During the month of October, I was lucky enough to spend some time exploring Wilderness Scotland’s Autumn Highlands hiking adventure.
I met an incredible group of people that had come from different parts of the world just so they could hike the beautiful landscapes of Scotland during the season of Autumn. We were a combination of friendly Canadians, Americans, Germans and Scottish people hiking the stunning highland hills. The group was fantastic and there were many laughs to be enjoyed during the whole week.
I wanted to share the amazing adventure I had in October so I decided to compile the best photos from the week and present them below in one dedicated blog.
Lush Green Hills, Golden Brown Trees & Majestic Deer
I journeyed on this trip at the beginning of October and I was met with a stunning mixture of green and brown landscapes decorating my surroundings – it felt like I was walking through a number of different oil paintings each with a unique beauty of awe-inspiring colours highlighting one spectacular scene after the next.
Walking around Loch Affric provided some breathtaking views.
Our Guide Will Snow explains some interesting facts to us.
Another view of the incredible walk around Loch Affric.
A wonderful mixture of dark and light green swimming in a sea of beautiful Autumn brown.
A stunning array of colours light up this landscape.
An old stone wall providing a great opportunity to stop and gaze at the environment.
The rest of the group in the distance taking in the environment.
During our walk we stumbled upon a field of Deer and Highland Cows!
A closer look at the Deer.
This Massive tree stands in Fort Augustus and overlooks Loch Ness.
The Highlands are home to some iconic autumn scenery.
To me the tree in this shot resembles a tree you could likely find in Africa!
My Autumn Highland adventure was truly a remarkable experience. I still remember gazing up in awe at the gigantic waterfall we visited near Fort Augustus and being captivated by the immensely powerful and thunderous sound of the water falling along the cliffside.
For a brief moment, I was sure I could see an obscured passageway hidden behind the waterfall sealing what could have been some wonderous ancient tomb. I squinted my eyes to try and believe what I was seeing and then all of a sudden the passageway had vanished as if it had never really been there at all. At that moment I realised my eyes were playing tricks on me and I came to the conclusion that I had watched too many Indiana Jones type movies in my life! But that is the power of a Wilderness Scotland trip and the positive impact it can have on your imagination when you are so close to such historic sights.
Later, on the same day, a stunning colourful rainbow splashed itself across the bright blue sky and everybody in the group was compelled to take a break from walking and soak in the breathtaking view overlooking Fort Augustus. It was at this time our guide Will Snow eagerly took a photo of the group with the rainbow placed fittingly in the background.
At the end of each day after we finished walking along some stunning trails and paths we would walk back to the hotel and along the way would usually see a number of rabbits just lying around relaxing in people’s gardens soaking in the sunshine like a happy household cat. In fact, outside the hotel, there was a massive lawn where numerous rabbits could be found sitting around in groups on the grassy areas. I tried to take some photos of the rabbits but they proved to rather timid creatures and just ran away before I could take any decent pictures, which was a shame.
If you decide to venture on our Autumn Highlands adventure maybe you can take some nice quality photos of rabbits just chilling out near the hotel when the opportunity arises!
During one of our walks close to Fort Augustus we decided to visit the local waterfall.
Was witness to a spectacular view of a waterfall near Fort Augustus during one of our exciting wilderness hikes.
Hiking near General Wades Military Road.
Our guide kindly takes a photo of the group when a rainbow appears high in the blue sky.
The sun striking the river below.
Beginning a lovely scenic walk not far from our luxury hotel.
On one of our walks we ventured on paths where railway tracks once lay.
It was time to take a break from hiking and have a jam session on the piano.
Our hotel had some really sublime hotel Scottish apparel decorating the walls and tables.
After a fun day out walking it was nice to cosy by the fire in the hotel before going out for a fantastic evening meal.
It is quite a feeling to sense the crunch of leaves as you walk through the autumn outdoors in the Scottish Highlands.
One of the locals we bumped in to seemed to be there to keep the birds away from the fields.
On our last day during our last adventure, we took a break at what turned out to be a rather unique cafe. This was not your usual cafe in a small town situated near the local shops, but it was an outdoor cafe that was located in the middle a forestry area. I still remember walking along the nearby trail and every few meters the group would be greeted with sign after sign promising of delicious cake and other mouthwatering treats. As we ventured further the trail split into two different directions, in one direction the path was littered with signs indicating that we had finally arrived at the cafe. As we walked up the path leading to the cafe even more signs were dotted around acting as a nice welcome which foreshadowed the treats that lay in store.
The cafe had a couple of areas with makeshift tables and a hut where you could enjoy a coffee and take a moment to appreciate the sounds of the soothing calm wilderness. The group was offered a generously sized helping of the owner’s homemade deliciously tangy lemon cake which I enjoyed with a massive mug of hot chocolate. This was definitely a more memorable coffee shop visit than any other that I could remember visiting in the past. Later, I decided to explore the area and I passed some hens that just happened to be strolling around with their young following close behind and I also nearly walked into a pig that appeared to be rather happily eating a newspaper!
After being stuffed with lemon cake, hot chocolate, and a few delightful chocolate bars it was time to leave the cafe and get some much-needed exercise on the final walk of the day.
Walking through the forest.
Exploring the nearby forest trails.
During one of our walks we stopped at an outdoor cafe and was greeted by some chickens and their young.
A chicken poses for the camera at the outdoor cafe. Didn’t manage to snap a picture of the pig wandering around though!
Looking out to Loch Ness from Fort Augustus
A closer view looking a the scenery of Loch Ness from Fort Augustus
Walking along paths gazing at the beautiful hills in the background.
See below for a small selection of photos taken on previous Autumn Highland adventures.
You meet your guide in the picturesque city of Inverness at the start of the trip. Why not take a day before or after your trip to explore this beautiful Highland city?
Sometimes it is best stop and look at the surrounding beauty.
A photo that was taken in the later half of Autumn. Here you can see the snow begin to settle on the hills.
An incredible sight of the sun rays poking through the clouds above.
A Great photo taken in the Cairngorms area.
A nice shot of reflective waters and leaves transitioning into Autumn colours.
Find out more about our Autumn Highland Adventure Below
“Neil has enjoyed a stint in city life but that flirtation soon ended and he's returned to the Highlands of Scotland for the peace, tranquility and closeness to nature that he loves.”
