The Best Hills for Beginners in Scotland (With Parking, Times & Routes)

Fancy starting hill walking in Scotland? Looking for the best beginners hills and to work your way up to a Munro?

The best hill for beginners in Scotland is Ben A’an in the Trossachs – a 454m “mountain in miniature” with a good path, a proper steep bit, a wee scramble and a view that punches far above its height. Allow 2 to 2.5 hours. If you want something easier, Conic Hill at Loch Lomond takes about an hour; if you want a bigger day, Ben Vrackie above Pitlochry is the closest thing to a Munro without being one.

I’ve climbed every hill on this list, most of them many times, and here is what I’d actually want to know before setting off – how long it takes, where to park, how hard it really is, and where to get chips afterwards.

Which beginner hill should I climb?

The best hills for beginners in Scotland

Let’s go climb a beginners hill!

1. Arthur’s Seat, Edinburgh – the one with no excuses

The easiest big view in Scotland, and you can walk to it from Waverley station. Arthur’s Seat is an extinct volcano sitting in the middle of the capital, and from the top you get the whole city laid out below you – the castle, the Forth bridges, Fife across the water and the Pentlands behind.

There’s no kit required beyond decent shoes, which makes it the perfect first hill for anyone visiting Edinburgh who fancies finding out whether they like this hillwalking business. Take the gentler path from Dunsapie Loch if you want the easiest way up, or go up the Radical Road side for the drama.

It’s also the one hill on this list you can do before breakfast – sunrise is one of the best times to climb Arthur’s Seat.

2. Conic Hill, Loch Lomond – your very first big hill

Second on the list is Conic Hill, a knobbly little peak which rises up above Loch Lomond. Conic Hill is an incredibly popular hill, as on a good day the views over the loch are utterly incredible and achieved with not much effort at all.

The walk to the top will only take around an hour, but the path can be muddy and slippy – so wear decent shoes.

I must admit that I am not a huge fan of Conic Hill as a) the car park can get very busy – on a sunny day the traffic along east Loch Lomond can be awful, but mainly because b) the slopes of Conic Hill are infested with a herd of shaggy ‘highland coos’ which can be pretty scary appearing out of the mist. Or you might like them. I don’t. They are pretty cute though I must admit.

One for the geology nerds: Conic Hill sits right on the Highland Boundary Fault, the line where lowland Scotland ends and the Highlands begin – you can actually see it in the string of islands running across the loch below you.

Read my full guide: how to climb Conic Hill

3. Dumyat, Stirling – the biggest view for the least effort

If there’s one hill on this list that over-delivers, it’s Dumyat. It’s small, it’s quick, and the view from the top is frankly ridiculous for the effort involved – the Wallace Monument below you, the River Forth winding through the carse in great silver loops, Stirling Castle on its rock, and the Highlands lined up along the horizon.

It’s the local hill for Stirling University students and half of Bridge of Allan, and on a summer evening you’ll meet families, runners and people who’ve just come up to watch the sun go down. Under two hours, and you’re back in Stirling for dinner.

Read my full guide: How to climb Dumyat

4. Ben A’an, The Trossachs – the perfect first hill

Best hill for beginners in Scotland? That’ll be Ben A’an. Described by many hillwalkers as the perfect hill, Ben A’an is a “mountain in miniature”.

Climbing it you’ll get all the practice in for future Munro bagging – the long slog up, the steep huffing and puffing bits, a wee bit of scrambling around on rocks – plus the amazing views – and you only have to climb 340m to do it.

Despite Ben A’an’s petite size (and the annoying kids that will race past you up the hill) don’t underestimate it. The weather can change in a second up in the hills and despite there being a great path, there is not much shelter.

When we were up earlier in the year we saw so many people fail to reach the top because they were unprepared. Ben A’an is still a hill. In Scotland. DO NOT WEAR JEANS OR YOU WILL REGRET IT.

5. Cort Ma Law, The Campsie Fells — remote, 30 minutes from Glasgow

The highest of the Campsie Fells might be Earl’s Seat but the walk along the ridge from Campsie Glen to Cort Ma Law is one of my favourite wee walks in Scotland.

With views across to the mighty city of Glasgow and north to Ben Lomond, the Campsies are also easily reachable from the city centre.

