IF you like walking routes interwoven with a good yarn, then lace up your boots and grab a packed lunch.

Here, we pick the best historical trails around Scotland, taking in everything from rich heritage and incredible architecture to wildlife-spotting opportunities and spectacular scenery.

The Shale Trail, West Lothian

Loosely based on the “Paraffin Young Heritage Trail”, which was set up in the 1970s as a sightseeing tour aimed at drivers, this new incarnation – launched in 2020 – has seen the 16-mile (25.7 km) route re-imagined for walkers and cyclists.

Stretching between West Calder and Winchburgh, via the Almond Valley Heritage Centre in Livingston and Broxburn along the Union Canal, the Shale Trail shines a spotlight on the area’s industrial past as a hub for the production of paraffin, candles and petrol.

Greendykes, north of Broxburn, is the largest of West Lothian’s oil-shale bings. It is protected as a scheduled monument, providing an important habitat for locally threatened wildlife, such as hares, red grouse, skylarks and badgers.

Then there is the landmark hulk of the Five Sisters bing at West Calder. According to legend, a grand Victorian house – complete with all its contents and even a car in the garage – was buried beneath the mountain of waste shale tipped from Westwood Oil Works. A true story? Find out on the trail.

Visit shaletrail.co.uk

Glenfinnan Viaduct Trail, Lochaber

The majestic architecture of Glenfinnan Viaduct and superb views over Loch Shiel are among the many lures of this short-but-sweet route exploring a charming corner of Lochaber.

Covering a two-and-a-half-mile (4 km) loop, the Glenfinnan Viaduct Trail passes through a range of habitat types, including woodland, heath and bog. Keep your eyes peeled for otters in the rivers, red deer on the hillsides and golden eagles soaring above the crags.

Nearby attractions include the Glenfinnan Monument and St Mary and St Finnan Church. The Glenfinnan Station Museum, meanwhile, contains a raft of railway-themed memorabilia that tells the story of the West Highland Line.

Visit wildlochaber.com and glenfinnanstationmuseum.co.uk/viaduct-trail

Leitir Fura, Skye

This tranquil woodland walk can be found on the Sleat peninsula on Skye, passing along a forestry track that leads to the abandoned township of Leitir Fura. The tree-lined route, covering four-and-a-half miles (7.2 km) through Kinloch Forest, is populated with oak, hazel and birch.

The ruins of Leitir Fura are well worth exploring with the stone outlines of houses, barns and enclosures still visible. Its former inhabitants made their living from farming and fishing. The last residents left in the early 19th century.

A once-bustling settlement, the name comes from Fura Mhor, a great oak tree that grew on the hillside and was reputed to be so large that 40 cattle could gather within the shade of its branches. Highlights include glorious sea views over the Sound of Sleat towards the mountains of Knoydart.

Visit forestryandland.gov.scot/visit/kinloch

Arran Coastal Way

This challenging-yet-rewarding 65-mile (105 km) circular route showcases the best of Arran’s rugged coastal charms with a smattering of history thrown in. It is ideal for a week-long walking holiday but equally can be broken down into smaller sections to be enjoyed on a series of day trips.

The stretch from Brodick to Sannox (7.5 miles/12 km) offers the option of passing through Merkland Wood or, depending on your fitness level, climbing to the summit of Goatfell (2,867ft/874m).

Sannox to Lochranza (9 miles/14.5 km), meanwhile, is often hailed as a favourite section by walkers keen to spot marine life such as dolphins and basking sharks. 

Further along the route, Whiting Bay to Lamlash (6 miles/10 km) takes in Glenashdale Falls, as well as passing a Viking grave and Iron Age hill fort.

Visit coastalway.co.uk

Balmoral Cairns, near Ballater, Aberdeenshire

There are 11 cairns within the Balmoral Estate commissioned by Queen Victoria to mark key events for the Royal Family, including the marriages of her children and in memory of her beloved late husband Prince Albert.

