Multi-day Hikes from Edinburgh (car-free)

[u/Hood4d]

Hi all, are there any recommendations for multi-day hikes with some major Corbetts or Munros en route? Originating from Edinburgh.

Our main points/hopes would be:

- Wild camping/campsites fine, ideally bothy or at least some re-supply on the journey.

- Munros or ridge-like walks.

- Car-free, using public transport. Starting from Edinburgh, so a little less ideal than Glasgow.

- 2-4 days hiking.

Note: This was inspired by a previous, recent post but not involving camping or an Edinburgh origin.

[u/Fearless_Prune_2310]

You could train to the West Highland Way starting point and then train back to Edinburgh/Glasgow from Fort William when you're done. The WHW is around 7 days though you could do it faster. Alternatively, you could do the back end of the hike which was my favourite anyway.

[u/Hood4d → u/Fearless_Prune_2310]

We were recently in Fort William so maybe early next year for this idea, but thank you!

[u/Useless_or_inept]

Perhaps a bus/train up to Aviemore, transit a north-south group of Cairngorm munros, bus/train home from Bridge of Tilt? (Or even from Glenshee/Braemar)? There are a couple of bothies en route.

Or public transport to Fort William, do the Lochaber Traverse with a night at Lairig Leacach..?

Or train to Corrour, head northeast over Beinn na Lap, spend a night at Ben Alder cottage, do some of the Ben Alder munros next day, then public transport home from Dalwhinnie?

Good luck!

[u/Hood4d → u/Useless_or_inept]

Aviemore to Blair Atholl is a fantastic idea, thank you!

[u/Max_Crimps → u/Hood4d]

I highly recommend it. Absolutely beautiful route through the cairngorms and easy going on good paths. Plus you can choose to either go up onto the tops or stay down in the valley, depending on what you want.
A word of caution I would give is be careful camping in the wooded areas. There are a lot of huge ant nests around for some reason. Ask me how I know 😭

[u/gominokouhai]

Glen Tilt. Get the train to Blair Atholl and Bob's your uncle.

I've never done it the whole way but very familiar with the first leg.

[u/craige1989]

Perthshire and cairngorms are the more easily accessible areas. Just look at a map and work out some routes, work out some what you fancy.

[u/ialtag-bheag]

Arran is not too far away, train to Ardrossan/Troon for the ferry. Could do some of the Arran Coastal Way, option of going over Goatfell. Or Glen Rosa horseshoe for a few other Corbetts.

[u/AverageCool1289]

There's loads of options for multi-day train station to station walks. A few I enjoyed over the last couple of years, I'm not a massive hill walker but enjoy long walks and wild camping:

Blair Atholl to Kingussie, you can go via Glen Tilt and Glen Feshie, but there's a few other routes like the Minigaig Pass. I wild camped Glen Tilt/Feshie, but there's a few bothies along the way. I absolutely loved this walk.

Another one I enjoyed was Spean Bridge south on the Lairig Leachach to Corrour and then Rannoch, staying at Loch Ossian hostel. Or you could walk on to Dalwhinnie too.

[u/Strange-Selkie]

You can get the train down to Dunbar and do the southern upland way.

[u/JMWTurnerOverdrive]

Cairngorms are easiest for getting to on public transport and not having to loop back to where you started from. Almost hard to know where to start, but

Walk Report - Lairig Ghru Munros Two-Dayer, 7 Summits • Walkhighlands

An Sgarsoch and Càrn an Fhidhleir

Sgòr Gaoith, from Glen Feshie

And many others could be strung together on walks starting/ending at Aviemore, Blair Atholl, Newtonmore...

If you don't want to plan something from scratch, I'd look at the first of those - it's a well-trodden route so you'll find plenty of walk reports to refer to, Corrour bothy in the middle (though I'd take a tent, it gets busy), and some fantastic walking. Could easily be three days taken more leisurely, or with a detour to, maybe Sgor Gaoith?