Walking in the Scottish Highlands Short Break

Tour Type:

Slower Adventures | Where walking and cycling meet easy-going exploring, our Slower Adventures are the perfect combination. Most days are filled with picturesque journeys with some free time to dive into the destination and experience the people, local food and culture as you go.

Activity:

Multi Centre Walking | With a mix of loop and point-to-point walks stay 2 or 3 nights in one place which offers the chance to slow down and really explore a destination.

Activity Level & Terrain

The walks on this tour are rated between easy and easy to moderate and the distances range between 7km and 14km. They are relaxing walks and take you to historic sights, including castles and Jacobean battle sites.  Some of the walks have actually been created in order for you to explore and discover the local sights as you walk and bring you to the characterful towns and villages that you will stay in. Some of the walks are flexible too as you can opt to do them if you wish. It is very worth doing these amazing walks, but, if you wish, you can take local transportation to get between places and avoid the longer walking days.

Navigation

All the walks on this itinerary are available in the Macs Adventure Smartphone App. You will find the walks on the app and simply download the walk to your smartphone and follow the little blue dot! Some walks have GPS tracks only and others have walking directions. But if you follow the little blue dot you will not get lost. A reminder though not to take the Ben Vrackie Lochan walk in bad weather.

• Overnights in hand-picked 3 and 4* B&B's, guesthouses and hotels
• Daily Breakfasts
• Luggage Transfers
• Information Pack via your Macs Adventure "My Account"
• Access to maps and GPX tracks on the Macs Adventure smartphone app
• 24/7 Emergency telephone support from our UK & US office

• Travel to Blair Atholl and from Pitlochry
• Travel Insurance (required)
• Lunches, Dinners, Drinks & Snacks
• Personal Equipment
• Entrances to museums, sites, etc

• Additional nights before, during and after the tour

When To Go

The best time of year to visit Scotland is from early-April to mid-October when the weather is best, most attractions are open and the days are long. The weather is very unpredictable all year, so it is imperative to be prepared for wind, rain, cold, warmth and sunshine! Conditions (and forecasts) can vary substantially from one day to the next, so do anticipate a variety of weathers, and embrace them as the Scots do (with a good waterproof and windproof jacket on).

Getting to the Start

Blair Atholl is 80 miles north of Edinburgh on the main transport route through the Highlands. The village also has excellent public transport connections and is served by Scotrail trains and Citylink bus services from Edinburgh. The journey by train takes approximately 3H by bus and approximately 2H by train. By car the journey from Edinburgh takes 1H30 and Blair Atholl is well signed from the A9.

Getting from the End

Pitlochry, your departure point, is on a trainline and you can take a train from here to Edinburgh. The journey takes around 2H to 2H30. Buses are also available but the journey takes longer this way.

Luggage Transfer

Your bags will be collected from your accommodation each day and moved onto your overnight accommodation. We ask you to limit your luggage to one bag of up to 20kg per person.

At Macs Adventure, we work in partnership with many luggage transfer providers who set a limit on how many bags/suitcases they will transfer per person, and also the weight of the bag/suitcase. Your booking includes a transfer of 1 bag per person. It is very important that you read the luggage information specific to your tour before departure. If you do not adhere to these limits, there is a great possibility that you will be charged locally both for extra bags or if they are too heavy. This limitation can be a challenge, especially as airlines generally have limits that are higher. However, our luggage providers have reasons for these limits (usually due to the Health and Safety of their employees), which we must respect.

General Information

Please be prepared by packing all necessary items, for example, proper rain gear (jacket and pants), sun hat, and sunscreen. Your information pack has a detailed equipment list which includes standard walking gear such as good walking boots or shoes, warm and waterproof clothes for the cooler months and lightweight clothing for summer, and a day pack.