WHEN I FIRST STARTING visiting the hills as a teenager, it didn’t take long to learn that walkers can be keen on their rituals – gathering with friends on the summit of your final Munro or Wainwright, ordering an obligatory huge meal in the Clachaig Inn after the Aonach Eagach, or celebratory drams in Shenavall bothy after the Fisherfield Six. There are so many examples of these simple yet joyful observances that have woven their way into the fabric of hillwalking culture in the UK.
A well-earned pint in The Old Forge in Knoydart, after days of backpacking over some of the toughest hills in the country, is one of the rituals that makes this list. Here, context is everything. This is the remotest pub in Britain, and Knoydart is a unique place – a peninsula accessible only by boat, or by many hours of rough walking. The hills here are stern tests of mountain competency, fitness and endurance – waiting to reward you greatly if you are ready to venture into them. A successful hillwalk in Knoydart somehow feels a little more worthy of celebration than others.
Making the crossing
“We’re going to miss the ferry if we don’t hurry!”
The road to Mallaig
