Winter walking in Scotland
| country: | Scotland |
| location: | Cairngorms, Scottish Highlands |
| trip type: | Strenuous walking holidays |
| departures: | 2010: 20 Jan, 27 Jan, 3 Feb, 10 Feb, 17 Feb, 24 Feb, 17 Mar |
| price: | From £495 (5 days) excluding flights, starting/finishing in Edinburgh. |
| vouchers: | Gift vouchers can be used with this holiday |
the amazing things you'll be doing
With three fantastic mountain areas to choose from, our winter walking holidays offer the outdoor enthusiast the perfect break. Whether you are new to winter walking, or an old hand who enjoys taking advantage of an experienced guide's local knowledge, these breaks will give you a taste of Scottish winter walking at its best.
With all three trips, the first morning on the hill will be spent teaching ice axe and crampon use before continuing up a mountain. Accommodation varies from 4-star small hotels to Highland Lodges to snow-holes & private bunkhouses, depending on the trip. Ice axe and crampon hire available.
The Cairngorms & Creag Meagaidh, £495 (5 days).
Departs 2010: 27 Jan, 17 Feb & 17 Mar.
The high plateau of the Cairngorms is an almost arctic environment and this is especially so when in the grip of winter. Snow hares and winter ptarmigan are dressed in white - winter hill-goers tend to be a bit more colourful though! Based at a friendly 4-star guest house located in a sleepy Highland village, we enjoy four days exploring the winter mountains, while learning the basic skills required to travel safely in the mountains in winter, under the supervision of our highly experienced and qualified guide.
The Knoydart Peninsula, £495 (5 days).
Departs 2010: 20 Jan & 10 Feb.
A trip to the remote and isolated Knoydart peninsula in winter is an unforgettable experience. The remoteness of the peninsula means that we rarely see other walkers at this time of year. The opportunity to climb Ladhar Bheinn - Scotland's most remote and prized Munro - in winter is a must for keen hill-walkers and is something you can reflect on at the end of the day, while enjoying a pint in Scotland's most remote pub!
With all three trips, the first morning on the hill will be spent teaching ice axe and crampon use before continuing up a mountain. Accommodation varies from 4-star small hotels to Highland Lodges to snow-holes & private bunkhouses, depending on the trip. Ice axe and crampon hire available.
The Cairngorms & Creag Meagaidh, £495 (5 days).
Departs 2010: 27 Jan, 17 Feb & 17 Mar.
The high plateau of the Cairngorms is an almost arctic environment and this is especially so when in the grip of winter. Snow hares and winter ptarmigan are dressed in white - winter hill-goers tend to be a bit more colourful though! Based at a friendly 4-star guest house located in a sleepy Highland village, we enjoy four days exploring the winter mountains, while learning the basic skills required to travel safely in the mountains in winter, under the supervision of our highly experienced and qualified guide.
The Knoydart Peninsula, £495 (5 days).
Departs 2010: 20 Jan & 10 Feb.
A trip to the remote and isolated Knoydart peninsula in winter is an unforgettable experience. The remoteness of the peninsula means that we rarely see other walkers at this time of year. The opportunity to climb Ladhar Bheinn - Scotland's most remote and prized Munro - in winter is a must for keen hill-walkers and is something you can reflect on at the end of the day, while enjoying a pint in Scotland's most remote pub!
lower carbon travel
All of our trips start and finish at or close to railway stations, as this makes it much easier for our clients to travel to the Highlands by rail. We encourage travel by train or bus in all of our joining instructions that we send to clients, and also have a section on our website which includes links to train timetables and booking services to make it easier for clients to choose to travel by rail. highly commended
This tourism business was Highly Commended in our 2009 Virgin Holidays Responsible Tourism Awards - organised by responsibletravel.com in association with The Daily Telegraph, World Travel Market and Geographical Magazine, of the Royal Geographical Society. Since 2004, the Awards has recognised individuals, companies and organisations in travel making a big commitment to the culture and economies of local communities and helping to conserve biodiversity.
how this holiday makes a difference
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Despite its beauty, the Highlands and Islands is one of the least affluent regions of Scotland. By bringing the benefits of tourism to this area and using local services and produce, we help to support local businesses, create employment and contribute to the overall sustainable development of the region. In particular, our trips to Knoydart bring valuable income to a remote and isolated community of just 60 people, helping it to grow and become more sustainable.
The region of Kintail relies on tourism to support its scattering of small communities. With the number of visitors tailing off drastically between November and April, many small businesses are forced to close over the winter. Our winter trips help to bring business to these areas during such quiet spells and help make tourism a more viable year-round option for otherwise struggling local businesses. All of our Scotland-based trips start at railway stations to encourage travel by rail to Scotland. |
Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people. We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel. 'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left). We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've led the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays. We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism. This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards. |