After exploring the beautiful Campsie Glen head up the steep-sided Black Craig — once you are on the ridge you could be in the highlands not just 30 minutes from Glasgow!

6. Scald Law, Edinburgh – the Pentlands’ highest

The Pentland Hills Regional Park is just to the south of Edinburgh.

There are quite a few peaks in the Pentlands to bag, but the highest is Scald Law. With views across to Edinburgh and the Scottish Borders, as well as the Pentlands’ reservoirs, it is a small hill with a very big view.

Great for a day out escaping the city.

Read more: bagging the peaks in the Pentlands

7. Clachnaben, Glen Dye – the granite tor

Topped with a magnificent granite tor, Clachnaben is one of Aberdeen and Deeside’s most recognisable hills – and the ascent is a great hill walk for beginners.

The walk starts to the north of Glen Dye, and visits this 15,000 acre estate. Along the way, the walk takes you through lovely woodlands before popping out on to the moors with fabulous views across Aberdeenshire to Bennachie. The walk will take around 3 hours.

8. Ben Cleuch, The Ochils – central Scotland’s big one

Right on central Scotland’s doorstep are the Ochils, and the highest point, Ben Cleuch. Climb up the steep Mill Glen from Tillicoultry, climbing up over the Law to the summit of Ben Cleuch for an incredible view across to Gleneagles and the hills of Highland Perthshire.

The path up the Law to Ben Cleuch is incredibly popular and easy to follow and the circular is about 8 miles if you also take in nearby Ben Ever. If you prefer an even longer walk, climb up over Kings Seat to Castle Campbell and follow the railway path back through the glen.

⛰ The walk
721m · ascent 731m · circular around 8 miles with Ben Ever · 3.5–4 hours

🥾 Difficulty
Moderate. The climb up Mill Glen is steep and relentless; the ridge beyond is straightforward.

🅿️ Parking
Mill Glen car park, Tillicoultry.

🐕 Good to know
Dogs on leads (sheep). Combine with Dollar Glen and Castle Campbell for a full day → Dollar Glen

9. Ben Venue, The Trossachs – the better view

Whilst Ben A’an might be the most popular of all the Trossachs hills, the view from Ben Venue is actually even better. Ok, so you have to work for it a little harder – Ben Venue at 729m is a bit higher than Ben A’an at 454m – and there is a wee bit of very easy scrambling to get you to the two summits.

The walk starts just along from the Ben A’an car park and will take you around 4 hours. The view across Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park and Loch Katrine, Loch Achray and Loch Venachar is so worth it.

10. The Pap of Glencoe – the best view on this list

At just 2,432ft / 742m high, the Pap of Glencoe might be a wee baby in comparison to the surrounding giants of Glencoe, but this is no easy climb – be warned, the route up the hill is incredibly steep and boggy.

However, you won’t care – the views from the Pap of Glencoe of Ben Nevis, the giant peaks of the Mamores and Garbh Bheinn and down to Loch Linnhe at the gateway of Glencoe are some of the best in Scotland.

Read my complete guide to the Pap of Glencoe walk

⛰ The walk
742m · ascent 715m · 9km · around 3.5 hours

🥾 Difficulty
Moderate–hard. Very steep and boggy, with loose rock near the summit. The hardest hill on this list for its height — don’t be fooled by the numbers.

🅿️ Parking
Start of forest track on minor road from Bridge of Coe..

🐕 Good to know
Dogs on leads. Clachaig Inn or the Glencoe Café for afterwards. → How to visit Glencoe

11. Ben Vrackie, Pitlochry – Munro training

Ben Vrackie is an incredibly popular hill walk which starts from the town of Pitlochry. At 841m, climbing Ben Vrackie is getting closer to how it will feel to climb a Munro, without actually climbing one. Basically, I am saying be prepared – like all hills do not underestimate how remote the hill will actually feel when you get up there.

The walk starts just past the small hamlet at Moulin (spot the pub for your return!) and for most of the walk, there is a well-made path, with steps to tackle the very steep sections towards the top.

From the top the views are stunning – you are looking across to the iconic Beinn a’Ghlo range and further afield to the Cairngorm mountains. Take a picnic and stay a while, I suggest dropping down to just below the summit; even on a summer’s day, it can be a tad windy at the top!