It is possible to view most of these impressive stone structures on a six-mile (9.5 km) circuit. Perhaps the most well-known is the striking pyramid-like form of the Prince Albert Cairn, built in 1862, the year after he died from typhoid fever.

The trail also takes in the cairns of Princess Beatrice, Princess Helena, Princess Louise and Prince Leopold, offering an enjoyable daunder through the trees and fantastic views across Royal Deeside. Note: this walk is not advised when the Royal Family is in residence.

Visit balmoralcastle.com and visitabdn.com

Flotta, Orkney

Lying at the heart of Scapa Flow, Flotta offers a fascinating trail packed with wartime archaeology. Reached by ferry from Houton on the west mainland or from Lyness on Hoy, the island had a major role in both World Wars when it was an important base for the Royal Navy.

The eight-mile (13 km) circular route takes in the ruins of the Naval Cinema and the Coast Battery sites which defended the Scapa Flow anchorage.

Today around a sixth of the island is taken up by the sprawling Flotta oil terminal, a processing, storage and export facility.

Among the not-to-be-missed scenic gems are the dramatic cliffs and sea stacks of Stanger Head where nesting shags, razorbills and puffins reside and, if you are lucky, you may even catch a glimpse of porpoises, dolphins and whales.

Visit orkney.com/explore/flotta

Inverness Historic Trail

With its roots going back to 585AD, Inverness can lay claim to being one of Scotland’s oldest towns (and designated a city since 2000). This trail is jam-packed with must-see buildings, including a castle, several churches, a clutch of townhouses, a hospital and a Victorian market.

Among them is Abertarff House, the earliest surviving abode in Inverness, dating from 1593. It is immediately recognisable due to the distinctive crow-stepped gables, known as “corbie steps”.

The library, built in 1841, has a distinct Egyptian and Greek flavour, complete with Doric columns and pediments. Inverness Cathedral, constructed between 1866-69, was designed by the architect Alexander Ross, renowned for his 19th-century and early 20th-century churches.

Visit explore-inverness.com

Romans and Reivers Route

This long-distance path in southern Scotland traverses 52 miles (84 km) and runs from the Forest of Ae in Dumfries and Galloway to Hawick in the Borders. It can be tackled on several visits or as one multi-day expedition.

Taking its name from the Border reivers – cattle raiders who operated along the Anglo-Scottish border from the late 13th to the early 17th centuries – it utilises a mix of old Roman roads, forest tracks, drovers’ roads and quiet country lanes.

Originally developed by the British Horse Society Scotland, the route is also suitable for walkers and cyclists. It links with four other of Scotland’s Great Trails: the Annandale Way, the Borders Abbeys Way, the Cross Borders Drove Road and the Southern Upland Way.

Visit scotlandsgreattrails.com

The Clyde Walkway

Starting from Glasgow city centre and running all the way to the World Heritage Site of New Lanark, the Clyde Walkway offers a 40-mile (65km) adventure, which can be broken down into a series of bite-sized chunks depending on what you fancy.

The opening section heading east across Glasgow, passing through the Broomielaw and Glasgow Green, then on towards Cambuslang, is a treat for architecture lovers thanks to an eclectic mix of historic and modern buildings.

Further along the route the pretty delights of Clyde Valley villages, such as Dalserf, Rosebank and Crossford, awaits. Here, the walkway winds its way through agricultural land, orchard country and wooded gorges towards New Lanark and all four Falls of Clyde.

Visit glasgow.gov.uk and visitlanarkshire.com

John Muir Way

This famed coast-to-coast walking and cycling path spans central Scotland, linking Helensburgh on the Firth of Clyde with John Muir’s birthplace of Dunbar on the Firth of Forth.

One of Scotland’s Great Trails, the route encapsulates the deep love that Muir, the writer, explorer and conservationist who founded the US National Park system, had for the great outdoors.

Tackle it in one 134-mile (216 km) odyssey – or split it up into shorter sections – as you take in beaches and coastline, castles, lochs, hills, woodlands, old railway lines, canal towpaths, Roman forts, the Antonine Wall and nature-packed habitats.

Visit johnmuirway.org