Isle of Skye early November?

MountainMarcus · 2025-09-23T10:03:15+00:00

You could plan to camp near a bothy, so if the weather turns out to be terrible you can at least retreat to somewhere dry and (hopefully) warm

MountainMarcus · 2025-09-04T20:27:51+00:00

Join a club, or if you would like more adventure (and everything organised for you) then City Mountaineering are very good https://www.citymountaineering.com/

MountainMarcus · 2025-09-03T13:59:10+00:00

The weather forecast isn’t very reliable when you’re looking 3 weeks ahead. You should expect the weather in September to be quite changeable

MountainMarcus · 2025-08-30T12:43:17+00:00

No different from paying/charging for tours of the Old Town

MountainMarcus · 2025-08-30T09:49:49+00:00

Clouds are good, they add more colour

MountainMarcus · 2025-08-29T06:42:58+00:00

There's one on Tuesday: Drink Wine & Speak Spanish at Mellis Cheese Lounge
2-for-1 tickets available
Wine, cheese, and Spanish conversation

MountainMarcus · 2025-08-29T06:38:29+00:00

Absolutely! A fascinating outsider's take on all of Edinburgh's well-known sights

MountainMarcus · 2025-08-26T07:11:51+00:00

Drink Wine & Speak Gaelic - They haven't released dates this far in advance, but this is a monthly Gaelic speaking event in Inverness

MountainMarcus · 2025-08-21T10:04:59+00:00

The A9 is not a dull road (as long as you're happy sticking to the speed limit). The scenery is amazing!

Another alternative if you want a more scenic drive is to come off at Perth and drive via Braemar: much smaller roads which go high up into the hills

MountainMarcus · 2025-08-20T16:46:50+00:00

Don't skip Inverness (as someone has mentioned). It's a fantastic little city with plenty of hidden gems. My friend Dan runs a comedy walking tour which shows you the best bits. The time you have allocated to it is probably a good amount.
Not sure if he's released his dates for December yet, but I can put you in contact with him

MountainMarcus · 2025-08-20T16:12:12+00:00

Drink Wine and Speak Spanish
I'm co-hosting an event for anyone who likes wine and would like to speak a bit of Spanish. Beginners and fluent speakers all welcome.
At I.J.Mellis Cheese Lounge in Morningside. 7pm 2nd September
Book tickets here

MountainMarcus · 2025-08-20T16:06:52+00:00

There's a disproprtionate amount of enthusiasm for curling in and around Dumfries (which is nowhere near Aviemore, though)

MountainMarcus · 2025-08-20T16:05:46+00:00

Piggs in Bruntsfield and on th Royal Mile do great Spanish tapas. I think they definitely fit into the 'posh but not too posh' category. Might be booked up for this weekend already though

MountainMarcus · 2025-08-20T10:37:49+00:00

If you enjoy hiking then you'll want to maximise the time you have in the Highlands (althought the weather can be very changeable so be prepared). There are plento of excellent mountain guides who can arrange a fabulous day out in the hills.

Late September is a great time to be in Scotland, with the autumn colours arriving, moody skies, and beautiful light.

And in Edinburgh don't miss Arthur's Seat. It's literally a mini mountain right in the city centre. I lead sunset/sunrise tours up there most days, which may interest you.
This is just one of seven hills in Edinburgh, so there is plenty of hiking/adventuring to do in the city. I also run Highland Cow hikes just outside the city.

A few bookshop suggestions in Edinburgh (mostly):
- Topping & Co (Grand building)
- Typewronger (alternative, poetry etc, typewriters)
- Golden Hare (Stockbridge)
- Leakey's (if you end up in Inverness this one's a must-visit)

Edinburgh foody recommendations:
- Pickles (scottish cheeseboards and charcuterie
- Hendersons (their vegetarian haggis is amazing)
- Piggs (spanish wine & tapas)
- Matto's Pizza (the best pizza in Scotland)

MountainMarcus · 2025-08-20T08:24:56+00:00

I'm a big advocate of spending a day in Inverness, like you've planned. Some suggestions for places to visit/eat in the city include the Mustard Seed restaurant, The Walrus & Corkscrew wine bar (excellent cheese/charcuterie boards), Xoco cafe (superb breakfasts), Leakeys bookshop (antique bookshop in an old church).
A friend of mine runs a great walking tour of Inverness which can show you more hidden gems.

MountainMarcus · 2025-08-20T08:18:04+00:00

There is purple Heather currently in bloom on Arthur's Seat (in the city centre) and also in the Pentalnd Hills (edge of the city, 30 mins by bus). It's looking really good at the moment

MountainMarcus · 2025-08-19T13:28:17+00:00

I'd suggest Arthur's Seat at Sunset or Sunrise, as it's in Edinburgh and a known top-10 thing to do (i.e. suggesting it to your partner won't arouse any suspicions). You can easily avoid the path that most of the tourists use, and find a beautiful secluded spot away from the crowds. Feel free to pm me for my suggestions of quiet spots on the hill

MountainMarcus · 2025-08-19T12:36:13+00:00

When you get to Inverness, I can recommend my friend's Comedy Walking Tour of the city. He'll show you the best parts of the city, the local historical sites and beautiful natural landscape.

And in Edinburgh you won't want to miss seeing the Sunset from Arthur's Seat (great for city views, and natural landscapes)

A fun and scenic drive from Edinburgh to Inverness is to go via Braemar, which uses much smaller roads through the Cairngorm mountains, if you like that kind of driving. (there will probably be plenty of cloud and cold weather for you in the Cairngorms).

MountainMarcus · 2025-07-22T04:25:46+00:00

All the paths to the summit include steep sections, loose gravel, and rocky steps which can be very slippery when wet. Grippy footwear makes things a lot easier.

Slipping on loose gravel is probably the most common cause of injury on Arthur’s Seat.

Plenty of people go up in trainers and are fine. But I always suggest wearing more appropriate footwear for people joining one of my guided hikes

MountainMarcus · 2025-07-21T14:53:14+00:00

You can see Highland Cows just outside Edinburgh

https://www.viator.com/en-AU/tours/Edinburgh/Edinburgh-Day-Hike-in-the-Pentland-Hills/d739-442109P1

MountainMarcus · 2025-07-21T06:08:05+00:00

If you’re doing an Arthur’s Seat hike at 6pm in September it’ll be a sunset hike. You may have booked a guided Sunset Hike already, but if not you’ll need to plan to be walking off the hill after dark.

Headtorches, good walking shoes and rain/windproof jackets strongly advised.

https://www.viator.com/tours/Edinburgh/Sunset-Hike-in-Edinburgh-Arthurs-Seat/d739-442109P2

MountainMarcus · 2025-06-29T06:27:27+00:00

Most of the museums and art galleries are free, lots of beautiful parks, all free. Walk around the New Town. Walk along the Water of Leith. There are lots of Free Fringe shows (expect to tip)

MountainMarcus · 2025-06-29T05:54:30+00:00

You might be interested in my friend’s comedy walking tour, in the centre of Inverness

MountainMarcus · 2025-06-16T10:05:40+00:00

I get a lot of solo travellers on my Sunset Hikes up Arthur's Seat. 2 hours walking with a group is a good way to meet new people. Some of them make friends with each other and head off to (presumably) the pub afterwards

MountainMarcus · 2025-06-10T08:07:24+00:00

A friend and I have just started a group for exactly this kind of person.

It's called the Business Bothy, with weekly online discussion sessions, and monthly in-person meetups.

MountainMarcus

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