Basics - The Rough Guide to Scottish Highlands and Islands - page 37

MUNRO BAGGING
In recent years hillwalking in Scotland has become synonymous with “ Munro-bagging ”.
Munros are the hills in Scotland over 3000ft in height, defined by a list first drawn up by
Sir Hugh Munro in 1891. You “bag” a Munro by walking to the top of it, and once you've
bagged all 284 you can call yourself a Munroist and let your chiropodist retire in peace.
Sir Hugh's challenge is an enticing one: 3000ft is high enough to be an impressive ascent
but not so high that it's for expert mountaineers only. Nor do you need to aim to do them all
- at heart, Munro-bagging is simply about appreciating the great Scottish outdoors. Munros
are found across the Highlands and on two of the islands (Mull and Skye), and include many of
the more famous and attractive mountains in Scotland.
However, while the Munros by definition include all the highest hills in Scotland, there isn't
any quality control, and one of the loudest arguments of critics of the game (known by some
as “de-baggers”) is that Munro-seekers will plod up a boring pudding of a mountain because
it's 3000ft high and ignore one nearby that's much more pleasing but a few feet short of the
requisite mark.
Judgement is also required in a few other ways. You do have to be properly equipped, and be
aware what you're tackling before you set off - the hills are hazardous in all seasons. But for many
the trickiest part of Munro-bagging is getting to grips with the Gaelic pronunciation of some of
the hill names. However, as it's bad form not to be able to tell the folk in the pub at the end of the
day which hills you've just ticked off, beginners are encouraged to stick to peaks such as Ben Vane
or Ben More, and resign themselves to the fact that Beinn Fhionnlaidh (pronounced “Byn Yoonly”)
and Beinn an Dothaidh (pronounced “Byn an Daw-ee”) are for the really experienced.
If you want some training, you can set about the Corbetts (hills between 2500 and 2999ft)
or even the Donalds (lowland hills above 2000ft).

made impassable by a glut of the stuff. When the
conditions are good, Scotland's ski resorts have
piste and off-piste areas that will challenge even the
most accomplished alpine or cross-country skier.
Expect to pay up to £35 for a standard day-pass at
one of the resorts, or around £110 for a four-day
pass; rental of skis or snowboard comes in at
around £30 per day, with reductions for multi-day
rentals. At weekends, in good weather with decent
snow, expect the slopes to be packed with trippers
from the central belt, although midweek usually
sees queues dissolving. For a comprehensive
rundown of all the resorts, including ticket prices
and conditions, visit W ski.visitscotland.com.
Cross-country skiing (along with the related
telemark or Nordic skiing) is becoming increasingly
popular in the hills around Braemar near Glenshee
and the Cairngorms. The best way to get started or
to find out about good routes is to contact an
outdoor pursuits company that offers telemark or
Nordic rental and instruction; in the Aviemore area
try Adventure Scotland or G2 Outdoor (see p.168).
Also check out the Huntly Nordic and Outdoor
Centre in Huntly, Aberdeenshire ( T 01466 794428,
W nordicski.co.uk/hnoc). For equipment hire, sales
or advice for Nordic and ski mountaineering equip-
ment, contact Mountain Spirit ( T 01479 811788,
W mountainspirit.co.uk), located at the southern
entrance to Aviemore village.

Pony trekking and horseriding

There are approximately sixty pony-trekking or
riding centres across the country, most approved
by either the Trekking and Riding Society of
Scotland (TRSS; W ridinginscotland.com) or the
British Horse Society (BHS; W bhs.org.uk). As a rule,
any centre will offer the option of pony trekking
(leisurely ambles on sure-footed Highland ponies),
hacking (for experienced riders who want to go for
a short ride at a fast-ish pace) and trail riding (over
longer distances, for riders who feel secure at a
canter). In addition, a network of special horse-and-
rider B&Bs means you can ride independently on
your own horse.

Cycling and mountain biking
Cycle touring is a great way to see some of the
remoter parts of Scotland and navigate city streets.
You'll find cycle shops in towns but few dedicated
cycle lanes. In the countryside it can be tricky finding
spare parts unless you are near one of Scotland's
purpose-built mountain-bike trail centres.
Scotland is now regarded as one of the world's
top destinations for off-road mountain biking .
The Forestry Commission has established more
than 1150 miles of excellent off-road routes. These
are detailed in numerous “Cycling in the Forest”