Frequently asked questions.

Do we need hiking boots?

It’s probably best. There’s nothing worse than having wet feet for hours…. They don’t have to be fancy. For adults, the lowest priced boot would probably be Peter Storm boots from Go Outdoors. If you can afford a little more, then Jack Wolfskin, Merrell and Scarpa boots are good. Sally has Arc’Teryx boots and they’re not as good as the old Scarpa ones she had.

Kids hiking boots can often be ‘hand me downs’. If you’re looking to buy new, then we highly recommend Adidas Terrex hiking boots. They come in around £50-£70. You can always sell them on once they grow out of them.

How do you get kids to walk far (and up hills) without complaining?

If they are young, or not used to walking, then they will complain. Our kids definitely complained the first few walks, but we quite strict and made it clear that they were going to do the walk. We also used a couple of tricks to get them motivated…. here they are:

  1. Walk with friends. They complain waaaaaay less when they are distracted by friends.

  2. Give them ownership of their favourite snacks. We discovered this one by just getting annoyed with them constantly asking for snacks. We put the snacks in their pockets and BOOM! less complaining.

  3. Let them take photos. Tell them they can send the photos to family, friends, school after the walk.

  4. Find distractions on the walk.

    1. Who can find the biggest shell on the beach?

    2. Who will be the first to see a sheep, cow, plane, etc?

    3. Name 20 different types of chocolate bar / board game / bird / farm animal / country

What should we pack?

  • A couple of bottles of water

  • Picnic and snacks

  • One pair of dry socks

  • Waterproof jackets for everyone

  • Hats and gloves for everyone

How do you get your bikes to the start points of the cycle?

We’ve got a roof rack on our estate car that can hold three bikes. We take the wheels off the smallest bike and put that in the boot.

How do you find these places?

Dan spends a lot of time on instagram! Also, WalkTheHighlands website is great for describing walks in more detail.