers and burns that make up a large part of the Scottish landscape, you are never likely to be far from water. And with many great walks on Scotland’s islands, you even have to cross the sea to reach some of these routes.

Wildlife

      Wildlife flourishes in the large areas of mountainous wilderness in Scotland. A walk in the hills could well bring you face to face with a majestic stag and other red deer or a herd of wild goats. High on a mountain plateau you could spot a mountain hare, while you’re more likely to come across red squirrels and pine martens in the more wooded slopes