Hillwalking in Scotland and Munro bagging

Bagging a Munro or a Corbett in Wester Ross, the Cairngorm National Park and Sutherland does not have to involve roughing it in a tent. For you can have the best of both worlds – a first class hill walk and all the comforts of home.

Book with Gael Holiday Homes, Scotland’s self catering specialists, and you can be assured of ready access to a host of hillwalking options and superior accommodation in some of the country’s most stunning landscapes.

We have worked hard to assemble a portfolio of properties in locations that are perfectly suited to the keen hillwalker and that can act as base camps for optimising your time in the Scottish mountains. All our providers are well used to catering for the hillwalking market and offer some of the unexpected touches that are only thought of by people with a deep and enduring love for the great outdoors. And by operating all year round, it’s easy to find exactly the kind of accommodation you wish no matter the season.

All our properties are well equipped, so there won’t be unnecessary niggles that get in the way of enjoying the likes of Ben Nevis, the Cairn Gorms and the legion of other peaks that fall within either the Munro or Corbett mountain classification scheme, lists of peaks drawn up by pioneer hillwalkers, Sir Hugh Munro in 1891 and John Rooke Corbett in the 1920s.

At the last count there were 284 peaks qualifying as Munros, i.e. mountains in the Scottish Highlands that are over 3,000 feet (914 metres) and a further 227 Munro tops.

Corbetts, meanwhile, are regarded as peaks that are between 2,500 and 3,000 feet high (762 metres and 914 metres). In total there are 221 Corbetts and a further 449 Corbetts tops.

Whatever your level of expertise in the mountains, there will be no shortage of choice or route to match your ability and fitness levels.

It should be noted that the Scottish weather, regardless of season, is highly changeable. Even in summer the Scottish mountains and hills should not be regarded lightly. The saying, “Four seasons in a day,” can be exactly that when you are out on the exposed hillside.

Wind, driving rain and freezing temperatures on the summit, even in a relatively mild summer, can make for dangerous climbing conditions. For this reason anyone setting out should be properly prepared, equipped and carry survival gear in case of accidents. Obtaining a local weather forecast before you strike out and leaving a note of your intended route and return time are highly recommended precautions as well.

Doing all you can to ensure your safety means you can enjoy the best of what Scotland has to offer the hillwalker and climber. After all, you want to remember your trip to the Scottish Highlands for all the right reasons.

Ticking off summits, then, could not be easier, at least, from the point of view of securing a top-notch place to stay. The rest, as they say, is up to you.

Information & Travel