UKH

How busy with the post lockdown and no foreign holidays situation?

Been avoiding them for fear o'folk, waiting for the flood to subside.

Are they busy mid week? 

Ben Nevis was quiet today

I might have been in the wrong places (like Ardgour!) but I don't think it's quite as busy, at least on the hills as some expected from the outset. Maybe doesn't apply to Arrochar, Glen Coe, sunny Saturday etc.

I’m not sure whether the Lakes are a good indicator of how busy the Munro’s might be, but have just returned from a wild camp in the eastern lakes near Shap.

I expected the worst but there were only 4 cars on the car park last night when we arrived. Two other tents wild camping up by a tarn near us.

Today I saw 12 people in an  8 mile circuit of High Street. The car park had 8 cars on it.

This is how I remember the lakes 30 years ago on the back of a good forecast.

Hope Scotland is similar.

We did 35km on the Paddy Buckley Round on Sunday, saw two people! 

If you pick your weather days (it was blowing a bit) you'll have nice quiet Munros I'd suspect. 

I think a lot of people are really over playing the busyness in the Highlands. It's really not busy so far, obviously it will get busier but if you avoid honeypot hills it wont be bad. Last summer was busy in the valleys but I really didn't notice much difference in the hills.

I was thinking the Aonach Eagach mid-week in a couple of weeks' time. Will I be able to get along it West to East with all the folk heading the other way!?🤨

Since travel restrictions ended mid April I've had days out on Bidean, the Aonach Eagach ridge, the Saddle, Liathach, Cruach Ardrain and Tulaichean and met about a dozen folk in total. Today on Vorlich, the Stuc and Beinn Each, just a 40 minute drive fae ma hoose in the central belt I met four folk car to car. They have all been midweek days out. 

My kind of days! Though I am not yet retired...

I did a lot of weekend day trips last year my impression was any good hill with 2 hrs of the central belt was busy other places I went to were about the same as normal. Mid week would be pretty quiet I'm sure

I haven’t actually been up any Munros this year, but apart from the obvious ones (Lomond, the eastern Vorlich, Lawers etc), I wouldn’t have many concerns about the number of people on the hill. Parking is probably the bigger issue - having driven past many of the common starting points, they can be pretty busy. Ben Wyvis, the Fannaichs and An Teallach starting points were completely bunged a couple of weeks ago (on a Saturday), and even last weekend on a Friday , the usual suspects up the side of Loch Lomond were heaving. I think a little imagination to pick a less popular hill, or even just an alternative starting point to whatever is on Walkhighlands or in the SMC guide, and you should be fine.

I was on An Teallach last weekend and it was suprisingly quiet. The weather wasn't great but it wasn't bad either. Mostly clear tops and views to be had so that won't have put people off. Midweek hills won't be mobbed.

Two Munro days and two Corbett days thus far this year, all within easy reach of Stirling, all midweek and all pretty quiet. Have had lots of Ochil outings since the start of the year (44 of them above 2000ft) and those have often been very quiet. Big difference from last summer when all sorts of places were unusually busy. A good measure of it feels like the amount of litter being brought down: lots last summer, normal levels just now.

Did 6 days out on 11 ‘Scottish’ Munros over the recent bank holiday and barely saw anyone. 

Did Carn Eighe, Mam Sodhail, Fhionnlaidh a couple of Thursdays back (with an excellent forecast) and did not see a soul in the nine hours it took

I've no problem with picking less popular hills or routes. That's my 'normal' however I'm looking to get more of my unticked munros done before my dog starts to seriously age and get her out on those big hills. With a few camps.

Good to hear they're quiet as midweek overnighters are back on the cards with these long days.

Ben Lui on Monday, didn’t see another person all day.

Ben Oss yesterday, saw one other.

Just remembered, it was 6 quiet days except 1 in glenshiel which was pretty busy.

Ben Vorlich and Stuc a’Chroin quiet yesterday. About 10 cars parked near the start of the Vorlich track, but I think they belonged mainly to fishermen on Loch Earn.

Done 28 (I think!) Munros since April 17th. Grey Corries and Mamores multiple weekends, Ben Lomond twice and Arrochar Alps midweek, as well as an odd Geal Charn. 

Few people appeared clueless in what they’re doing but most looked like seasoned hill walkers. 

Really, they’re quieter than they used to be. I think it’s bound to change with pubs and accommodation reopening as first few weeks it was busy on A82 until Crianlarich - as you could only day trip and nowhere to sit down for food, it was very quiet. 
 

About 8 people on the Glen Lyon 4 yesterday ( Lawers carpark very busy as I passed )

Last weekend, Stuc and Vorlich ( from the south, ie Callandar Crags road ) - 1 person until I reached the summit of Stuc, then about 20-30 between the 2 summits, then no-one again on the descent back out until near the cars, then a few out for a gentle bimble

A 4pm start for traverse of Tarmachan Ridge, midweek - no-one

That was my experience too when doing the same round (Vorlich first) from there in early April - admittedly when the council area rule was still in place. Met no one until a runner then a walking couple high on the back ridge of Vorlich, 20-odd folk between the two hills, then just a two and two ones on the way off Stuc. Most recent non-Ochils outing was Meall an t-Seallaidh above Balquhidder on 21 April with a couple of pals - it was lovely weather but we only met one chap high on the hill (doing both Corbetts from Lochearnhead), then a local couple in Kirkton Glen on descent.

That definitely feels like the best tactic for popular stuff: midweek, afternoon start. I'm fancying a basic Chonzie-from-Lednock raid as it's the first time since 2013 that I've not been up it by this stage in the year, and only the second since 2004. But I'll treat it as a midweek evening outing, I think - should be able to get parked OK for that. Might also do the north Lyon loop soon too, again midweek if so and from Camusvrachan.

I parked at the Ben More/Stob Binnean car park yesterday and it was 3/4 full at 11.00 am. I went up a Corbett on the other side of the glen and saw no one all day. 

I was up Ben Lawers last week or the week before and again the car park was maybe half full. There were others on the hill but I wouldn't have called it busy.

Very quiet in Assynt on the May bank hol weekend. On what is traditionally one of the most popular weekends of the year - pre-midges and with good weather this year - we only bumped in to locals and didn't see any car campers.

I wonder if folk are thinking of the Highlands as somewhere where tourists are now unwelcome, after the (rightful) anger against last summer's irresponsible tourism.

I would echo what malky_c says - we had a 3 day trip to the Fisherfield Forest for the May Day bank holiday weekend and all the car parks between Inverness & Gruinard were virtually full quite early on the Saturday.

But on the hill (actually all on a valley level track - none on the hill itself!) we saw 11 people in three days, and five of those were within half a mile of the car. We were on the Dearg Corbetts and Beinn a' Chaisgein Mòr, so likely quieter than the Munros. 

Kintail very quiet last week