Personal equipment should be carried in a well-fitting rucksack, with items that need to be kept dry stored in a waterproof liner, such as a plastic bin bag. Amongst the essential items to be carried on any of these walks are:
a survival bag
torch
whistle
map
compass
waterproof map case
first aid kit
mobile phone
pencil and paper
food and water
spare fleece.
Walking in larger groups or more testing conditions may also require a group shelter to be carried, but as with any walk, a balance should be struck between necessity and the weight of items carried. A particularly useful piece of equipment is adjustable walking poles, which can not only be used to reduce the strain on legs and knees while walking, but are also very handy for judging the conditions of soft and boggy terrain ahead.
Hillcraft
Despite being relatively low compared to the larger ranges in the Scottish Highlands, the hills covered in this guide present challenges that require similar levels of skills and experience – or ‘hillcraft’ – to those that would be needed in more mountainous regions. Typical characteristics such as high areas of featureless terrain, steep slopes and occasional large crags, will at times require confidence in personal ability, and good judgement.
Navigation
Competent navigation is the primary skill required for anyone wishing to enjoy safe hillwalking. While navigational skills will take time to master and maintain, familiarity with map reading undoubtedly helps in selecting walks, and enhances confidence, enjoyment and safety on the hills. The route descriptions in this guide assume a basic level of navigational understanding (detailed in the How to Use This Guide section). Courses, books and spending time on the hills with competent friends are all good ways to begin learning navigation.
Sickness and Injury
Common sense, planning and good navigation should mean most difficult situations on the hill are avoided. However, in situations where an individual hillwalker or a member of a hillwalking party are immobilised due to sickness or injury, some basic procedures will ensure circumstances do not get out of control.
Firstly, find some shelter in the immediate vicinity (which in these hills may be difficult). Even the most minimal cover from wind and rain, such as a peat hag or drystone dyke, will help.
Maintain body heat by adding any extra clothes and climbing inside a survival bag (and then the group shelter if one is available).
Treat medical conditions or injuries as well as you can using the first aid kit, considering these as an ongoing concern. Focus also on maintaining personal and group morale.
If a signal is available on a mobile phone, call for help from the Mountain Rescue services by first dialling 999 and asking for the police. Be ready to inform Mountain Rescue of your location, ideally by giving a six-figure grid reference. Mountain Rescue may also need to know details such as the number of walkers in the party, any medical conditions or injuries sustained, a description of the surrounding area, and the time and location at which the walk began. If no phone or signal is available, the above details should be written down and given to the most able person if they are in a position to seek help. The importance of leaving a route card is obvious (in particular for the individual walker) when emergency situations arise.
Once help has been requested it is important to stay at the exact location. Signal for help using the recognised rescue code of six long blasts with a whistle and/or six flashes of a torch every minute, listening out for three whistles or flashes as a response from the rescuers. Continue using the code until you have been reached by Mountain Rescue.
First Aid
An appropriate first aid kit and a basic knowledge of first aid will help to relieve some uncomfortable minor injuries. Blisters are perhaps the most common problem experienced by hillwalkers, but can be avoided by wearing well-fitting boots that have been broken in over a period of time. If blisters occur it is best to treat them as soon as possible. In the early stages of a blister, applying Vaseline will help reduce the friction that creates sore points on the soft tissue of the foot. Alternatively, rather than bursting any swelling it is preferable to simply cover the blister with a plaster or other dressing to avoid further rubbing.
Other common complaints such as sprains are also largely preventable with appropriate footwear and careful placement of the feet while walking. Inevitably, when sprains do occur they are painful, and severely restrict the pace of walking, so providing support to the injured area by snugly binding it with gaffer tape (carried in the first aid kit or taped around a walking pole) is often the ideal treatment. Walking poles are extremely useful in relieving pressure on sprains and twists.
Less preventable and more difficult to deal with, fractures are often the result of falls or slips. Fractures to the legs or ankles will almost certainly require rescue assistance, while fractures to the arms or wrists may well be supported by creating a sling from a triangular bandage kept in the first aid kit, or by improvising with an item of clothing.
Perhaps the most serious medical conditions to be aware of result from environmental factors affecting the body's core temperature. Walkers who are unprepared for the effects of heat loss, due to inadequate clothing or a lack of equipment to cope with an enforced stop, may quickly become susceptible to hypothermia. The very serious effects of hypothermia are felt in a relatively short space of time and are initially hard to recognise. Feelings of fatigue, listlessness and irritability are some of the vague symptoms common at the onset of ‘exposure’, which if not spotted early on can quickly spiral into the later stages of hypothermia. Thankfully, good planning and preparation should eliminate most circumstances where hypothermia may arise.
Walkers on Andrew Gannel Hill with King's Seat in the background (Walks 11 and 20)
As with hypothermia, heat exhaustion is also easily preventable, but if left untreated can also lead to more serious conditions. Heat exhaustion occurs gradually due to a loss of water and salts from the body as a result of vigorous exercise in warm, still temperatures. The body becomes less able to dissipate heat effectively, leading to feelings of fatigue, light-headedness and muscle cramps. Heat exhaustion is best prevented by a regular intake of liquid and by regulating body temperature while walking. However, at the first symptoms the walker should seek shade and rest, take on board fluids, and eat sweet and salty foods.
The effects of sunburn should also be prevented on hot days by covering exposed skin with clothing or sunscreen, which should always be carried in the first aid kit in the summer months. Other recommended items in the first aid kit may include:
crepe bandages
lint dressing
triangular bandage
plasters
blister kit
wound closure strips
saline wash
disposable gloves
antiseptic wipes
gaffer tape
scissors
emergency high-energy food.
Access and the Environment
Most land in Scotland and the areas covered in this guide is privately owned. The long-standing tradition of freedom of access to the hills in Scotland was formalised through legislation in February 2005, giving