What do I need to bring?

You can experience a wide range of weather in a day's walking in Scotland - warm sunshine, heavy rain, mist and wind! So the best motto is to be well prepared, whatever the time of year. Although there are lots of good paths, many paths are often faint, can be wet and "more or less defined". Our recommended kit list is described below.

Recommended kit list

You can experience a wide range of weather in a day's walking in Scotland - warm sunshine, heavy rain, mist and wind! So the best motto is to be well prepared, whatever the time of year. Although there are lots of good paths, many paths are often faint, can be wet and "more or less defined". Things you'll need include:

• A rucksack (20-25 litres should be about right for most walks) with a good waterproof liner inside or a rain cover.
• Boots or good trekking trainers with soles which will grip on rock, grass and mud.
• Waterproof jacket (with a hood) and waterproof overtrousers.
• Trekking trousers (not jeans). 
• T-shirt (not cotton), a long sleeved top and a fleece.
• A hat and gloves.
• Something to eat (sandwiches, fruit, chocolate, etc) and drink (cold and/or hot).
• Sun cream and sunglasses (yes, we do get strong sunlight in Scotland!).
• Midge repellent (though the midges don't tend to be as bad as on the west coast!).
• A small personal first aid kit to deal with minor cuts and grazes, blisters and ticks.
• Any medication you need for an existing illness (such as for diabetes).
• Your own face mask and hand sanitiser.
• Walking poles can also be useful, particularly for crossing rough ground or hopping over a small burn.

Your guide will have a map, compass, GPS device, first aid kit and an emergency shelter. Please feel free to bring along your own compass, map and/or GPS device if you have them. Your guide will also have their own personal protective equipment in case of an emergency.

Please tell us if you have any health-related issues - before we start walking! If you need to change your plans (such as your arrival time at a pre-arranged location), please give us a call to let us know.

When you've booked a walking adventure with us, we'll send an email a few days before the agreed date and give you more detailed information about what to bring. 

What's the weather going to be like?

We get all sorts of weather in Scotland, even more so in the hills and mountains. It can also change quickly!

As walk guides, we keep a close eye on the weather, not just when we finalise plans for a walk but during the walk as well. Looking regularly at weather forecasts helps a lot with this. We use the forecasts provided by the Mountain Weather Information Service (MWIS) a lot as they provide more information for mountain areas and about what the forecast means for hillwalkers. Here is a link to the MWIS website: