Climbing Scotland's Munros

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Outside Magazine, April 2005

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Scotland
The High Hills of Freedom (cont.)
Access & Resources

By Jason Stevenson

Getting There: Only Continental Airlines flies direct to Scotland, offering year-round flights to Glasgow and Edinburgh from Newark for about $800 (800-231-0856, www.continental.com). Other U.S. carriers connect in London or Manchester. Or take the train from London's Euston Station to Glasgow for five hours of rolling countryside; round-trip fares start at $170 (011-44-845-722-2333, www.virgintrains.co.uk).

Prime Time: Straddle the busy season by hitting the Highlands in either May and June or September and October. That way, you may avoid the fearsome midges (biting insects like no-see-ums) that swarm, like tourists, in humid July.

Getting Around: Car rental starts at around $350 per week for an economy-size vehicle. Alamo has 12 locations in Scotland, at major airports and in cities (011-44-870-400-4562, www.alamo.co.uk). First ScotRail's above-average train service connects Highlands destinations (including Fort William, Inverness, and Rannoch) to Glasgow and Edinburgh, with multiple daily departures (011-44-845-755-0033, www.firstgroup.com/scotrail).

Bagging Munros: While Scotland's peaks aren't Himalayan in stature, a good day in the hills will leave you longing for a comfortable bed and a warm, inviting pub. Here's a guide to where to eat, drink, and recharge for another day of bagging. LOCH LOMOND // The village of Drymen, near the southeastern corner of the lake, is a fine base for climbing Ben Lomond (the trailhead is ten miles north in Rowardennan). Stay at the Buchanan Arms Hotel, a dowdy but charming inn with 52 rooms, plus a swimming pool and fitness center (doubles, $282–$320, including breakfast; 011-44-1360-660-588, www.buchananarms.co.uk). For evening libations, check out the Clachan Inn, Scotland's oldest licensed pub, with an attached B&B offering rooms from $40 (011-44-1360-660-824). GLEN COE // At the eastern entrance to Glen Coe is the 22-room Kingshouse Hotel, with a famous climbers' bar featuring pub grub and hill-walking memorabilia (doubles, $96–$111; 011-44-1855-851-259, www.kingy.com). Nestled farther down the valley is the 23-room Clachaig Inn, the hangout spot for climbers and Munro-baggers (doubles, $63–$79; 011-44-1855-811-252, www.clachaig.com). If you're feeling flush, splurge on one of 17 royally appointed rooms at Inverlochy Castle, a luxury country-house hotel on a 500-acre estate four miles north of Fort William (doubles, $602–$1,035; 011-44-1397-702-177, www.inverlochycastlehotel.com). For some of the Highlands' best seafood, try the Crannog West Highland Seafood restaurant, overlooking Fort William's Loch Linnhe (011-44-1397-705-589, www.oceanandoak.co.uk). ISLE OF SKYE // The hamlets of Sconser and Sligachan offer easy access to the Red and Black Cuillin. Try the Sconser Lodge Hotel, with eight rooms, a lively bar, and a traditional dining room (doubles, $150–$206; 011-44-1478-650-333, www.sconserlodge.co.uk), or the 22-room Sligachan Hotel, where you'll find an impressive single-malt selection, a microbrewery, and fine Scottish fare at the Cairidh restaurant (doubles, $90; 011-44-1478-650-204, www.sligachan.co.uk). WESTER ROSS // Dozens of stunning pinnacles and Munros dominate the landscape between the small villages of Torridon and Dundonnell in this coastal region. Snooze in towered splendor at the Loch Torridon Country House Hotel, where many of the 19 bedrooms have views of the awe-inspiring Liathach Ridge (doubles, $285–$622, including breakfast; 011-44-1445-791-242, www.lochtorridonhotel.com). Located just a mile from the trailhead for An Teallach, the roadside Dundonnell Hotel, in Ross-shire, has a surprisingly good restaurant and 28 rooms (doubles, $122–$159, including breakfast; 011-44-1854-633-204, www.dundonnellhotel.com).

Guides: Skye Guides has ten years of instruction-and-guiding experience on Skye's many peaks, including Sgurr Dearg, led by rock ace Mike Lates (011-44-1471-822-116, www.skyeguides.co.uk). Fort William–based West Coast Mountain Guides offers private guide services and both summer and winter courses on local peaks (011-44-1397-700-451, www.westcoast-mountainguides.co.uk).

Resources: The Munros: Scottish Mountaineering Club Hillwalkers' Guide (1999) includes photos and route maps. A CD-ROM version is available for $74 (www.smc.org.uk). Tiso, a UK outdoor-store chain, can supply all hill-walking essentials.

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