Sports and Outdoor activities in Scotland

Walking and climbing

The whole of Scotland offers superb opportunities for walking, with some of the finest areas in the ownership of bodies such as the National Trust for Scotland (NTS) and the John Muir Trust (http://johnmuirtrust.org); both permit year-round access. Bear in mind, though, that restrictions may be in place during lambing and deerstalking seasons. See www.outdooraccess-scotland.scot for information about hiking safely during the stalking season. In addition, the green signposts of the Scottish Rights of Way Society point to established paths and routes all over the country.

There are several long-distance footpaths, such as the well-known West Highland Way , which take between three and seven days to walk, and the Hebridean Way, a spectacular 156-mile tramp through the Western Isles – though you can, of course, just hike a section of any of them. Paths are generally well signposted and well supported, with a range of services from bunkhouses to baggage-carrying services.

In most cases, excellent and reliable maps are Ordnance Survey (OS) series maps, which can usually be purchased at local tourist offices, where other local maps, safety tips and guidebooks/brochures are also available, along with outdoor stores.

For relatively gentle walking in the company of knowledgeable locals, look out for guided walks offered by rangers at many National Trust for Scotland, Forestry Commission and Scottish Natural Heritage sites. These often focus on local wildlife, and the best can lead to some special sightings, such as a badger’s sett or a golden eagle’s eyrie.

Walking information

• www.outdooraccess-scotland.scot All you need to know about the Scottish Outdoor Access Code, plus daily information for hill walkers about deerstalking activities (July–Oct).
• http://visitscotland.com/things-to-do/outdoor-activities/walking Official site from VisitScotland, with good lists of operators, information on long-distance footpaths, and details of deerstalking restrictions and contact phone numbers.

Walking clubs and associations

• Mountain Bothies Association http://mountainbothies.org.uk. Charity dedicated to maintaining huts and shelters in the Scottish Highlands.
• Mountaineering Council of Scotland http://mountaineering.scot. The representative body for all mountain activities, with detailed information on access and conservation issues.
• Ramblers Association Scotland http://ramblers.org.uk/scotland. Campaigning organization with network of local groups, and news on events and issues.
• Scottish Mountaineering Club http://smc.org.uk. The largest mountaineering club in the country. A well-respected organization which publishes a popular series of mountain guidebooks.

Walking tour operators

• Activity Scotland http://activityscotland.com. Highly experienced Perthshire-based operator providing a wide range of adventures and activities, from horse riding and abseiling to kayaking and biking.
• G2 Outdoor http://g2outdoor.co.uk. Personable, highly qualified adventure specialists offering gorge scrambling, hillwalking, rock climbing, canoeing and telemark skiing in the Cairngorms.
• Glenmore Lodge http://glenmorelodge.org.uk. Based within the Cairngorm National Park, and internationally recognized as a leader in outdoor skills and leadership training.
• Hebridean Pursuits http://hebrideanpursuits.org. Offers hillwalking and rock climbing in the Hebrides and West Highlands, as well as surf-kayaking and sailing trips.
• Nae Limits http://naelimits.co.uk. This excellent Perthshire-based operator offers everything from wet ‘n’ wild rafting to bug canyoning and cliff jumping.
• North-West Frontiers http://nwfrontiers.com. Based in Ullapool, offering guided mountain trips with small groups in the northwest Highlands, Hebrides and even the Shetland Islands.
• Vertical Descents http://verticaldescents.com. Ideally located for the Glencoe and Fort William area. Activities and courses include canyoning, ‘funyakking’ (a type of rafting) and climbing.
• Walkabout Scotland http://walkaboutscotland.com. A great way to get a taste of hiking in Scotland, from exploring Ben Lomond to the Isle of Arran. Guided day and weekend walking trips from Edinburgh with all transport included.
• Wilderness Scotland http://wildernessscotland.com. Guided, self-guided and customized adventure holidays that focus on exploring the remote and unspoiled parts of Scotland by foot, bike, sea-kayak, yacht and even on skis.

Winter sports

Skiing and snowboarding take place at five different locations in Scotland – Glen Coe, the Nevis Range beside Fort William, Glenshee, the Lecht and the Cairngorms near Aviemore. The resorts can go for months on end through the winter with insufficient snow, then see the approach roads suddenly made impassable by a glut of the stuff. When the conditions are good, Scotland’s ski resorts have piste and off-piste areas that will challenge even the most accomplished alpine or cross-country skier.

Expect to pay around £35 for a standard day-pass at one of the resorts, around £25 for a half-day pass (usually available from noon) or around £110 for a four-day pass; rental of skis or snowboard comes in at around £30 per day, with reductions for multi-day rentals. At weekends, in good weather with decent snow, expect the slopes to be packed with trippers from the central belt, although midweek usually sees queues dissolving. For a comprehensive rundown of all the resorts, including ticket prices and conditions, visit http://visitscotland.com/things-to-do/outdoor-activities/skiing-snowsports.

