Whether it's a gentle ramble, taking an hour or so, or a challenging full-blown week long hike, Scotland has an amazing choice to offer the hill-walking enthusiast.

There are hundreds of planned walks to choose from and numerous specialist hill-walking companies to keep you "on the right track"

At the easier end of the scale there is the likes of the Queen's View and the Whangie. This moderate 4 mile long walk takes about an hour, the highest point being 400 feet. The walk affords splendid views of the Kilpatrick Hills, Loch Lomond, Ben Lomond and the Cobbler.

The walk starts at the Queen's View car park, which is situated, on the A809 near Carbeth on the outskirts of the north side of Glasgow.

For those with a bit more experience and more time to spend why not take on the more challenging Westhighland Way. This 95 mile long footpath starts in the Glasgow suburb of Milngavie and finishes at the foot of Britain's highest mountain - Ben Nevis. Enroute it passes through some of the wildest most wonderful scenery in Scotland including the broodingly beautiful Glencoe, scene of the famous massacre.

For details of hillwalking in Scotland contact:www.b-mercer.demon.co.uk or www.scotwalk.co.uk.

Hillwalking Tour Companies:

Scotwalk Ltd
Traquair Mill House
Innerleithen
Peeblesshire EH44 6PT
Tel: 01896 830889
Fax: 01896 830515

C-N-Do Scotland
Unit 32
Stirling Enterprise Park
Stirling FK7 7RP
Tel/Fax 01786 445703

Transcotland
5 Dunkeld Road
Aberfeldy
Perthshire PH15 2EB
Tel: 01887 820848
Fax: 01887 820148