June travels to Scotland

[Alan H]

Here's another vote for http://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/

Best general hiking and walking website EVER.

My single most highly recommended hike is Glen Affric. You'll probably have to drive to the trailhead, as it's several miles from the highway at Loch Ness. If you love the natural world, this hike is THE BEST, because the forest is actual Scottish mixed hardwood/softwood forest. There isn't a lot of it left. Hike the seven mile loop around the Loch and you actually get a look at what most of Scotland probably looked like in 1700. If you can't do Glen Affric, then look at Walk Highlands and do anything else in the area.

BTW, we never had a problem with the midges but the horseflies at Glen Affric were absolutely brutal. I was still bleeding a week later.... I kid you not. WEAR LONG PANTS, and leave your lovely kilt in the car.

In our trip last summer I saw about six people in kilts, outside of Holyrood palace staff, the four Highland Games I competed at, and a couple of pipers busking for change in Edinburgh. Every single one of them was an American with two exceptions...

--Jock Scot and Cessna152towser!!!!

BTW, the Borders were gorgeous. There's a LOT of history down there...Hadrians Wall, Jedburgh and Dryburgh abbeys, Abbotsford (Sir Walter Scotts home)... Smailhome Tower (restored Pele tower), Hermitage Castle and so on. You can do a river rafting trip on the tweed and drop in on the Locharron factory for a tour, and drop a mint in their gift store.