Mountain Walks
With dozens of Munros (mountains over 3000 feet) in Lochaber, and Britain’s highest mountain you are spoilt for choice here if mountain walking is your thing. There are lots of lower tops if you want to enjoy the hills without going to extremes. Each season has its own special qualities: –
Spring brings new life to the hills, with the weather often being surprisingly good; however make sure that conditions on the tops aren’t too wintry as winter can last longer here than other parts of the UK.
Summer in Lochaber can be glorious with daylight stretching well into the evening, giving you plenty of time to tackle some of the longer, more challenging walks.
Autumn is special in the Highlands, and it is well worth a visit in October or November to catch the stunning Autumn colours and to hear the stags roar in the glens.
Winter walking can’t be beaten on a crisp, sunny day when Lochaber and its mountains can look like something from a Christmas card. You will need to be proficient with an ice axe and crampons – one of the many activity providers can provide training to help you become a safe winter walker.
The Outdoor Capital has space, views, and fabulous mountains galore. Just remember that some of our hills are less trodden than in other parts of the UK. You can walk all day and not see a soul, but this means that you can’t always rely on their being a path to the top and that you do need to be self-sufficient and able to get yourself down in the weather deteriorates. If the weather does close in use it as an excuse to make the most of highland hospitality, beating a retreat to cosy pubs and restaurants to sample fresh local game, seafood and whiskies
The Great Days Out section gives a couple of ideas of things to do when you visit, and there are also several books that detail great hill walks in the Outdoor Capital.
Walks: Fort William and District by John & Trina Wombell. Very reasonably priced at £2.50, and available in local tourist information centres and outdoor shops. This contains a range of short walks but also walks up to 15 miles long. ISBN: 1 872405 24 X
The Pathfinder guides are good too. The one covering the Outdoor Capital is Fort William and Glen Coe Walks, compiled by Hamish Brown & Neil Wilson. £10.95 and available in all good outdoor shops. ISBN 0 7117 0571 2
There is also a Pathfinder guide to Skye and the North West Highlands, which covers sections of Lochaber.
The Scottish Mountaineering Club publishes a good series covering the whole of Scotland. The one that covers the Outdoor Capital is the North West Highlands guide. More information from the SMC website.
