Long Distance Walking Trails + GPX
Each to their own thoughts
You might recognize that delicious thrill, that sense of freedom and near childlike wonder. Walking, or ambling along for that matter, resets your inner equilibrium and leaves ample time to think and reflect.
Although I prefer to create my own route, I do understand the attraction of the Trails. Most of them are signposted and well documented. Underneath you'll find the official (some unofficial) Long Distance Walking Trails in Scotland with links to dedicated sites with all the details.
A very special thanks goes to Mike Brockhurst (https://www.walkingenglishman.com/scotland.htm) who proved to be an incredible source of information.
Ask yourself: WHY should I hike, what is the point!? Just watch this award winning documentary. It is not only very inspiring but also might provide the answers.
Trail Grading (Developed by Walkhighlands). Do not rely only on your phone or app. There is not always a signal! Never go without a map!
- Grade 1 - Easier walks, mostly on well defined paths. No special difficulties.
- Grade 2 - Slightly harder walks. Paths may be indistinct. Navigation skills are required.
- Grade 3 - Moderate hillwalks. Terrain will be steep. Map reading skills are essential.
- Grade 4 - Harder hillwalks. Can include longer walks and pathless sections (careful navigation). Possible scree and minor scrambling. This grade is quite broad.
- Grade 5 - Tough by hillwalking standards; these routes can be very arduous or include trickier scrambling. Includes the hardest or most strenuous Munros.
Southern Scotland
Annandale Way Moffat-Newbie Mains / 88 km / Grade 3
Ayrshire Coastal Path Glenapp-Skelmorlie / 148 km / Grade 2
Berwickshire Coastal Path Cocksburnpath-Berwick-upon-Tweed / 48 km / Grade 2
Borders Abbeys Way Jedburgh-Jedburgh / 107 km / Grade 2
Cross Borders Drove Road Hawick-Harperrig / 82 km / Grade 2
Mull of Galloway Trail Mull of Galloway-Glenapp / 72 km / Grade 2
River Ayr Way Glenbuck-Ayr / 65 km + Heritage Path! / Grade 1
Romans and Reivers Route Ae Village-Hawick / 85 km / Grade 1
Southern Upland Way Portpatrick-Cocksburnpath / 338 km + Heritage Path! / Grade 3
St Cuthbert's Way Melrose - Lindisfarne / 100 km / Grade 2
Mid East Scotland
Cateran Trail Blairgowrie-Blairgowrie / 104 km / Grade 3
Deeside Way Aberdeen-Ballater / 66 km / Grade 1
East Highland Way Fort William-Aviemore / 128 km + Heritage Paths / Grade 4
Fife Coastal Path Kincardine-Newburgh / 183 km/ Grade 2
Formartine & Buchan Way Dyce-Fraserburgh or Peterhead / 86 km / Grade 1
John Muir Way Helensburgh-Dunbar / 212 km / Grade 1
St Columba's Way: See: Way of St Andrews
St Duthac's Way: See: Way of St Andrews
Stevenson Way Erraid (Isle of Mull)-South Queensferry / 370 km / Grade 5
Mid West Scotland
Affric Kintail Way Drumnadrochit-Morvich + Heritage Paths / 71 KM/ Grade 3
Arran Coastal Way Brodick-Brodick / 109 km / Grade 4
Clyde Walkway Glasgow-New Lanark / 65 km / Grade 1
Great Trossachs Path Callander-Inversnaid / 48 km / Grade 2
Kintyre Way Tarbert-Machrihanish / 161 km / Grade 3
Loch Lomond & Cowal Way Portavadie-Inveruglas / 90 km / Grade 3
Rob Roy Way Drymen-Pitlochry / 128 km / Grade 2
Three Lochs Way Balloch-Inveruglas / 53 km/ Grade 2
West Highland Way Milngavie-Fort William + Heritage Paths / 151 km / Grade 2
West Island Way Kilchattan Bay-Kilchattan Bay / 34 km / Grade 2
Northern Scotland
Cape Wrath Trail Fort William-Cape Wrath + Heritage Paths / 378 km / Grade 4
Dava Way Grantown-Forres / 38 km / Grade 1
Great Glen Way (360) Fort William-Inverness +Heritage Path / 117 km / Grade 2
Hebridean Way Vatersay-Stornoway / 252 km / Grade 1
John o'Groats Trail Inverness-John o'Groats +Heritage Path / 238 km / Grade 4
Moray Coast Trail Forres-Cullen / 72 km / Grade 2
Skye Trail Rubha Hunish-Broadford / 128 km / Grade 4
South Loch Ness Trail (360) Fort Augustus-Torbreck +Heritage Path / 43 km / Grade 2
Speyside Way Buckie-Aviemore / 116 km / Grade 2
Sutherland Trail Lochinver-Tongue / 112 km / Grade 3
Additional Trails
Hadrian's Wall Path Wallsend - Bowness-on-Solway / 135 km / Grade 2
Scottish National Trail Kirk Yetholm-Cape Wrath +Heritage Paths / 864 km / Grade 4
St Ninian's Way: See: Way of St Andrews
St Wilfrid's Way: See: Way of St Andrews