The nice thing about peak bagging in Scotland is that you don’t need a bunch of gear to do it. Many of the peaks are accessible to everyday hikers. Just load your day pack with a few essentials and hit the trail.
In this photo, Daniel Sundqvist stands atop one of Scotland’s Munros. Named in honor of Sir Hugh Munro, a Munro is any mountain with a height greater than 3,000 feet (914.4 meters). Click here to read our previous blog about Munros and mountain hiking in Scotland.
If you’re an avid hiker, then you’ll love peak bagging, or “Munro bagging,” as they call it in Scotland. Some of the locals, calling themselves “Munroists,” actually try to hike as many Munros as they can in their lifetime. There are 282 Munros in Scotland, and, as of 2009, 4,000 people claimed to have bagged every peak. (They call it a “compleation.”) There are also 509 Tops and 221 Corbetts. A Top is a secondary peak over 3,000 feet and a Corbett is any distinct peak greater than 2,500 feet (but less than 3,000). Some people try to climb all of these too!
The Scottish Mountaineering Club maintains a full list of all the Munros, Corbetts, and the hill walkers that have compleated them. Check out their site, it’s a worth a visit.
We don’t have time to bag every peak, so we’ll take in some of the most famous climbs during our Scotland Highlands and Islands hiking tour. It's worth mentioning that we do NOT offer this trip as a self-guided version. So, if you’d like to bag some Munros then please join our guided hike. Daniel Sundqvist will lead this trip, and we have four spots left on this year’s tour.
Note: While many of Scotland’s Munros can be summited by the average hiker, some require a bit more skill, and all require a basic level of fitness to start. No matter which peak you summit, there is no excuse for going unprepared. Always be prepared for inclement weather and carry enough gear for unforeseen circumstances. Remember the old adage, “You can’t cheat the mountain!"