Feast your eyes on Scotland’s countryside with this menu of seven walks that end with a meal at some of the country’s best restaurants
From the Cairngorms National Park to the North Highlands, Argyll and Edinburgh’s Port of Leith, here’s a choice of Scotland’s best walks for foodies to whet your appetite for an outdoor adventure with a dining experience to boot.
1. The Old Manse of Blair Boutique Hotel & Restaurant in Blair Atholl
Walk The Falls of Bruar
Distance 1.5 miles
Difficulty Fairly easy; multi-terrain woodlands
Duration 1.5 hours to saunter
Location Blair Atholl PH18 5TW
The first in our list of Scotland’s best walks for foodies is The Falls of Bruar, which starts at the House of Bruar carpark. Just follow the signs behind the retail complex following the Bruar burn upstream. The walk is 1.5 miles but allow 1.5 hours as it is fairly strenuous.
On the way, you will be rewarded with views of the gorge from two stone bridges. What better way to end your winter walk than with dinner or an overnight stay at the five-star hotel and restaurant The Old Manse of Blair, recently recognised by the prestigious Michelin Guide Great Britain and Ireland? The Head Chef Scott Davies delivers a sensational dining experience with his take on Scottish-inspired cooking. He has an unwavering commitment to provenance, so the menus are inspired by nature’s bounty and the evolving seasons. Expect showstopping locally foraged dishes.
Though it may be one of Scotland’s best walks, you are also within reach of some stunning hiking routes, including a trio of Munros summits: Càrn Liath, Bràigh Coire Chruinn and Càrn nan Gabhar known as Beinn A Ghlo.
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2. The Old Bridge Inn near Aviemore
Walk Old Logging Way
Distance 17.5 miles, well signposted
Difficulty Difficult, all-day; one of Scotland’s best walks for foodies
Duration Approx. 4 hours
Location Badaguish road, Aviemore PH22 1QU
The second of Scotland’s best walks for foodies is Old Logging Way, which goes to Lochan Uaine (The Green Loch), following the route taken by loggers in the 19th century who floated logs down the River Spey on their way to shipyards to be made into masts, hulls and decking.
The Old Bridge Inn sits on the banks of the famous River Spey and is a great place to start or finish a stroll along the Old Logging Way in the heart of the Cairngorms National Park. As one of Scotland’s best walks, this is a safe route for off-road users such as walkers, runners, cyclists and horse riders to travel between the communities of Aviemore and Glenmore.
The Old Bridge Inn offers a roaring log fire, regular live music and great atmosphere, along with excellent food and a fine selection of cask ales, premium lagers and malt whiskies. The perfect end to an adventure along one of Scotland’s best walks for foodies.
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3. The Penny Bun in Badaguish
Walk Badaguish walks to Loch Morlich
Distance 1.5 miles
Difficulty Easy
Duration 30 minutes
Location Start at the Glenmore Visitor Centre, located in Glenmore Forest Park PH22 1QU
The Penny Bun is the perfect starting or finishing point along one of Scotland’s best walks for foodies. It has incredible views and delicious food courtesy of chef Chris McCall. He prides himself on using locally sourced and foraged produce to create a casual all-day menu, with seasonal specials. He works closely with farmers, fishermen and foragers to create dishes made with the freshest and most flavourful ingredients.
Outside you can wander 1.5 miles, which should take around 30 minutes to see Loch Morlich, famous for being the highest beach in Britain and the only freshwater beach in Scotland to have a Rural Beach Award.
This has earned its title as one of Scotland’s best walks because there are also paths from Badaguish over to Loch an Uaine and Ryvoan Bothy via Meall a’ Bhuachaille, which can be done in sections or as shorter walks.
In winter (snow permitting) you can hire cross-country skis from The Pine Marten Bar at Glenmore.
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4. The Pierhouse Hotel & Seafood Restaurant in Port Appin
Walk Clach Thoull route
Distance 1.5 miles
Difficulty Fairly easy; coastal track
Duration No longer than 1.5 hours
Location Embark on one of Scotland’s best walks for foodies by beginning at the car park at the Lismore ferry terminal next to The Pierhouse restaurant and follow these directions
The Wee Hotel Company’s Pierhouse Hotel & Seafood Restaurant is situated right by the Port Appin Lismore ferry terminal. If you are looking for a short stroll, explore the Clach Thoull route of 1.5 miles which takes you no more than 1.5 hours to complete. One of Scotland’s best walks, it winds alongside the coast, leading to the promontory at Port Appin beside the shores of Loch Linnhe.
