UKC

Hi, Seeking recommendations for day walks (ideally circular and <25km), for my wife and I. Preferably avoiding roads. as much as possible. We shall be staying in Edinburgh but have also booked one night at the Clachaig and one night in Perth (left-over from an abandoned pre-pandemic holiday!). We will have a car. Happy with anything but my wife would prefer more lowland routes. 

Thanks

Martyn

Good place to start:

https://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/

Thanks Dave

I had looked at the walkhighlands website and was also hoping to obtain some UKC wisdom/bias whatever!

A few ideas for you: 

Around Edinburgh: 

East Lothian coast from Longniddry (or Aberlady) to N. Berwick. Not circular, but you can return easily by train/bus. Stick to the coast itself, rather than the John Muir Way, which misses all the best bits. 

Plenty of options in the Pentlands - if you want avoid climbing hills there is a good circuit from Harlaw reservoir passing Threipmuir, Loganlee and Glencorse reservoirs and back via Maiden Cleuch. 

Fife: 

Circuit of Loch Leven

A section of the Fife Coast path, maybe Crail to St. Andrews (not circular, but there is a good bus service). 

Perthshire: 

Near Dunkeld, assorted options around Loch Ordie and Deuchary Hill 

From Pitlochry, the Bealach path from Moulin to Killiecrankie and back along the river (option to do Ben Vrackie on the way). 

From Blair Atholl, up Glen Tilt as far as you like, some semi-circular options with paths/tracks on either side of the river. 

Glencoe: 

The Two Lairigs walk around Buachaille Etive Beag. 

Circuit from Kinlochleven to Loch Eilde Mor and Blackwater Reservoir.  

Long, no roads, no hills and circular is a big ask!

Pentland valleys, in and out of Glen Corse have endless permutations. The round of the tops is 5000ft of up and down though and a great walk.

Moorfoots are pretty flat and make a nice circuit.

Union canal and Fife coast path are nice lowland walks but in no way circular.

Falkland glens and Lomond hills are handy From Perth.

From Blair Atholl there is Glen Tilt and several options for returning down different Glen's.

From Clachaig, Lost Valley and Glen Nevis are the obvious low-level excursions.

Have fun!

thanks for all the suggestions 

just what i was after-will spend my day in furlough following up

now i just have to summon up the nerve to buy our airline tickets…

Hi Mark- plenty to consider

Thank you

The John Muir way is worth looking at.

Obviously multiple day long walking segments rather than circular walks but it is central belt and there is a lot of public transport so it is possible to get a train or bus to one end of a segment and then walk 20km or so back to where you started from.   

Based in Edinburgh Dunbar to North Berwick is nice with train stations on either end.  Even South Queensferry back to Edinburgh is quite good.

If you want a completely flat day then the beaches on both sides of the Forth really are excellent, the trick is to look at the wind direction forecast and pick one that will be sheltered.

Yellowcraig is great with a nice view of Fidra and a good length to walk to North Berwick for a cup of tea before the return.

Maybe one for the way up/down but Peebles is really nice and you can do a walk of any length along the river there, bonus points if you go through the railway tunnel.

thanks everyone I have a great list of options for all weathers. Of course my plan is to encourage my wife into the hills but starting gradually.

Hi,

The Culter Fell loop is lovely. It's just South of Biggar off the A702. At 25.5km is slightly longer than requested and there's only a 1km road section which is an access road to a reservoir so you are unlikely to come across any traffic.

There are only two out and back sections if you want to take in Chapelgill Hill (38 minutes return) & Hillshaw Hill (300m return) to tick off all 3 Donalds and 2 Graham's.

https://osmaps.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/route/11601611/Chapelgill-Hill-Culter-F...

I did a lovely circular a few years back. 

Park in Fort William and get the train to Corrour, from there you can walk the valleys back to Glen Nevis. Winding alongside the rivers and past a couple of bothies if you do fancy making it a two day outing. As such there isn't much ascent.

Stunning and remote with the added pleasure of stepping off the train at Corrour into the wilderness.

I think it is around the 25-30km mark.

Ben

https://fifecoastandcountrysidetrust.co.uk/walks/fife-coastal-path/

Lots of palaces to stop for lunch or coffee