walkhighlands

Gear Review: 2-3 season walking boots (2024)

As usual with our reviews, the prices given here are the manufacturer’s recommended price – Walkhighlands has no affiliation with any retailers and you will usually be able to find most of these discounted for less. All weights given are per pair; the women’s shoes were tested by Helen and the men’s by Paul, so weights are given for the actual pair tested – note the sizes. Hanwag: Blueridge Lady ES RRP: £185Weight: 1.1kg (women’s UK size 6)Upper: Suede and 100% recycled fabric, Hanwag EcoShell waterproof membraneMidsole: PUSole: Hanwag Hike Pro Comfort is first and foremost with this mid height,

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Posted in Footwear, Gear reviews, Magazine

Common Ground: Kevin Woods

Our Common Ground interview this month is with mountaineer, film-maker and musician Kevin Woods. Anna Wells’ round of the Munros in a single winter season has made recent headlines; Kevin was the previous person to complete a winter Munro round, back in 2019-2020. He’s made a great film about his experience, Winter282 – you can catch upcoming showings in Glasgow, Aberdeen and Yorkshire over on his website. Can you begin by telling us a bit about yourself and your background? I’m a creative type at heart. I spent my twenties playing drums in various bands which gave a lot of

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Posted in Common Ground inteviews, Features, Magazine

Our picks: 10 walks on Scotland’s west coast islands

Every Journey Starts a Story There’s little that can match the magic of visiting an island. Places are transformed by the feeling you get when you have to board a ferry and cross the water to reach them. Nowhere is this more true than with the Scottish islands, which have some of the finest mountain and maritime landscapes in Europe, teeming with wildlife including whales, dolphins, otters and spectacular seabird colonies. There are endless layers of human history to uncover too, from the prehistoric remains such as the standing stones at Callanish, evidence of the long era of Norse rule,

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Posted in Features, Magazine, Our picks

Common Ground: Phoebe Sleath

Her watercolours of Scotland’s high mountains – painted in her sketchbook whilst in the field – have deservedly drawn attention for Aberdeen-based geology student and mountain leader Phoebe Sleath (see her website, Sketching from sea to summit). Here she tells of her approach to our great outdoors. Can you begin by telling us a bit about yourself and your background? I’m a Geology PhD Student and creative adventurer living in Aberdeen. I grew up in Herefordshire and, although my parents liked walking and took us on family holidays to Scotland and the Lake District, it took quite a long time

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Posted in Common Ground inteviews, Features, Magazine

Epic winter days win monthly gear prizes

February’s walk report of the month winners sum up the joy of being able to make the best of the small number of great mountain weather days we’ve had last month. The winning report is an account of an epic single day by Mrandmrsod Seeking the perfect Winters day on Ladhar Bheinn. A voucher for £100 of Highlander gear is on its way to you. Congratulations also to Pointless Parasite who wins the £50 runner up prize for Three classic Snowdonia scrambles in one day. For a chance of winning just post a walk report (everything from tiny bimbles to multi-day adventures welcome) on the

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Posted in Magazine, News

Common Ground: Joshua Adeyemi

In our new series, we aim to find out what makes our fellow outdoor enthusiasts tick. Joshua Adeyemi is the man behind the hugely popular talesbyjosh instagram account, through which he shares videos of his adventures in Scotland’s mountains. Josh describes himself first and foremost as a human. He was Ramblers Scotland’s ‘Walking Champion’ in 2023, and is a co-founder of Black Scottish Adventurers, a community-interest company that aims to: introduce more ethnic minorities to the Scottish outdoors, help benefit their physical and mental wellbeing, and educate people about how their daily activities impact their environment and, ultimately, the climate

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Posted in Common Ground inteviews, Features, Magazine

Gear Review: Winter Trousers 2024

Keela: Scuffer Trousers RRP: £84.95Weight: 440g (Women’s 10S) Just about the stretchiest fabric on test, these trousers have proved to have a high level of wind resistance and good water repellency, whilst not being too hot when working hard. I’ve found them to been fairly quick drying too. The decent sized zipped side vents with mesh are easy to use while wearing. The women’s fit is on the slim side, but these trousers come in 6 sizes and 3 lengths so you should find something that suits. The design is well thought out with good knee shaping and velcro-adjustable ankles

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Posted in Gear reviews, Magazine, Trousers

Common Ground: Kirsty Pallas

In our Common Ground series, we hear from the some of the incredible variety of people who enjoy Scotland’s great outdoors. Can you begin by telling us a bit about yourself and your background?  I’m a mountaineering instructor based near Oban, and I work part time for Mountaineering Scotland as a Mountain Safety Advisor, and the rest of the time freelance. This means I do a whole range of work from navigation courses, guiding on the Cuillin Ridge, teaching rock climbing, training up new Mountain Leaders, and delivering winter skills courses. We moved here as a family over 20 years

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Posted in Common Ground inteviews, Features, Magazine, News

Epic US hike and wonderous Assynt win monthly prizes

2024 got off to a great start with loads of people posting their trip reports and walk experiences on the Walkhighlands forum. Each month two winners share £150 Highlander vouchers to spend on outdoor gear. January’s winning report, by Eduardo, takes us back to 2008 to tackle one of the great US trails – the heat of life in the handful of dust – John Muir Trail – a fantastic write up and a great read on a driech Scottish day. The £50 runner up prize goes to Anne C for The Wonder of Ben Mor Coigach, the stunning scenery of the north

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Posted in Magazine, News

Tawny Twits and Tawny Twoos

Winter nights are rather quiet affairs, but I’d forgotten just how quiet they were until a familiar sound pierced one of them last week while I was out for a torchlit stroll. Huuuuu……..Huh….Huhuhuhuuuuuu. It sailed through the chill night air, clear and sharp, from somewhere within the dark recesses of a granny pine. I stopped in my tracks and waited for a repeat, which duly came after 10 seconds or so. Huuuuu….. I waited, listening for the familiar response. A short moment later a fainter, more distant sound, high pitched and squawky, called out. Kewick!…….Kewick! Tawny owls. The walls of

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Posted in Features, Magazine, Nature


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You should always carry a backup means of navigation and not rely on a single phone, app or map. Walking can be dangerous and is done entirely at your own risk. Information is provided free of charge; it is every walker's responsibility to check it and to navigate safely.