Cross-country skiing (along with the related telemark or Nordic skiing) is becoming increasingly popular in the hills around Braemar near Glenshee and the Cairngorms. The best way to get started or to find out about good routes is to contact an outdoor pursuits company that offers telemark or Nordic rental and instruction; in the Aviemore area try G2 Outdoor . Also check out the Huntly Nordic and Outdoor Centre in Huntly, Aberdeenshire.

Pony trekking and horse riding

There are approximately sixty pony-trekking or riding centres across the country, most approved by either the Trekking and Riding Society of Scotland (TRSS); or the British Horse Society (BHS; http://bhs.org.uk). As a rule, any centre will offer the option of pony trekking, hacking and trail riding. In addition, a network of special horse-and-rider B&Bs means you can ride independently on your own horse. The Buccleuch Country Ride, a three- to four-day, 57-mile-long route using private tracks, open country and quiet bridleways was the first route of its kind to be opened in Scotland. For more information about this, and the B&B network for riders, contact the Scottish Borders Tourist Board, or visit http://southofscotlandcountrysidetrails.co.uk/buccleuch.php, where you’ll find a link to an OS-based route map.

Cycling and mountain biking

Cycle touring is a great way to see some of the remoter parts of Scotland and navigate city streets (especially in Edinburgh). You’ll find bike shops in towns but few dedicated cycle lanes. In the countryside it can be tricky finding spare parts unless you are near one of Scotland’s purpose-built mountain-bike trail centers.

Scotland is now regarded as one of the world’s top destinations for off-road mountain biking. The Forestry Commission has established more than 1150 miles of excellent off-road routes. These are detailed in numerous ‘Cycling in the Forest’ leaflets, available from the Commission’s Forest Enterprise offices. Alternatively, get hold of the Scottish Mountain Biking Guide from tourist information centers. Some of the tougher routes are best attempted on full-suspension mountain bikes, although the easier (blue/green) trails can be ridden on a standard mountain or road bike. Pocket Mountains also publishes a series of compact cycling guides to the country (http://pocketmountains.com).

For up-to-date information on long-distance routes, including The Great Glen Cycle Way, along with a list of publications detailing specific routes, contact the cyclists’ campaigning group Sustrans (https://www.sustrans.org.uk).

Another option is to shell out on a cycling vacation package. Britain’s biggest cycling organization, Cycling UK (formerly the Cycle Touring Club; http://cyclinguk.org), provides lists of tour operators and rental outlets in Scotland, and supplies members with touring and technical advice, as well as insurance. Visit Scotland’s ‘Cycling in Scotland’ brochure is worth getting hold of, with practical advice and suggestions for itineraries around the country. The tourist board’s ‘Cyclists Welcome’ scheme gives guesthouses and B&Bs around the country a chance to advertise that they’re cyclist-friendly, and able to provide an overnight laundry service, a late meal or a packed lunch.

Transporting your bike by train is a good way of reaching the interesting parts of Scotland without a lot of hard pedalling. Bikes are allowed free on mainline East Coast and ScotRail trains, but you need to book the space as far in advance as possible. Bikes can also be carried free of charge on most ferries, including CalMac services. Bus and coach companies, including National Express and Scottish Citylink, rarely accept cycles unless they are dismantled and boxed. You’ll find bike rental facilities in large towns and tourist centres; expect to pay around £20–25 per day, or more for top-notch mountain bikes; e-bikes are now also pretty commonplace. Most outlets give good discounts for multi-day rents.

Cycling information

• Cycle Scotland http://cyclescotland.co.uk. Fully customized cycle tours at all levels, with accommodation ranging from campsites to country-house hotels, and a good range of bikes available for rent, from tandems to children’s bikes.
• Cycling UK http://cyclinguk.org. Britain’s largest cycling organization, and a good source of general advice; its handbook has lists of cyclist-friendly B&Bs and cafés in Scotland. Annual membership £46.50.
• Forestry and Land Scotland http://forestryandland.gov.scot/visit/activities/mountain-biking. The best source of information on Scotland’s extensive network of forest trails – ideal for mountain biking at all levels of ability.
• Highland Wildcat Trails http://highlandwildcat.com. Scotland’s most northerly dedicated mountain-bike centre, complete with one of the country’s longest downhill tracks.
• Laggan Wolftrax https://forestryandland.gov.scot/visit/laggan-wolftrax. This Central Highland bike centre near Newtonmore has almost 22 miles of routes for every standard of rider.
• Nevis Range http://ridefortwilliam.co.uk. Information on all the trails around Fort William, including the home of Scotland’s World Cup downhill and cross-country tracks at Nevis Range.
• Spokes http://spokes.org.uk. Active Edinburgh cycle campaign group with plenty of good links, and news on events and cycle-friendly developments.

