Best Mountain Walks in Scotland
Written by UK Hidden Gems Editorial
Updated 5 August 2026
The best mountain walks in Scotland are Blà Bheinn, Stac Pollaidh, The Old Man Of Storr, Trotternish Ridge, Beinn a'Chrulaiste, Knockan Crag Nature Reserve, Pap of Glencoe and Quiraing.
Few places offer mountain walking to match Scotland, and this roundup gathers eight hills and ridges that show off its wild variety. On the Isle of Skye, Bla Bheinn stands proud of the main Cuillin ridge, while the Trotternish ridge to the north holds the pinnacle of the Old Man of Storr and the tumbled crags of the Quiraing.
Away in the far north-west Highlands, the shattered crest of Stac Pollaidh rises alone above the lochs of Coigach, and the trails of Knockan Crag above Assynt climb a hillside that tells the story of the rocks. Down at the mouth of Glen Coe there are two more: the conical Pap of Glencoe above Loch Leven, and rounded Beinn a'Chrulaiste, climbed above all for its view across to the Buachaille.
Some are gentle half-days, others rough, steep and serious near the top, so pick to suit your legs and the weather. Whatever you choose, the views are the reward.
Here are eight mountain walks to seek out across Scotland.
Blà Bheinn
Photo: David Brown via Geograph.org.uk
Climb Blà Bheinn On the Isle of Skye, Bla Bheinn, or Blaven, stands apart from the main Cuillin ridge, rising steeply above Loch Slapin. At around 929 metres it is a Munro, and the only one on Skye set off from the great Cuillin, though it shares the same rough black gabbro that gives good grip underfoot.
The usual route climbs from the roadside near the head of the loch, following a path into a corrie before the ground turns to loose stone, a steep gully and a short scramble to the summit. From the top the view is extraordinary: the jagged Cuillin across Glen Sligachan, sea and islands all around.
Stac Pollaidh
Photo: Andrew Tryon via Geograph.org.uk
Discover Stac Pollaidh In the Coigach country, on the edge of the far north-west Highlands, Stac Pollaidh is a small but dramatic mountain rising alone above the lochs and moor. Its crest is a shattered ridge of Torridonian sandstone, broken into towers and pinnacles left standing above the ice of the last age.
A well-made path climbs steeply from the car park by Loch Lurgainn and loops around the mountain, and gaining the ridge is a short, easy scramble, though the true summit at the western end needs an exposed clamber over the rock towers for those with a head for heights. It rises to about 612 metres, with wide views over a land of scattered peaks.
The Old Man Of Storr
Photo: John MacKenzie via Geograph.org.uk
The Old Man Of Storr Standing on the Trotternish ridge on the Isle of Skye, this soaring rock pinnacle counts among the most photographed sights in all of Scotland. It belongs to a huge landslip, a chaos of spires and crags spread below the cliff of the Storr, with the fifty-metre needle towering over the rest.
From a car park on the road north of Portree, a there-and-back walk of roughly three miles climbs to the foot of the pinnacles, growing steep and rocky near the top, and repaying the effort with wide views over the sea to Raasay and the mainland. Climbers first topped the pinnacle in 1955.
Go early to beat the crowds.
Trotternish Ridge
Photo: Nigel Brown via Geograph.org.uk
Trotternish Ridge A line of dark basalt cliffs close to twenty miles long, this ridge runs from north to south down the backbone of the Trotternish peninsula in northern Skye. It is Britain's largest landslip of its type, created where dense lava rock slid over the softer beds below.
Its two best-known features both lie along the crest: the Old Man of Storr, a tall pinnacle gained by a popular short walk, and the Quiraing, a tangle of pinnacles and terraces off to the north. The Storr crowns it at 719 metres, and walking the whole line makes for a long, serious mountain day.
Pick a clear day for it.