Read my complete guide to climbing Ben Vrackie

12. Ben Ledi, Callander – your first Corbett

Ben Ledi ‘or the mountain of God’ dominates the Trossachs town of Callander. Starting from the edge of Loch Lubnaig it is a steady walk up a good path.

Ben Ledi is a Corbett – so it’s just under Munro height, so it’s another one to be prepared for if the weather isn’t great, plus there are a couple of false summits to deal with (groan!) before you finally reach the cross on the top.

The hill gives wide-ranging and stunning views of the Trossachs – including across to the Ben Lawers range.

The cross is actually a memorial to Sergeant Harry Laurie of the Killin Scottish Mountain Rescue team, who died in 1987 in a helicopter crash. The mountain has also been regularly used for Beltane celebrations, with local people using the summit to get as close to heaven as they could — and you can see why.

One of my favourite hills in Scotland and that includes the Munros I’ve bagged.

Read my full guide: Climbing Ben Ledi

13. The Cobbler (Ben Arthur), Arrochar – the famous one

On a sunny day, the path up the Cobbler might look and feel like a mountaineering superhighway, but that is because The Cobbler is one of Scotland’s most famous hill walks.

The Cobbler is famous mostly for its distinctive shape and rocky crags – and the challenge of ‘threading the needle’ – jumping across and then scrambling up the pinnacle to stand on the rocky peak which is actually the very top of the hill. Shudder. I’ll just watch thank you.

The Cobbler is a simple walk (in good weather that is – my video here at 46 secs shows it in the wet!) and a good path leads up the hill from the village of Arrochar, switching back and forth in the most tiring manner before popping out into the Arrochar Alps.

Take the main path at the back of the Cobbler for the easiest route up, or have a go at some scrambling up the front. I prefer the front, but then I don’t mind getting hands-on.

Read my complete guide to climbing The Cobbler

14. Ben Lomond, Loch Lomond – your first Munro

If you’ve worked your way down this list, Ben Lomond is where you graduate. At 974m it’s a proper Munro – the most southerly one, and the most climbed mountain in Scotland after Ben Nevis, largely because it sits an hour from Glasgow with the whole loch spread out beneath it.

There are two ways up from Rowardennan. The tourist path is wide, well-built and relentless – straight up and straight back down. The Ptarmigan route is narrower, wilder and far more interesting, climbing the ridge with the loch below you the whole way.

It’s a full day, not an afternoon, and the summit gets its own weather – I’ve been up there in cloud in July and seen nothing at all. Pick your day.

One good thing to know: Ben Lomond is National Trust for Scotland land, so there’s no deer stalking to worry about at any time of year.

Read my full guide: Climbing Ben Lomond by the Ptarmigan route. Ready for more? Munros for beginners

My beginner’s tips for hill walking in Scotland

1. Check the ascent, not just the height

When researching a route, have a look at the amount of ascent you have to climb. Remember that not all walks start at sea level – so on the map, the hill may be 1000m, but you actually may start at 300m – this means only 700m ‘of ascent’, making for an easier walk.

You might also want to look at how long the walk will take and how high the hill is. For example 1000m and anything under 3 hours? That means you are in for a very steep walk!

2. Work out how long it will actually take

Allow an hour for every 4km, plus an extra hour for every 600m of ascent. Then add time for stopping, photos and lunch. Most people take longer than they think on the way up – and much longer on the way down.

3. Hillwalking is not cool

Nor is it meant to be. You don’t need top of the range designer, shiny gear, nor should you be climbing Conic Hill in your best trainers.

A good pair of boots, a waterproof – and if you have older knees like me you will soon realise the benefit of a pair of walking sticks. You won’t be embarrassed when you make it safely down without falling on your bum once.

4. Check these three things before you go

The mountain forecast (MWIS, not the town forecast – it’s a different world up there), how much daylight you’ve got, and between September and 20 October, whether there’s deer stalking on your route. Check on Heading for the Scottish Hills – and remember there’s no stalking on Sundays, and never on National Trust for Scotland land like Ben Lomond and Glencoe.

5. Tell someone where you’re going

Your route and what time you expect to be back. Phone signal is unreliable on every hill in this guide.

Read more: how to start hill walking – all my beginner’s tips!