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Hi.Through a confluence of circumstance, I have an unexpected opportunity to take a 10 day pass in mid August. Will be solo, unsupported, need to get back to car at the end. Not really kitted for bikepacking, so thinking more a multi-day walking and camping, as wild as possible. Anywhere in mainland UK is feasible (the 10 days needs to include travel days). Pretty experienced with hills and navigation, but not particularly fit right now. I'd prefer quiet rather than something busy like West Highland Way. A chance to bag a few hills en route would be great. As few midges as possible!
So what do people recommend? I've never been to Torridon and it really appeals, but what are midges like therein August? (I'd like to have time to sit and read a book in peace after a days walk, and midges can ruin that!). Any good circular routes (or where easy to get transport back to where I leave the car).
Looking for something that is a physical challenge, great views, and mainly just 'me and nature' time. Would prefer a circuit or A-to-B rather than camping in one spot and doing walks.
Thanks for any ideas!
Stay on the east for fewer midges. Have a look at the long distance walks on Walkhighlands.co.uk for some ideas.
Midges on the west side are likely to be horrendous in August.
Could do a reasonable section of the south west coast path. Am sure you could find sections that finish and end in stations
I seem to remember Vader of this parish put up a route he had done in the NW Highlands that sounded awesome. Used public transport and was an a to b route with Munros included.
Thanks for the ideas guys, will check them out.
Midges on the west side are likely to be horrendous in August.
I can remember getting annihilated by them at Derry Lodge one Aug bank hol years ago. Mostly they were diving into my dinner as I cooked, so I probably ate more of them than bit me, but it wasn't far from a score draw.
Obviously the only places you can legally / easily wild camp on mainland GB are Scotland or Dartmoor.
Coastal path is a good shout if you want 'easier' to get to. Purely anecdotal, we've found Pembrokeshire quieter than bits of South West path we've done. But SW path probably has more campsites and more train stations in certain sections. Pembrokeshire away from Tenby and Stackpole we would see people but only around the car parks and villages, walk 10 minutes on the path and you can be alone. The puffins might be gone but there are seals, other sea birds, and flowers, butterflies etc. There are trains between Haverfordwest and Fishguard (and buses to Fishguard along the coast) and Milford Haven which would enable ~7 days walking (2 travel days and a rest day) and there are buses Haverfordwest to Broad Haven, Haverfordwest to Newgale-Solva-St davids and St Davids-Fishguard-Cardigan if you had to abandon or hurry up for any reason. The hardest place to find campsites that will allow 1 night will be around Dale. The site at Martin's Haven was good for 1 night. Broad Haven has a YHA as does Whitesands (just inland).
We have cheekily wild camped in Brecon Beacons without issue on the tops, though we would have asked if we'd seen farmers around. You can get a train to/from Abergavenny and the main A roads have good bus links, TrawsCymru. So you could consider the Beacons Way LDP between Abergavenny-Storeys Arms and work out public transport back to a car. Only Pen y Fan will be busy. Speak to Welsh Farmer of this parish for a campsite for a night. There are 2 YHAs. Wild camping / the lack of shops / villages for restocking and possibly lack of water might need more planning.
Also do your dates lie in the train strike period? If so, obv need to check impact, maybe none of the above is viable.
I had a similar opportunity a few years ago (cancelled French hiking trip) and ended up doing the Skye Coastal Path.
https://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/Forum/viewtopic.php?f=25&t=67679
It works well with your itinerary, you can grab the train all the way to Kyle of Lochalsh, walk over the bridge then grab a wee bus to the start of the trail proper in Broadford (or there might be a preceding section from the bridge, I forget). You can also get a wee bus back from the northmost tip back to civilisation.
Obvious hill on route is Blabheinn, I wish I'd done it but was too laden with firewood and coal which I carried in to a bothy with no fireplace! 😂 Can also detour to sights such as the Spar Cave, Loch Coruisk, maybe even the famous fairy glen (would need to check this seems like a reasonable detour off the Trotternish Ridge EDIT: Yep, a 5km detour from main route, path shown on OS. I'd then descend to pub in Uig and climb back on to ridge the next day, if you timed the descent to the fairy glen for the evening with the sun setting in the west it could be pretty magical)
Can't guarantee midge free nights obviously, but there are bothies en-route, campsites next to pubs etc. I wild camped three or four nights, but one of which ad a pub (and hostel, closed at the time) adjacent, so wasn't truly wild camping.