Natural Heritage - Recreation in the Western Highlands

The Western Highlands has some of the most extensive and remote country in Europe and the combination of sea, loch, forest and mountainous land provides for a diverse range of outdoor activities. The Area’s natural environment is a magnet to recreationalists and sightseers throughout the year, and draws visitors from across the globe.

Hill walking is surely one of the most popular pursuits, as the area encompasses many Munros (mountains above 3000ft. high) and Corbetts (hills above 2000ft high). Ben Nevis, Britain’s highest mountain (4406 ft.), attracts approximately 75,000 visitors per annum, all coming to walk the rocky path to its boulder strewn summit. The mountain massifs of Glen Coe, Glen Shiel, Beinn Eighe, and the Fannichs are a big draw for walkers too; on the Isle of Skye the Cuillins present a particularly spectacular and challenging series of peaks; and the remote areas of Kintail, Knoydart, Storr, Torridon and Shieldaig provides a sense of wilderness hard to find in elsewhere in Scotland.

The rock climbing in places such as Glen Nevis and on Skye is excellent and the huge cliffs on the north-east face of Ben Nevis afford some of the best and most accessible ice climbing of its type in Europe. Through the winter on Aonach Mor and in Glen Coe there is downhill skiing and throughout the area undulating summit ridges and plateaus lend themselves to ski-mountaineering.

Extensive areas of native woodland and commercial forests of non-native conifers are found throughout the West Highlands and provide not only for commercial and natural heritage interests, but for recreation too. Networks of paths and trails are widespread and cater for a wide range of walking and running abilities. In addition to the myriad of forest walks, tracks within the forests are used for horse riding, cycling, cross-country skiing and orienteering. Leanachan Forest (Lochaber), in particular, is now very much a centre for such varied recreational use and, linked with the Nevis Range ski company, has become a centre for international biking competitions.

The West Highland Way, from Glasgow to Fort William, is one of Britain’s foremost long distance walking routes, and is partly within West Highland. A more recently established long distance route, The Great Glen Way, also has one end in West Highland.

Adjacent to the Great Glen Way is the Caledonian Canal, just under half of which is in West Highland. The canal links a series of natural lochs, joining the Atlantic to the North Sea. It is used by both commercial and pleasure boats. On one of the lochs in the chain, Loch Oich, there are water-based sports such as windsurfing. On the rivers of the Area, and in particular on the likes of the River Roy and River Spean, kayaking has become very popular.

Freshwater angling occurs throughout the region, though the numbers of salmon and trout in West Highland rivers has declined in recent years. The coastal waters of the Area support sea fishing, both for shellfish and fish, and recreational diving – the marine waters being rich in underwater sea life – and they also provide sheltered bays for anchorages for yachts. Fine sandy beaches, such as those at Arisaig, Morar and Gairloch provide a location for family days out in summer.

The wonderful wildlife of the area makes it an exciting destination for both amateur and professional naturalists and wildlife photographers. For those less inclined to explore on their own, land-based wildlife tours are run from various locations and several operators run boat tours to show-off the marine environment and its wildlife.

Visitor centres and museums focussing on natural, historical and cultural heritage can be found in numerous places, such as Ardnamurchan, Portree, Armadale, Mallaig, Glenfinnan, Kinlochewe and Glencoe.

In order both to protect the natural resource and to enhance the visitors' experience, the Highland Council, the National Trust for Scotland, John Muir Trust, Scottish Wildlife Trust, Forest Enterprise and RSPB provide, with the support of SNH, ranger/wardening services in a number of locations.

As a sign of the significance of Lochaber for outdoor activities, many of which rely on the area’s landscape and natural heritage, the area is now being promoted as the Outdoor capital of the UK, to raise the profile and economy of the area through encouraging investment in recreational projects, services and business opportunities.