Culdearn House, Grantown-on-Spey, Morayshire
This small, efficient hotel in an elegant Victorian villa feels more like a luxury guesthouse; one to wallow in if you’re tackling the Speyside Way, which runs through the town. Great beds, open fires and a 60-strong whisky selection are a hit with footsore guests; as are the evening meals. Scrub up in your room then sit at a linen-draped table to fill up on pistachio- and lemon-stuffed guinea fowl and raspberry and passion-fruit pavlova. The owners will dry clothes, make up packed lunches and transport luggage to the next stop on the Way.
Doubles from £120 B&B, 01479 872106, culdearn.com
Green Shadows, Drymen, Stirlingshire
Just outside Drymen, in Loch Lomond and the Trossachs national park, this dedicated walkers’ B&B is a good stopping-off point along the West Highland Way. Or it can be a jumping-off point for the Rob Roy Way, as well as for tackling nearby hills and Munros – and the flatter walking around the shore of Loch Lomond. The owners provide a free pick-up and drop-off service from the village of Drymen for guests arriving on foot, and single and triple rooms are available along with doubles or twins.
Doubles from £78 B&B, 01360 660289, bedandbreakfastlochlomond.net
Staffa House, Fionnphort, Mull
At nearly 900 sq km, Mull has enough decent walking to warrant more than a passing visit. Base yourself at this homely B&B in Fionnphort and you can take advantage of the owners’ collection of walking guides and maps, and extensive local knowledge, to explore walks along beaches, through deserted villages and across hills. Order cream cheese and Tobermory smoked trout sandwiches and homemade flapjacks to take with you on your hike, or book a guided wildlife walk with local company Mull Magic.
Doubles from £66 B&B, 01681 700677, staffahouse.co.uk
Scorrybreac Guest House, Glencoe, the Highlands
This guesthouse, near the entrance to the magnificent glen, is the perfect place to shelter after a day of serious hill walking or a stroll around the neighbouring lochan. There’s a drying room for boots and clothes, and a washing and drying service if you stay longer than one night. If you’re keen to stride out on the wide range of local trails, the owners will lend maps, give route suggestions, make packed lunches and fill flasks. Or book a guided walk with Go Glencoe.
Doubles from £60 B&B, 01855 811354, scorrybreacglencoe.com
Glen Clova Hotel, Glencova, Angus
You can never please everyone but this small, independent hotel in the Angus Glens comes close if you’re in a mixed-budget group, with standard en suite hotel bedrooms and a climbers’ (and walkers’) bunkhouse, plus self-catering lodges for longer stays. Maps of local walking routes are available to borrow and the hotel has a decent bar for a post-hike drink, as well as a restaurant; reward yourself with a homemade pizza or a Josper grilled rib-eye, heather-fed lamb or Clova venison.
Doubles from £90 B&B, bunks from £20pp, 01575 550350, clova.com
The Great Glen Hostel, South Laggan, Inverness-shire
For visitors arriving on foot at this independent hostel in South Laggan it’s the location that sells it: the 11 bedrooms, three bathrooms and self-catering kitchen here are minutes from the Great Glen Way. A laundry room, drying room and on-site grocery store are other advantages. And, if you want to stay longer there are Munros aplenty to climb, two popular local loop walks and lots of other activities if you want to do more than hike.
Twin rooms from £40, bunks from £17, 01809 501430, greatglenhostel.com
Comrie Croft, Crieff, Perthshire
For a walking weekend within easy striking distance of Glasgow or Edinburgh this friendly site, outside Crieff, fits the bill. Choose from kata tents, camping or a bed in one of two hostels (go for the colourful Steading bunkhouse) and enjoy basic comforts with a homely edge. There are plenty of walks nearby: those from the door include a nature trail around the 231-acre site and a hike up Ben Chonzie, a Munro. In all but deepest winter months there’s also a cafe on the site and the Steading hostel has dedicated laundry and drying rooms.
Doubles from £56, beds from £19pp, 01764 670140, comriecroft.com
Torridon Youth Hostel, by Achnasheen, Ross-shire
With its painted breeze-block walls, moss-green sofas, flowery curtains and scratchy carpets there’s no mistaking this dog-friendly hostel for a design hotel. But that’s what the regulars like. What you see is what you get; and that includes friendly staff, clean dorm beds, a large kitchen, a drying room and access to some of the finest walking in the country. With the local mountain rescue team based at the hostel, it’s little surprise that guests can book add-on skills courses, from winter walking to navigation for walkers. More casual activities, from guided walking to sea kayaking, can be arranged through Torridon Activities.
Dorm beds from £12, twin rooms from £42, 01445 791284, syha.org.uk
The Chlenry, Castle Kennedy, Dumfries and Galloway
A farmhouse B&B in Castle Kennedy, right on the Southern Upland Way, this is the ideal place to end up if you’ve walked the notoriously tough route from north-east to south-west. There’s little in the way of modern bling but lashings of old-fashioned hospitality, not least hot baths, open fires, home cooked meals (choose from a simple supper or a four-course dinner) and welcoming owners. One to do in the summer months … stay on for a few nights to explore four famous local gardens: Dunskey Estate, Castle Kennedy Gardens, Glenwhan Gardens and the Logan Botanic Gardens in Port Logan near Stranraer, then have dinner by candlelight in the garden.
Doubles £90 B&B, 01776 705316, chlenryfarmhouse.com
Ruthven Steadings, near Kingussie, the Cairngorms
This homely guesthouse ticks most boxes for walkers. Breakfasts are hearty, there’s a large drying room and a lounge with log-burning stove to retreat to at the end of the day. Its setting in the Cairngorms national park means that, for Munro baggers, there’s easy access to five of the six highest peaks in Scotland while, for low-level walking, Insh Marshes RSPB reserve is on the doorstep.
Doubles from £72 B&B, 01540 662328, bedandbreakfastcairngorms.co.uk
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