Budget Weekend Adventures in the Scottish Highlands

Why the Highlands are cheaper than you think

The Scottish Highlands have a reputation for being expensive, and it is mostly the fault of two things: accommodation and fuel. Take those out of the equation and the maths changes completely. A long-distance coach booked a few weeks in advance can cost less than a round of drinks, dorm beds in independent hostels start at around £20 a night, and bothies are free. Add the fact that Scottish access rights let you walk almost anywhere on unenclosed land, and a proper weekend of glens, ridges and cold water can come in comfortably under £100.

The trick is to pick a base with a station or a bus stop rather than somewhere you need a car to reach, and to treat the journey as part of the trip rather than an overhead. Fort William, Aviemore, Tyndrum and Corrour all work beautifully for this.

Getting there and around without a car

Long-distance coaches run from the central belt and Inverness to most Highland towns several times a day, and booking a specific departure in advance is far cheaper than turning up and paying on the day. Trains are pricier but worth it for one leg: the West Highland line to Fort William and Mallaig is one of the great railway journeys in Europe, and it will drop you at Corrour, the highest mainline station in Britain, in the middle of Rannoch Moor.

• Book coach seats as far ahead as you can bear. Fares rise steeply in the final week, especially on Fridays.
• A railcard pays for itself after a trip or two if you plan to travel by train more than once.
• Local buses link most glen heads and trailheads, but Sunday services are thin to non-existent. Check the timetable before you commit to a route.
• Corrour and other remote stations are request stops. Tell the guard where you are getting off, or you will be carried past it.

Sleeping for next to nothing

Independent hostels are the backbone of a cheap Highland weekend: dorm beds typically £20–£28, with kitchens, drying rooms and a crowd of people who will happily tell you where the good swimming is. Some are run by membership organisations and charge a small supplement for non-members, which is worth checking before you book.

Bothies are the other half of the equation. These are simple, unlocked shelters in remote places, maintained by volunteers and free to use. There is no booking, no warden, usually no phone signal, and no guarantee of a space on a summer Saturday. Take a sleeping bag, mat, stove, fuel and a bin bag to carry everything out with you. Water comes from a stream; treat it if you are unsure. Groups should keep their numbers small, and everyone should leave the place cleaner than they found it.

Wild camping is legal on most unenclosed land in Scotland, though some popular areas have seasonal byelaws requiring a permit or a designated pitch between spring and early autumn. Pitch late, leave early, carry out all litter, and bury human waste well away from water.

Bagging a Munro on a bus timetable

You do not need a car to stand on a summit. Ben Nevis can be walked straight from Fort William, which makes it the obvious target if you are arriving by coach or train — though the plateau is a serious navigation problem in poor visibility, so carry a map and compass and know how to use them.

• Ben Lomond is one of the most accessible Munros, with a seasonal bus from the south end of Loch Lomond to Rowardennan in summer.
• Cairn Gorm and the northern corries are reachable from Aviemore, which has good bus and rail links and a hostel or two to match.
• The Loch Ossian area, from Corrour station, offers big, quiet walking with a bothy and a hostel within a few kilometres of the platform.
• Glen Nevis and Glen Coe give you enormous drama without a summit if the weather turns, which it will.

Check a proper mountain weather forecast the night before, tell someone your route, and be honest about the daylight. In May and June you have light until nearly eleven; in November you have roughly seven hours and should plan accordingly.

Wild swimming for the price of a towel

Cold water is the best free entertainment in Scotland. Loch Morlich near Aviemore has a sandy bay that shelves gently and is popular with swimmers. The river pools in Glen Nevis are gloriously clear. Loch an Eilein, with its island ruin, is a beautiful short dip on a warm afternoon.

Treat every one of them with respect. There are no lifeguards, the bottom is often invisible, and Highland lochs stay cold even in August. Enter gradually, never alone, and keep your first dip to a few minutes. Watch for hidden drops, weirs and currents near outflows, and avoid any water with a green or blue-green scum on it, which can be toxic algae. Warm layers and a flask in your bag make the whole thing far more enjoyable. Ticks are common in long grass, so check yourself properly afterwards.

The small things that save the most

• Do a supermarket shop in the last town before you head in. Highland village shops are lovely and pricey.
• A stove and simple dry food — pasta, couscous, porridge — beat pub meals for cost, though one warm meal out is part of the fun.
• A midge head net costs a few pounds and weighs nothing. In June and July it will save your evening.
• Borrow or hire kit for a first trip. There is no point buying a four-season sleeping bag to find out you hate bothies.
• Go in May, early June or September for long days, fewer midges and cheaper beds.

None of this requires heroics. It requires a bit of planning, a decent forecast, and the willingness to be cold and happy in equal measure. That is the whole appeal.