More tailor-made hiking trips

The programme will be tailored to your wishes and interests, but here are same examples.

Walking in the footsteps of your Ancestors

Innis Chonnel Castle, for 200 years the seat of the Campbell clan

Journey "back home"
A trip to Scotland - a trip back home - is the best way to discover more about your roots. We will take you on a journey of discovery to places connected with your family name. This can include visits to castles, forts, deserted townships, churches, grave yards and other buildings they new.

We will walk on the land that your people were born on, farmed, fought on, where they had their homes. The walks will be to important historical sites and the most beautiful places on the land of your ancestors. Your guide will tell you about their history, what they wore, thought and felt; how their crafts gave them survival.
Retracing the footsteps of your ancestors will not only bring the past to life, it will also make your walking/hiking vacation a very special and exciting experience.

Some clans in Argyll

Campbells of Argyll
The Campbells arrived in Argyll as part of a royal expedition in c.1220. They settled on Loch Aweside where they were placed in charge of the King's lands in the area.
From Bruce's time, the family headquarters had been the great castle at Innis Chonnel on Loch Awe, and remained so until the 1400's when Sir Duncan Campbell (great grandson of Sir Colin) moved to Inveraray.

MacDonald
The family was founded in Islay and extended their territory to the mainland. Donald's great-grandson, "Good" John of Islay, became known as Lord of the Isles and later holders of the title became powerful enough to challenge the king of Scotland. The Lord of the Isles had its own parliament at Finlaggan on Islay. The Lordship of the Isles remained the dominant power in Argyll and the Isles for four centuries. Eventually, the Lord of the Isles was defeated in 1493 by King James IV.

MacDougall
The history the MacDougells dates back to 1164 when Dugall the eldest son of King Somerled of the Hebrides founded the clan when his father was killed in battle against the King of Scots. Dugall, (Dubhgall) took over the heartland what is now called Argyll. His title being, King in the South Isles, Lord of Lorn. Through time the principal seats of our Chiefs were Dunstaffnage, Gylen, and Dunollie Castles.

MacIntyre
Tradition suggests that the MacIntyres originally lived in Sleat on the Southern tip of the largest Western Island, the Isle of Skye. The MacIntyres moved from Sleat to the mainland on Loch Etive in Argyll. They settled with their white cattle at a place called Glen Noe on the North Slope of Ben Cruachan and the South shore of Loch Etive. MacIntyres are probably the only independent clan that has close connections with both the Campbell's and the MacDonalds, who were fierce rivals.

MacLachlan
The Maclachlan lands ran along both sides of Loch Fyne (a sea loch) and branches of the clan became established near Loch Awe. The clan's centre was Castle Lachlan, south of Strachur, on the other side of Loch Fyne from the Campbell seat at Inveraray Castle.

MacLean
The MacLean clan has two main branches of the clan - MacLean of Duart and MacLaine of Lochbuie (both on the island of Mull). Castle Duart, the traditional home of the MacLeans, fell into ruins but was restored early in the 20th century by Sir Fitzroy Donald MacLean and is once again the seat of the clan chief.

Castle Stalker changed hands several times between
the Stewarts of Appin and the Campbells of Airds.

Stewarts of Appin
Clan Stewart of Appin is a west Highland branch of the Clan Stewart and have been considered a distinct clan since the 15th century. The stronghold of the Stewarts of Appin was a castle located at the mouth of Loch Laich called Castle Stalker. This Castle was built in the 15th century and was held by the Stewarts and the Campbells of Airds until the 1745 Jacobite Rebellion.

Stuart of Bute
The beautiful Isle of Bute formed part of the domain of Walter, the first High Steward, and remained a Stewart possession except for a brief Norse occupation. But only after 1385 did a family branch become established there, when Sir John Stewart a son of King Robert II was appointed hereditary Sheriff of Bute and Arran; and his descendants still hold the marquisate of Bute.