Air sports

Scotland has its fair share of fine sunny days, when it’s hard to beat scanning majestic mountain peaks, lochs and endless forests from the air. Whether you’re a willing novice or an expert paraglider or skydiver, there are centres just outside Glasgow, Edinburgh and Perth that will cater to your needs. There are also opportunities to try ballooning and gliding.

Air Sports information

Golf

There are more than four hundred golf courses in Scotland, where the game is less elitist and more accessible than anywhere else in the world. Golf in its present form took shape in the fifteenth century on the dunes of Scotland’s east coast, and today you’ll find some of the oldest courses in the world on these coastal sites, known as ‘links’. It’s often possible to turn up and play, though it’s sensible to phone ahead; booking is essential for the championship courses.

Public courses are owned by the local council, while private courses belong to a club. You can play on both – occasionally the private courses require that you are a member of another club, however, and the odd one asks for introductions from a member, but these rules are often waived for overseas visitors and all you need to do is pay a one-off fee. The cost of a round will set you back around £20 on a small nine-hole course, around £70 on many good-quality eighteen-hole courses, and well into three figures on the championship courses.

St Andrews is the top destination for golfers, and is also the home of the Royal and Ancient Golf Club, the body that regulates the rules of the game. If you’re coming to Scotland primarily to play golf, it’s worth shelling out for one of the various multi-course passes or packages available, which gives you access to a number of courses in any one region. There’s more information at http://scottishgolf.org.

Fishing

Scotland’s serrated coastline – with the deep sea lochs of the west, the firths of the east and the myriad offshore islands – ranks among the cleanest coasts in Europe. Combine this with an abundance of salmon, sea trout, brown trout and pike, acres of open space and easy access, and you have a wonderful location for game-, coarse- or sea-fishing.

No licence is needed to fish in Scotland, although nearly all land is privately owned and its fishing therefore controlled by a landlord or their agent. Permission, however, is usually easy to obtain: permits can be bought at local tackle shops, rural post offices or through fishing clubs in the area – if in doubt, ask at the nearest tourist office. Salmon and sea trout have strict seasons, which usually stretch from late August to late February. Individual tourist offices will know the precise dates, or see the information and booking website http://fishpal.com.

Watersports

Opportunities for sailing around Scotland are outstanding. However, even in summer the full force of the North Atlantic can be felt, and changeable conditions combined with tricky tides and rocky shores demand good sailing and navigational skills. Yacht charters are available from various ports, either bareboat or in yachts run by a skipper and crew; contact Sail Scotland (http://sailscotland.co.uk). An alternative way to enjoy Scotland under sail is to spend a week at a sailing school. Many schools, as well as small boat-rental operations dotted along the coast, will rent sailing dinghies by the hour or day, as well as windsurfing boards.

Scotland’s top spots for windsurfing and kitesurfing are Troon on the Ayrshire coast, St Andrews and Tiree. The latter is renowned for its beaches and waves and has an excellent surf, windsurfing and kitesurfing school, Suds Surf (http://surfschoolscotland.co.uk).

In recent years sea-kayaking has witnessed an explosion in popularity, with a host of operators offering sea-kayaking lessons and expeditions across the country. Paddle Scotland (http://paddlescotland.org.uk) offers useful advice, while Glenmore Lodge (http://glenmorelodge.org.uk) is highly reputable for training and tours.

Surfing

In addition to sea-kayaking, Scotland is fast gaining a reputation as a surfing destination. However, the northern coastline lies on the same latitude as Alaska, so the water temperature is very low: even in midsummer it rarely exceeds 15°C (59°F), and in winter can drop to as low as 7°C (45°F). The one vital accessory, therefore, is a good wet suit (ideally a 5/3mm steamer), wet-suit boots and, outside summer, gloves and a hood, too.

Many of the best surf spots – such as Thurso, Tiree and the Isle of Lewis – are surrounded by stunning scenery, and you’d be unlucky to share the waves with other surfers. However, this isolation – combined with the cold water and big, powerful waves – means that many of the best locations can only be enjoyed by experienced surfers. Surf shops rent or sell equipment and provide good information about local breaks and events on the surfing scene.

Surf shops and schools

• Coast to Coast Surf School Station Rd, Dunbar http://c2csurfschool.com. Year-round surfing lessons and surf safaris across Scotland.
• Clan 45 Hyndland St, Partick, Glasgow http://clanskates.co.uk. Combined surf, skate and snowboard shop. Lessons also available.
• Suds Surf School Isle of Tiree http://surfschoolscotland.co.uk. Professional instruction and rental for surfing, windsurfing, kitesurfing and kayaking.