My favourite Scottish walks that aren't Munros

You don't need a Munro to have a good day on the hills. Some of my favourite walks in Scotland top out well below 3,000 feet and they still give you the epic views and the burn in your legs without eating up your whole weekend.

At Fresh Air Collective we get outside little and often, whatever the weather. From a lifestyle medicine point of view, regular movement in small doses does far more for your health than one big summit a year. There's another reason too, the best conversations I have (whether it be with friends, family or other founders) always happen walking uphill side by side. It is freeing in a way. And if it's just me, the dog and the view? Well, that’s when I get some of my best creative ideas.

Here are eight I keep going back to, starting on the west coast and finishing on the hill where it all began for me.

1. The Fairy Lochs, Badachro, Gairloch

230m summit · 6km · 2 to 2.5 hours

A circular route over the rocky hills above Badachro on the west coast near Gairloch. The path winds past a string of small lochans, and as you climb the view opens out over the moor to the mountains and the sea. Simply breath taking. We walked it as a young family in spring and the place was full of fun birds and insects to examine. It also leads to a memorial to the crew of an American bomber that crashed here in 1945, so it's worth a quiet moment at the top.

My kids loved this one, helped by the fish and chips afterwards at the Badachro Inn.

Route, map and directions on Walkhighlands.

2. Loch Muick circuit, Cairngorms National Park

170m ascent · 12.5km · 3 to 3.5 hours

This one takes a bit more effort to get to, but once you're there it's one of the easiest walks on the list. The loop goes right round the loch on the Balmoral estate, almost completely flat, on good paths the whole way. There are plenty of spots to stop for a cuppa, a photo op and if you've packed your swimming things, a cold dip is there for the taking.

Route, map and directions on Walkhighlands.

3. Loch Brandy, Glen Clova, Angus

610m summit · 5.5km · 2.5 to 3.5 hours

Even the drive along the single-track road to get to this special Scottish glen feels like you’re in a movie. Short and steep, on a well-built path that climbs from the Glen Clova Hotel into a mountain corrie. The real reward with this sweet little hike is the perfect loch (Loch Brandy) nestled inside the rocky crags at the top. One sunny June day last year I brought our members up here for a very hot hike which we topped off with a picnic and a well-earned wild swim to cool off at the top. We walked back down pink-cheeked and full of energy.

Route, map and directions on Walkhighlands.

4. The Hermitage - River Braan Circuit, Dunkeld

140m ascent · 7km · 2 hours

Less a hill and more a woodland walk along the River Braan, past the rumbling bridge and through the magical forest at the 'Hermitage'. The word hermitage was used to convey the location as a pleasure ground, somewhere to escape the daily pressures of life, which sounds pretty good to me. This is the one for a day when the hill tops are in cloud. The path takes you through some of the tallest trees in Britain to Ossian's Hall, a little Victorian viewing pavilion above the Black Linn falls. Go after heavy rain and you'll hear the water roaring before you see it!

Route, map and directions on Walkhighlands.

5. Sròn a' Chlachain, Killin, Perthshire

408m summit · 4km · 1.5 to 2.5 hours

This hill sits right behind the village of Killin. The climb starts steep straight away and stays that way through the forest all the way to the top, so don't expect a gentle warm-up! You get your reward at the summit though, with an incredible view straight down the length of Loch Tay. If you've got time afterwards, visit the famous Falls of Dochart, a cascade of waterfalls in the heart of the village.

Route, map and directions on Walkhighlands (turn back at the first summit for the short version).

6. Norman's Law, Luthrie, Fife

285m summit · 8.25km · 2.5 to 3 hours

I'm biased because this one starts at our back door. It's the perfect small hill with loads of different types of terrain as you navigate the loop. The paths are well marked, with a few steep and rocky sections so you feel you've achieved something. From the top you get a 360-degree view across Fife to the silvery Tay and the Angus hills beyond. Keep an eye out for the Highland coos on the way up to complete the Scottish experience!

Route, map and directions on Walkhighlands.

7. Ben Cleuch circular, Ochil Hills

721m summit (a Graham) · 9.5km · 4.5 to 6 hours

Ben Cleuch is the highest point in the rolling Ochil Hills that wrap around the central lowlands of Scotland. It may not be a Munro, but it does count as a Graham i.e. a Scottish hill between 610m and 762m, which is good enough for me! You start in Mill Glen above Tillicoultry and climb steeply beside the burn before coming out onto the Law. The first hour is hard work. After that the ground opens up and you walk over to summit Ben Cleuch, then loop back round the glen. On a clear day you can see for miles and the views are simply stunning.

Route, map and directions on Walkhighlands.

8. North Berwick Law, East Lothian

187m summit · 6.75km · 2 hours

I couldn't leave this one out. It's the hill where my love of hills began. I grew up in North Berwick and have climbed the Law more times than I could count, and it still makes me happy every time. From the top you look down over the town and its beaches, out to the islands and across to the famous Bass Rock.

An iconic whale's jawbone has stood on the summit since 1709. Today it's a fibreglass replica, but when I was small it was still real bone, which blew my little mind! Once you're back down, get a coffee at Drift and look back up at where you've just been.

Route, map and directions on Walkhighlands.

Before you go

Scottish weather does what it likes, so look at an up-to-date mountain forecast before you set off and pack for all of it. Take food and plenty of water. Download your route to use offline, or bring a paper map if you prefer. Walkhighlands (walkhighlands.co.uk) is free and has thousands of routes with maps and directions.

Pick one and put a weekend in the diary. If you'd rather not go on your own, come along to one of our netwalks. You'll be on a hill with other founders, talking business, life or just enjoying the view.

Got a favourite walk that isn't a Munro? I'd love to hear it. I'm always adding to the list!

See you outside.

Alice

Founder of Fresh Air Collective