Cowal & Isle of Bute, 3 walking days

Castle Lachlan on the banks of Loch Fyne

Strathlachlan
This walk takes us amongst rugged little hills overlooking Loch Fyne and along its quiet shores where seals and sea birds live peacefully beside the ruins of an early Christian chapel, a medieval castle and an abandoned farming township.
This area, with its birch and oakwoods fringing open hill land has been the home of the clan MacLachlan since at least the 15th century.
9-10 miles/14-16km and 1200ft/380m ascent

Isle of Bute
We walk on the end of the Isle of Bute. We will see the wide seascapes of the lower Firth of Clyde, with views to Arran's wild mountains and to Ailsa Craig. The walk is a circular one along the coast past Glencallum Bay and Garroch Head, returning north across lava hills. Apart from the views, attractions include the substantial ruins of a 12th century chapel with a much older early-christian enclosure. The graveyard near the chapel includes a Viking hogback-style gravestone. There is also lots of geological interest along the shore.
6 to 8 miles/10-13 km and up to 1000ft/300mascent

Beinn Mhor
This walk takes us to the summit of Beinn Mhor, one of Cowal's highest mountains. Our route up starts from beside Loch Eck, a beautiful and perhaps not widely known ribbon of water lying between Strachur and Dunoon. By first climbing 'the fairy hill' (Meall an t'Sidhe) we achieve a real bird's eye view along the loch. For the rest of the way we first follow a ridge looking down into Beinn Mhor's rocky corries and finally cross the summit plateau to the highest point, with views far into Argyll - weather permitting!
7 miles/11km and 2500ft/760m ascent
We will travel back to Glasgow after our walk, arriving in the late afternoon.

Lorn & Isle of Kerrera, 3 walking days

Hiking in Glen Coe

Day 1: Island of Kerrera
A circuit of the south end of the Island of Kerrera via dramatically-situated Gylen Castle. Scenically beautiful, with new views opening out as we follow successive turns of the coast clockwise from the ferry landing, there's a lot of historical and geological interest on this walk. The confined Sound of Kerrera gives way to more open views south towards the islands of Seil and Scarba, followed in turn by the sudden appearance of Gylen Castle, its prominent silhouette backed by the hills of Mull across the wide Firth of Lorn. Turning north gives yet more new views towards Lismore and the hills beyond lining the long, straight rift where Loch Linnhe leads towards the distant Great Glen.
8 miles/13km and 700ft/200m ascent

Day 2: Glen Coe
Northwards to Glen Coe where a walk into the 'Lost Valley' takes us into the heart of this wild mountain land beyond Rannoch Moor. The Lost Valley (properly Coire Gabhail, or the corrie of booty) is a dramatic glaciated 'hanging valley' situated between two of Glen Coe's famous 'three sisters' ridges. Hidden from the world behind massive piles of tumbled rock that fell from the oversteepened mountainsides late in the ice age, it is reputed to have been the place where the Glen Coe MacDonalds hid their stolen cattle if the original owners came looking. We may also have time for a second walk through one of the two passes linking upper Glen Coe with Glen Etive; the Lairig Gartain or the Lairig Eilde.
Min. 6 miles/9km and 1100ft/350m ascent

Day 3: Kilmartin Glen
Southwards to see the best of the prehistoric monuments around Kilmartin, in Mid-Argyll.
We start the day with a visit to Kilmartin House Museum and some of the Neolitic monuments in the Glen, including Dunadd, the hill fort capital of the first Gaelic-speaking Scots. Our walk will take us into the hills between Kilmartin Glen and the shore with excellent views towards the isles of Jura, Scarba, Mull and the little inhabited islands closer to the coast.
7 miles /11km and 1000ft/300m ascent
We will travel back to Glasgow after our walk, arriving in the late afternoon.

Hillwalking in Argyll, West Highlands of Scotland

Ben Cruachan, Argyll, Scotland

This holiday is designed for keen walkers who would like to be introduced to Scottish hill-walking.
The walking will be tailored to the needs of the individual group and the weather conditions. Some options are:

• Ben More (966m) on the Isle of Mull. This is the only Munro on an island other than Skye. Ben More is a splendid mountain with narrow ridges and some scrambling opportunities. The summit lies at the intersection of three craggy ridges.
• Ben Cruachan (1126m), an excellent mountain with a craggy summit, with the option of walking along the ridge to Stob Diamh.
• Buachaille Etive Mor (Big shepherd of Etive), at the head of Glen Coe with its two Munros at either end of a long winding ridge. Stob Dearg (1021m) is the classic peak. The other peak is Stob na Broige (956m).
• Ben Nevis (1344m), the highest mountain in Britain. We will walk off the beaten mountain path to the summit.

Glen Coe, the Nevis range and the area around Tyndrum and Bridge of Orchy, offer many other mountains that are a challenge and a test of your hill-walking skills.
Our aim is to have you thoroughly exhausted and very pleased with yourself.