Beinn a'Chrulaiste
Photo: Alan O'Dowd via Geograph.org.uk
Climb Beinn a'Chrulaiste Across the road from the great pyramid of Buachaille Etive Mor, at the mouth of Glen Coe, Beinn a'Chrulaiste is a broad, rounded hill. A Corbett of around 857 metres, it is climbed less for its own shape than for the view it gives: from the grassy summit you look straight across to the Buachaille and down the length of Glen Coe, one of the finest mountain views in the country.
The ascent is mostly a steady pull over grass and moor rather than rock, starting near the old Kingshouse inn on the edge of Rannoch Moor. The top is bare and open, scattered with stones and exposed to the weather of the moor.
Knockan Crag Nature Reserve
Photo: Dave Fergusson via Geograph.org.uk
Knockan Crag Nature Reserve It was here that geologists puzzled over older rock lying on top of younger, and worked out the vast earth movement now called the Moine Thrust, which you can see plainly in the crag. The whole reserve exists to tell that story of the rocks, set on the road north of Ullapool in the far north-west Highlands.
Waymarked trails climb the hillside past a turf-roofed shelter, sculptures and interpretation, and it is free and open all year. Wide views run out over the wild country of Assynt, a gentler outing than the peaks nearby.
Follow the trail up and read the ground.
Pap of Glencoe
Photo: Andrew Tryon via Geograph.org.uk
Climb the Pap of Glencoe At the western end of the Aonach Eagach ridge, above Loch Leven and the mouth of Glen Coe, the Pap of Glencoe is a distinctive conical peak. Its Gaelic name, Sgorr na Ciche, means the peak of the breast, after its rounded shape, and it makes the classic view as you come into the glen.
At 742 metres it is a popular half-day climb, usually from near Glencoe village, with a rockier scramble over the last stretch to a summit that looks out over the loch, the glen and the Mamores. In winter it becomes a serious outing.
Quiraing
Photo: Julian Paren via Geograph.org.uk
Quiraing In the north of the Isle of Skye, on the Trotternish ridge, this is the largest landslip still on the move anywhere in Britain. Thousands of years of slumping ground have shaped tall cliffs, sharp pinnacles and concealed plateaus, including a fortress-like block of rock named the Prison, a slender spire called the Needle and a level, hidden grassy shelf, the Table, where cattle were once tucked away from raiders.
A well-liked circular walk of about four miles sets off from a car park on the single-track road below. In places the path narrows and clings high above the valley.
Watch your footing and take your time.
FAQs
Where are these mountain walks in Scotland?
They fall into three main areas. Bla Bheinn, the Old Man of Storr, the Trotternish Ridge and the Quiraing are all on the Isle of Skye. Stac Pollaidh and Knockan Crag lie in the far north-west Highlands, around Coigach and Assynt. The Pap of Glencoe and Beinn a'Chrulaiste stand at the mouth of Glen Coe, above Loch Leven and Rannoch Moor.
Which is the easiest of these mountain walks?
Knockan Crag, on the road north of Ullapool, is the gentlest, with short waymarked trails rather than a summit push. The Old Man of Storr on Skye is a steady there-and-back walk, while Beinn a'Chrulaiste at the mouth of Glen Coe is mostly a grassy pull rather than a rocky climb.
Do I need experience for these hills?
It depends on the hill. Knockan Crag in Assynt suits anyone, but Bla Bheinn on Skye and the Pap of Glencoe involve steep, rocky scrambling near the top, and Stac Pollaidh's true summit is exposed. These are serious mountains in poor weather or winter, so go prepared.
Conclusion
Scotland's mountains range from short, sharp scrambles to long ridge days, and this eight offers a taste of both. On Skye you can test yourself on Bla Bheinn, or take the shorter paths to the Old Man of Storr and the Quiraing along the Trotternish ridge.
In the far north-west, the towers of Stac Pollaidh and the trails of Knockan Crag reward a trip to Coigach and Assynt, while at the mouth of Glen Coe the Pap of Glencoe and Beinn a'Chrulaiste look out over some of the grandest scenery in the land. Go well shod, carry warm and waterproof layers, and always keep an eye on the sky, for the weather turns fast up high.
From easy half-days to serious summits, these are the mountain walks to seek out across Scotland.