This has earned its title as one of Scotland’s best walks for foodies because of its closeness to nature. You can expect to spot the caves, geological archway, seals, deer and plenty of birdlife along the way. At the end of the track by a house you spy a sign for Port Appin, head along the path in woodland and a grass field. Just follow this route through a gate onto a minor road and you will end up where you started.
What better way to end one of Scotland’s best walks for foodies than with lunch or dinner at The Pierhouse? It is one of Scotland’s finest seafood restaurants, with a menu stuffed full of langoustines, lobsters, mussels and oysters. The Pierhouse’s ethos is all about locally sourced food simply cooked to perfection, so worth discovering a plate of local rope-grown mussels steamed in garlic, a dish of oysters freshly harvested from Loch Creran or a steaming souffle filled with tangy Mull cheddar.
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5. Plockton Inn in Plockton Wester Ross
Walk Plockton coral beach
Distance 1 mile
Difficulty Fairly easy; on a track then good path with rocky steps down to the beach
Duration 40 minutes
Location NG 785326, or 57.329674,-5.681529 in GPS coordinates
As you come into Plockton, turn left going past the school and just follow the road, then turn right and left again. After the next couple of corners, you’ll spy a green caravan and a wooden footpath signed to the shore. Walk along the track and go through the gates and continue straight ahead, through the gorse bushes. As one of Scotland’s best walks for foodies, you can look back and see great views towards the Applecross mountains. The path curves gently and continues downhill, down to the beach itself. The route is 1.4 km and should take around 40 minutes. It is a beautiful peaceful spot where you will want to linger, but when you are hungry just return the same way you came.
After wandering through one of Scotland’s best walks, head into the Plockton Inn Seafood Restaurant for a delicious meal. Seafood lovers must order the creel caught langoustines or ‘Plockton Prawns’ as they’re known locally, which are landed at the pier in the village. They also serve up a range of other local delicacies such as oysters, mussels and fish. And don’t worry if you aren’t a seafood lover, there are other options for you. Why not wash it down with a pint of the local ale produced by Andy Wills of the Plockton Brewery?
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6. Kylesku Hotel in Lairg
Walk Scourie Headland
Distance 1.5 miles
Difficulty Easy; coastal route
Duration 40 minutes
Location Drive ten minutes from Kylesku, park at Scourie beach and follow your nose along the well traveled path
A short 10-minute drive from Kylesku, park at Scourie beach if you are in the mood for a three kilometre short coastal walk with stunning sea views. Wildlife fans will head to the bird hide but further on there is a bench with views across Scourie Bay. Follow your nose towards the headland where you find several cairns at the point. From it you can spy the Old Man of Stoer with mountains of Ben Stack, Quinag, Canisp and Suilven behind.
When you’re ready for a bite to eat, just retrace your steps then drive back to The Kylesku Hotel where the menu features as much locally based produce as possible.
Situated on the lochside, deliveries of mussels, langoustines, lobsters and crabs are landed directly in front of the restaurant and carried into the kitchen. Kylesku Hotel offers foodies the choice of a fine dining restaurant or dog-friendly bar. Expect the best of Scottish Highland larder to appear on the menu, including hand-dived scallops and lobsters from Ullapool and Oban; award-winning Highland fine cheese from Rory Stone in Tain; venison from Ardgay Game and Inchnadamph estate; as well as North Highland grass-fed beef from Nigg.
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7. Fingal Hotel in Edinburgh
Walk Water of Leith Walkway
Distance 13 miles
Difficulty Easy; tarmac city and waterside route
Duration Up to one hour
Location Park at nearby Ocean Terminal shopping centre, which has over 700 undercover car parking spaces
Permanently berthed on Edinburgh’s vibrant waterfront, Fingal Hotel is Scotland’s only luxury floating hotel. Opened in 2019, the former Northern Lighthouse Board (NLB) tender was developed and is managed by the award-winning team at The Royal Yacht Britannia.
The Water of Leith Walkway is one of Scotland’s best walks because of its variety of idyllic spots along the 13-mile route from the Port of Leith through the city of Edinburgh. It has been designated as an Urban Wildlife Site and is home to brown trout, herons, kingfishers and otters. The route travels through many areas of interest including the Union Canal, the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, as well as the neighbourhoods of Colinton Village, Stockbridge and Leith. Don’t be alarmed if you see a man standing in the water – it’s one of celebrated artist and sculptor Antony Gormley’s Standing Man statues, the first of these towering figures can be found outside the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art. You can then follow the trail through the walkway, before culminating at the shore in Leith.
Open to non-residents for afternoon tea, dinner and cocktails, Fingal Hotel’s Lighthouse Restaurant & Bar offers a choice of self-contained private dining booths for small pre-booked groups.
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