Hillwalking in the Scottish Highlands
COLLECTIVELY, THE HIGHEST HILLS in Scotland are called Munros (named after the man who first catalogued them, Sir Hugh Munro). To be classified as a Munro, a hill must have an independent summit over 3,000ft high.
Naturally, this doesn’t cover all Scotland’s hills and there are 227 additional ‘tops’ (hills over 3,000ft that are attached to Munros but share the same summit), 221 Corbetts (hills between 2,500ft and 3,000ft) and 224 Grahams (hills between 2,000ft and 2,500ft). There’s also hundreds of more hills under 2000ft termed ‘Marilyn’s’ and ‘Donald’s’.
To climb all Scotland’s hills would take most folk a lifetime. A common goal for hillwalkers in Scotland is therefore to climb all 283 Munros and become ‘Munro Compleatists.’ To date, 4,973 people have done this (though I know of at least one person who is not on the ‘official’ list). Each of these people had the possibility of seeing the views shown in these photos, though the actual view they saw on the day would have been reliant on the weather they encountered.
Scotland’s mountains can be harsh, and it’s not uncommon for walkers to experience sun, rain, fog, wind, sleet, and snow, all on the same day, even in summer. It’s best to be prepared all year round and have the right skills, clothing, and equipment to get yourself up and down safely.