Walking and Cycling in Scotland
Scotland is rightly famous for her mountain scenery, and it's no wonder that there are many excellent guides to walking in climbing in the Highlands. But if 'munro bagging' is not your thing, then there are plenty of beautiful walks in the lowlands too - the Galloway forests, or the Borders market towns, for instance.
There are too many guides to list here, but check out Pocket Mountains and Rucksack Readers for handy guides to highland and lowland walks. For the more serious climber, the Scottish Mountaineering Club publish a number of comprehensive guides to help plan your route. We have also prepared a guide to Mountaineering books.
There is a complete list of Walking and Climbing Guides in our Sports and Hobbies category.
Ralph Storer (author of The Joy of Hillwalking has written a number of popular walking guides, including Scotland's 100 Best Walks and 50 Classic Routes of Scottish Mountains. The AA produce a series of guides - start with 100 Walks n Scotland and 50 Walks in the Highlands and Islands. The Lonely Planet Walking in Scotland guide is quite old now, but remains popular. For families, WalkScotland.com's Family Walks in Scotland is an essential. Wheelchair users need not miss out either; Eva McCracken has written Walking On Wheels: 50 Wheel-Friendly Trails in Scotland, the first guidebook of its kind.
Jarrold walking guides are very popular, such as Aberdeen and Royal Deeside Walks and Dumfries and Galloway Walks. Jarrod also have a 'short walks' series, such as Fort William.
There are many guides to Scotland's most popular walking routes, including The West Highland Way - check out titles from Aurum, Rucksack Readers and the Footprint Map. For Loch Lomond and the Trossachs, see Jarrold Short Walks and Mercat's 25 Walks series. For The Great Glen Way, there is a guide from Challenge, the handy-sized Rucksack Readers guide, and a Cicerone guide.
City Walks
There are plenty of city walking guides, such as 100 Countryside Walks Around Edinburgh by Derek Storey, Jarrold's Edinburgh and Lothian Walks and, later this summer, Mercat's 25 Walks in Edinburgh and Lothian by Roger Smith. For Glasgow, try Glasgow Short Walks. Further north, 25 Walks In And Around Aberdeen explores both the city and coastline around Aberdeen.
- 100 Countryside Walks Around Edinburgh
Covering a range of 30 miles around Edinburgh, the walks in this book are suitable for every ability, weather and season. Each route is fully described and accompanied by a sketch map, with details of how to get there by car and public transport. - 100 Walks In Scotland
Discover the beauty of Scotland with the help of this walking guide. The guide offers 100 walks, containing useful information on footpath signs, countryside access, walking tips and safety guidelines. - 50 Classic Routes On Scottish Mountains
This book completes a series of guidebooks that is becoming the standard reference work to the best of Scottish hillwalking. Carefully researched, it ranges across the Highlands to provide a cross-section of routes. - 50 Walks In Scottish Highlands & Islands
Discover the beauty of the Highlands and islands with the help of this slim-line pocket-sized walking guide. The guide offers over 50 walks, containing useful information on footpath signs, countryside access, walking tips and safety guidelines. - Aberdeen And Royal Deeside Walks
With 28 colour-coded routes to choose from, all tried and tested by seasoned walkers and varying from extended strolls to exhilarating hikes, there is a walk to suit everyone in this guide - Dumfries And Galloway Walks
Highlighted in this Pathfinder Guide are 28 routes to be enjoyed in Dumfries & Galloway. They are graded according to time & difficulty and colour Ordnance Survey maps are used throughout to assist the walker in accurate navigation - Edinburgh & Lothian
This text describes 25 walks in Edinburgh and Lothian. There is a wide variety, from the grandeur of the city itself to the outlying attractions at Roslin Glen, Musselburgh and the Union Canal. - Edinburgh And Lothians Walks
Pathfinder Guides are the ideal companion for country walks throughout the British Isles. Clear and easy-to-follow directions are accompanied by detailed maps from Ordnance Survey and specially commissioned photographs - Family Walks In Scotland
This book presents 100 family walks in Scotland, chosen in all areas of the country and for all abilities. Each walk has a unique URL, printed in the book, which allows readers to link directly to route cards and walk details on the site. - Fort William
This walking guide features 20 colour-coded routes, Ordnance Survey mapping, colour photographs and easy-to-follow route descriptions. Each walk is suited to all ages and features questions and points of interest. - Glasgow
Originally a small cathedral city, Glasgow has grown into a dynamic provincial city and centre of culture within easy reach of miles of unspoilt countryside. This guide features 20 colour-coded routes, suited to all ages. Questions and points of interest are included. - The Great Glen, Monadhliath And Moray: A Personal Survey Of The Great Glen, Monadhliath And Moray For Mountainbikers And Walkers
The aim in this series of books is to provide the mountainbiker and walker with information on an intended route so they know something of what to expect. This book includes Ft. William to Ft. Augustus and Drumnadrochit, Moray and the Monadhliaths. - The Great Glen Way
The Great Glen Way follows Scotland's historic Great Glen between Fort William and Inverness for 73 glorious miles (117 km). The third edition of this guidebook is based on fieldwork during summer 2005 and has a new section of hill and mountain side-trips - The Great Glen Way: A 73 Mile Walk From Fort William To Inverness Along The Great Glen Via The Caledonian Canal And Loch Ness
This guide to the Great Glen Way, a 73-mile walk between Fort William and Inverness, gives a detailed description of the route, as well as the necessary facts, figures and information to enable readers to complete the walk safely and enjoyably. - In And Around Aberdeen
This is a guide to 25 walks in and around Aberdeen. Visit the Sands of Forvie and the eerie ruins of Gight Castle. Wander through ancient estates such as Fetternear and climb Elrick Hill. - The Joy Of Hillwalking
Storer, who has walked many of the world's hills in every condition from blistering heat to blinding snow, conveys the pleasure he finds in hillwalking through stories of the scenery, accidents, flora and fauna, food and even sex on the hills. - Loch Lomond And The Trossachs National Park
This work features colour-coded routes, Ordnance Survey mapping, colour photographs and easy-to-follow route descriptions. Each leisure walk is suited to all ages and features questions and points of interest. - Scotland's 100 Best Walks
This is a guide to Scotland's best walks. From mountain, glen, drove road and seashore each walk is graded for length and difficulty. It is an essential guide for anyone who enjoys walking and for anyone with an interest in rural Scotland. - Walking In Scotland
This Lonely Planet guide to Scotland shows readers how to discover the whole Scottish experience on two feet, including city strolls, coastal ambles and mountain hikes. - Walking On Wheels: 50 Wheel-Friendly Trails In Scotland
This volume is a guide for wheelchair or electric scooter users who wish to enjoy the Scottish countryside. It provides the reader with a practical guide to the degree of difficulty and the sights and attractions which the wheelchair or electric scooter user might encounter. - The West Highland Way
The West Highland Way begins on the outskirts of Glasgow, Scotland's largest city, then goes through Scotland's first national park, along the shores of Loch Lomond, ending in Fort William, at the foot of Ben Nevis. The guide contains route maps, detailed directions and background information. - The West Highland Way
The West Highland Way is Britain's most impressive long distance footpath, running for just over 90 miles from the outskirts of Glasgow to Fort William in the shadow of Ben Nevis. Illustrated with colour photographs, the book covers the abundant routes - The West Highland Way
This Footprint map is divided into eight sections, each displayed on a separate panel, and folds easily to show a particular part of the Way.
Cycling in Scotland
Cyclists are well catered for - in the Edinburgh area Spokes produce popular cycling maps; Pocket Mountains have a new cycling guide called Bike Scotland Book One by Fergal MacErlean, and a new mountain bike trail guide, Bike Scotland Trails Guide. For a complete guide to the cycleways of Scotland, check out The National Cycle Network.
Harry Henniker's 101 Bike Routes in Scotland is a heavy but comprehensive book; Harry has also written a mountain-biking guide, 101 Mountain Bike Routes in Scotland.
- 101 Bike Routes In Scotland
This cycling guide covers the whole of Scotland from the Orkney Islands to Dumfries and Galloway. Both popular and less well-known areas are explored and the types of routes include mountain bike routes, quiet road routes and routes for children. - 101 Mountain-Bike Routes In Scotland
Detailed descriptions of mountain bike routes from all over Scotland are included in this book, along with maps and advice on the terrain and any special equipment required. - Bike Scotland
Featuring 40 great routes from Central Scotland - from half-day family outings to two-day adventures - this book is guaranteed to get you on your bike. Each route is accompanied by a full colour photograph, contoured map and additional facts about the history, geology and wildlife of the region. - Bike Scotland Trails Guide
This volume is a guide to all that is great about mountain biking in Scotland. It features 40 of Scotland's best routes, from the technically-challenging hand-crafted 7stanes forest trials in Southern Scotland to hair-raisingly wild epics through remote Hebridean glens. - Scotland: The National Cycle Network
This is a guide to the National Cycle Network in Scotland, providing detailed route instructions, background information and easy to understand maps.
More detail needed?
This page gives an overview of the best walking and cycling guides to Scotland. But our Regional Map pages has more detailed information about the different areas of Scotland, and highlights local authors, novels, and travel guides.