You have an afternoon free. Shouldn’t you be putting on body armour and doing some Christmas shopping?
Nah, that’s what the internet is for. Go for a walk instead.
Walking is good for just about everything – your heart, figure, mental health (especially in winter, when lack of daylight can lead to seasonal affective disorder) – and you have the added pleasure of whizzing past all those hollow-eyed zombies stuck in traffic heading for the shops while you escape to the country.
Here are 10 varied winter walks, and rambles for buggies and wheelchairs, put together with the help of Ramblers Scotland and Paths For All. All but one can be accessed by public transport.
Darn Road, Bridge of Allan to Dunblane, Stirlingshire
The old Darn Road walk was a favourite of Robert Louis Stevenson; there’s a cave that he certainly knew of and may have been the inspiration for Ben Gunn’s in Treasure Island. A pleasant, largely sheltered, though sometimes slippy, waterside walk.
Recommended for: walking with friends, older people, families (though keep an eye on the children: some steep drops).
Starts from: Dunblane.
Distance: three miles; take the train back to the start from Dunblane or just retrace your steps.
Ascent: 10m.
Web: www.instirling.com/walks/darnmap.htm
Falkirk Wheel Visitor Centre to the Falkirk Wheel
This walk, recommended by Paths For All, gives superb views over Falkirk; it goes uphill in the direction of the Union Canal and Antonine Wall towards the top of The Wheel, then continues beside the Union Canal through a short tunnel, past Bantaskine Park on the opposite side of the canal, and as far as Lock 62, before returning by the same route.
Recommended for: wheelchair users and baby buggies.
Starts from: visitor centre.
Distance: 3.5 miles.
Ascent: 45 metres.
Loch an Eilein, Rothiemurchus estate, near Aviemore
A beautiful and mostly sheltered lochside walk with a gentle slope in parts; a variety of birds and the occasional red squirrel can be seen. Can be slightly boggy, but the section most likely to be muddy, around smaller Loch Gamhna, can easily be omitted.
Recommended for: everyone but great for wheelchair users, families and older people.
Starts from: car park, at end of minor road off B970.
Distance: 4.25 miles.
Ascent: 150m.
Web: www.walkhighlands.co.uk/cairngorms/aviemore.shtml
Inchewan Walk, Birnam, Perthshire
A delightful walk for its sights, sounds (curlews, woodpeckers) and the charming Beatrix Potter Garden at the beginning of the walk, which is open all year
(Potter spent childhood summers at nearby Dalguise House).
Recommended for: families with children and groups of friends.
Starts from: centre of Birnam (served by buses and trains).
Distance: five miles.
Ascent: 80 metres.
Web: www.dunkeldwalks.co.uk/html/low_level.html (also recommends other walks)
Meall a Buachaille, Cairngorms
A more strenuous walk through woodlands along Ryvoan Pass and to the top of Meall a Buachaille, with views of the Cairngorms and Abernethy Forest.
Recommended for: friends and family (though not for buggies).
Starts from: road end just east of Glenmore Lodge (buses from Aviemore).
Distance: five miles.
Ascent: 80 metres.
Web: walking.visitscotland.com/walks/cairngorms/meall-a-bhuachaille
Gullane to Dirleton, East Lothian
There’s nowhere better in the central belt to maximise winter daylight than under the vast East Lothian sky. This walk by the Firth of Forth, partly on sweeping sandy beaches, is often accompanied by a stiff breeze so warm clothing is essential.
Recommended for: friends,family or on your own.
Starts from: Gullane Bents car park (Gullane can be reached by bus or train). Head east, rubble road becomes path through buckthorn and runs alongside golf course. At Yellowcraigs head inland to Dirleton.
Distance: six miles.
Ascent: 120m.
Web: www.visiteastlothian.org/walking.asp
Conic Hill, Balmaha, by Loch Lomond
A steep, short walk with views over Loch Lomond to Ben Lomond.
Recommended for: fitter walkers, walking with friends.
Starts from: car park in the centre of Balmaha (bus stop).
Distance: 3.25 miles.
Ascent: 350m.
Web: www.walkhighlands.co.uk/lochlomond/conic-hill.shtml
Falls of Clyde: Crossford to New Lanark on the Clyde Walkway
The Clyde Walkway runs through orchards and wooded gorges to New Lanark World Heritage village, passing Stonybyres falls. Go to the Falls of Clyde Nature Reserve; the most spectacular waterfall is 28m-high Corra Linn.
Recommended for: families and walking with friends; some sections suitable for wheelchairs.
Starts from: Valley International Park visitor and garden centre, Crossford (served by buses).
Distance: eight miles.
Web: www.visitlanarkshire.com/resource/Clyde-Walkway-6
Loch Leven Heritage Trail, Kinross to Pow Burn
Wide, well-surfaced path around edge of Loch Leven to Pow Burn.
Recommended for: wheelchair users and buggies.
Starts from: The Pier/Kirkgate Park, Kinross (regular buses).
Distance: 3.5 miles.
Ascent: none.
Web: www.perthshire.co.uk/index.asp?lm=313 (suggests further walks for wheelchair users)
Bo’ness to Blackness Castle, on the Firth of Forth
Sweeping views across the Forth to Fife, this is a walk for escapists.
Recommended for: older people, walking alone or with friends; take care depending on the tide.
Starts from: bottom of Carriden Brae, Bo’ness (served by buses).
Distance: five miles.
Ascent: none.
Web: walking.visitscotland.com/walks/centralscotland/212939
- Ramblers Scotland’s Festival of Winter Walks runs from Dec 26 to Jan 3. www.ramblers.org.uk/walkthemes/winterwalks.htm. Walking on Wheels by Eva McCracken (Cualann Press) has walks for wheelchair users. www.cualann.com/books/wheels.htm
Top tips to stay warm and safe in the great outdoors
Many walks are on lower ground and well-maintained paths, but for longer walks, especially on hills, more preparation is required.
- Always check the weather before setting out. Scottish weather can change quickly, so be prepared to alter your plans.
- Winter days are short. Plan your route and give yourself time to be home before dark.
- Walk according to your abilities. Take children only on walks which allow for a safe and easy retreat and not on long routes.
- Wear sturdy, comfortable footwear suitable for the conditions and terrain. If you’re going to be on snow and ice, fit crampons to your boots before you go.
- Several thin layers of clothing are better than one thick layer: you can adjust your layers to the right temperature. A windproof, waterproof outer shell, warm fleece and thermals, are a good system.
- For longer walks, take food or energy snacks like chocolate or dried fruit and a flask with a hot drink.
- Take a mobile phone (charged and switched on) and make sure someone knows where you’ve gone and when you expect to be back.
- On windy days, woodland walks will be more sheltered than hills or coastal walks. On high ground, it’s essential to dress warmly and avoid exposed ridges.
- The Mountaineering Council of Scotland says: “Hillwalking in winter should be regarded as mountaineering.” It is essential that you have, and can use, a map and compass. Take a plastic survival bag, headtorch and spare batteries, a whistle and first aid kit.
- Know your limits. Those walking on snow and ice should certainly have an ice axe and crampons, but if you’re not used to such conditions and don’t have the right equipment (or knowledge of how to use it), turn back.
See www.ramblers.org.uk or www.mcofs.org.uk
