Our women’s tour offering a heady mix of landscape experiences and exciting hiking!
Explore rugged mountains, remote coastal areas, fjords, lakes and Skye’s majestic volcanic cliff scapes. Enjoy excellent Scottish hospitality, small group companionship and the safety and knowledge of your accompanying female guide.
This Scottish walking holiday is ideal for women with a taste for wilderness, adventure and a curiosity for Scotland’s history and culture.
Kintail’s wide Highland valleys are flanked by dramatic peaks. We climb some mountain passes with rewarding views, passing impressive waterfalls and finding landscapes yellow with gorse in May and purple with heather in August.
Spotting seals, otters, eagles and a multitude of seabirds is very much part of any outdoor experience in Scotland as is strolling on a white beach, exploring a romantic castle and discovering evidence of past lives where you least expect.
En route we’ll take in the remote peninsula of Glenelg with its mysterious 2000 year old towers, witness the immense scale of scapes offered on the Isle of Skye and learn about Scottish history as we find traces of human existence in seemingly untouched nature.
Essential to any holiday! We have chosen our hotels for location and comfort as much as for food and those special beverages which Scotland is famous for. If luck strikes, some locals might pop by to jam a tune or two for the perfect Scottish flair. An evening spent in a lively west coast pub with Scottish music, delicious seafood and a wee dram just makes your holiday complete.
Spend your holiday in a small personal group with no more than 8 persons and enjoy meeting interesting people from all round the globe looking for that same experience.
On this walking tour for women tour you are accompanied throughout by an experienced and knowledgeable guide to ensure your holiday becomes a wonderful and enjoyable experience.
Unwind in the expanse of natural wilderness, enjoy the quiet moments, feel your body relaxing with the pace of your step and look forward to being taken care of.
This holiday offers 2 different locations: the scattered settlement of Shiel Bridge at the foot of the Kintail mountains and the tiny harbour town Uig in the north west of the Isle of Skye.
A wonderful bonus of your holiday is travelling from and back to Glasgow through some of Scotland’s most beautiful landscapes: Loch Lomond, the queen of Scottish lochs, dramatic Glen Coe, Britain’s giant Ben Nevis, the spectacular coastal route ‘Road to the Isles’ and the traditional ferry crossing from the Isle of Skye.
Following our departure from Glasgow Buchanan Bus Station around 10 am you travel through some of the Highlands most scenic landscapes: along the shores of Loch Lomond, through dramatic Glen Coe, past Britain’s highest mountain Ben Nevis further and north west with wonderful views of lakes such as Loch Garry and Loch Cluanie.
We stop at the northern end of Loch Lomond for a short hike along the West Highland Way and refreshments.
In Shiel Bridge, surrounded by the peaks of the Kintail mountains on the shore of Loch Duich we find our accommodation and hospitality for the next 3 days.
*Journey time 4 hours/ Overnight Kintail
An excellent first day’s walking in the remote and grand river valley Gleann Licht: At the end of the valley you climb your first pass into the wide mountain scenery and admire an impressive (and refreshing) waterfall.
*Walking: 6 hours with breaks, 15 km, alt 320m/ Overnight Kintail
A short but spectacular drive over the steep Ratagan Pass offering superb views of the neighbouring peninsula famous for its wild landscapes, Knoydart, as far as the craggy peaks of the Cuillin Hills on the Isle of Skye.
In the gentle hillside of Glen Elg we discover mysterious ruinous towers left to us by the Pictish people who inhabited Scotland 2000 years ago.
Driving further along the wild coastline we arrive in the tiny and romantic village of Corran where our path takes us along a beautiful pebble beach, through heather and oak forests, always with magnificent views over to Skye and the lonely valleys of Knoydart and its big mountain, Labhar Bhein.
To celebrate the day, we take a delicious cup of tea in Sheena’s wonderfully decorated hut.
*Walking: 4 hours, 8 km, undulating/ Overnight Kintail
Steadily up and across a hopefully tamed river we head for Loch a’Bhealaich which opens up to famous Glen Affric, a world of waterfalls, lakes, mountains and wide valleys.
In the afternoon, en route to Skye we venture on a tiny ferry across the ancient route over the sea.
We spend the next 3 nights on the Isle of Skye at The Uig Hotel in the north west of the island.
*Walking: 5 hours with breaks, 8 km, alt 410m/ Overnight Isle of Skye
One of Scotland’s most spectacular land cliffs provides a classic hill walk with stunning views of the impressive mountains of Torridon and the Western Isles. A birds eye view of pinnacles, lochs, moor, rock tables and cost, some of the features previous earth activity has shaped into an amazing landscape.
*Walking: 4 Hours with breaks, 7 km, alt 340m/ Overnight Isle of Skye
This atmospheric and wild hike takes us to the ‘cleared’ coast of 2 deserted and now ruined villages located in a stunningly beautiful coastal location with fabulous views of the islands Rum and Eig. The villages were forcibly cleared of their population in the 1850s to make way for sheep and the ruins left behind bear witness to a thriving community and, if you are interested, some fine examples of dry stone walling.
Sitting on the rock plateau at Boreraig, this is a fantastic place to take in the sound of nature and watching for seabirds, dolphins and otters.
*Walking: 5 Hours with breaks, 12 km, alt 180m/ Overnight Isle of Skye
After breakfast we begin our return journey to Glasgow: the ferry from Armadale takes us to the lively fishing town of Mallaig on the mainland, then we continue south along the spectacular ‘Road to the Isles’ with its sparkly white sandy beaches, a historic location at Glenfinnan and the famous rail viaduct which Harry Potter passes on his way to school.
We arrive in Glasgow around at around 5pm.
We travel to 2 different locations – Kintail and the Isle of Skye. For all our tours we choose small, cosy Highland Hotels for comfort and friendliness.
Food is an important part of any holiday and you’ll enjoy the treats of delicious Scottish cuisine and excellent local ales.
Please note that prices are based on 2 sharing. We always match guests with the same sex, of course. If however, you prefer single room accommodation then please let us know. A supplement is available from £185, depending on availability.
Fitness
This holiday is designed for guests with a good general level of fitness, balance and mobility. We hike mostly on good paths which may, however, be narrow, rough, uneven, rocky and slippery when wet. You should to be sure footed, have experience hiking on unpaved trails and be comfortable on hilly and briefly steep terrain and ascents of up to 350 metres.
Equipment & Clothing
Following your booking, we send you our recommended kit list which you may find helpful.
Travel Insurance
We also strongly advise that you take out a comprehensive travel insurance to provide cover in case of an accident, loss of luggage, cancellations, delays etc. It makes for an even more relaxed holiday.
If you are unsure, please do get in touch and we’ll be happy to discuss any issues.
