Thistle Trekking

Thistle Trekking
Guided trekking & mountaineering holidays



Thistle Trekking provides guided walking holidays in the UK, including West Highland Way, Cape Wrath Trail and The Skye Trail. All our guided treks give you the luxury of enjoying the walk without having to worry about organising all the details, including accommodation and baggage transfer, or worry about trying to find your way. This means you can just enjoy the trail and let us do all the worrying for you!
Good to know
- Good to go: Covid-19 protocols in place
- Book with confidence: flexible rebooking
- Top-rated mountaineering specialists

Key information
Destinations | Scotland |
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Activity | Adventure, Backpacking, Climbing, Hiking & Trekking, Active, Walking, Camping, Nature & Wildlife, National Parks, Solo Travel |
Tour Type | Custom itinerary, Private guided tour |
Thistle Trekking Reviews
What people are saying about Thistle Trekking
Sabrina
03/09/2019
Five girlfriends and I just completed the West Highland Way, booked with Thistle Trekking. Can’t recommend them enough, the trip was well coordinated from start to finish. Very well trained/certified mountain guides and excellent van support. This was my first time joining a group tour on a 7 day trek and I’ll definitely do it again. The hike is challenging, a lot of rocky terrain, but gorgeous views, and for us, great company. We went the last week in Aug/first week in Sept and didn’t find the trail too crowded. A lovely experience!
Kelli Estes
10/07/2019
I first heard about Thistle Trekking from a friend who had done the West Highland Way trek with them and raved about the experience. I did the East Highland Way this past spring and am eager to book another trek with Thistle Trekking as soon as I can.
Treks with Thistle Trekking provide the best of both worlds: outdoors and comfort. We started with a dinner where we got to know our fellow trekkers and guides. The next morning we all headed out on the trek with a guide to show the way and to take care of any problems that might arise. Every evening we were either led to, or picked up and driven to, a nearby B&B where our luggage was waiting for us (Warm showers! Warm beds!). The next morning we started off from the location where we stopped the night before.
On the fourth day of our six day trek, I started suffering from tendinitis in my ankle and hated being the one to slow the group down. But every single person in the group was so kind and supportive and our guide, Ed, wrapped my ankle and helped me get to the finishing point (note, a van was available to pick up anyone not able to finish, but I stubbornly insisted on finishing and was very happy that I did).
I can't rave enough about Thistle Trekking. Scarlet, who runs the company and who delivered our luggage to the B&Bs and drove us to and from our starting/finishing points, was always positive, encouraging, and friendly. I can't wait to book another trek!
Kaisa Arola
07/01/2020
We booked the self-guided West Highland way via Thistle trekking. The price was good compared to other firms and the accommodations were nice, some of course better than others, but nothing horrible came our way. (All were en-suite and breakfast included, most of them in small hotels) We especially loved our accommodations at Kinlochleven and in Fort William, thank you for them! They were very helpful answering all of our questions and kept us up to date because of the crazy weather (there was some flooding on the route and some of it was un-passable). What we would have liked is a list of places were one could eat and use restrooms on the Way in-between accommodations. Luckily they weren't that hard to find. All in all, we enjoyed our trek tremendously and we could recommend this firm to anyone.
Thistle Trekking tours
West Highland Way
Fully guided trek on Scotland's most famous route
Destinations | Scotland |
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Activity | Adventure, Backpacking, Hiking & Trekking, Active, Nature & Wildlife, National Parks |
Tour Type | Custom itinerary, Small group tour, Private guided tour |
Knoydart Expedition
Wild trekking & camping in the remote Highlands
Destinations | The Highlands |
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Activity | Adventure, Backpacking, Hiking & Trekking, Active, Nature & Wildlife, National Parks |
Tour Type | Custom itinerary, Small group tour, Private guided tour |
Cape Wrath Trail (South)
Guided trekking in the Scottish Highlands
Destinations | The Highlands |
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Activity | Adventure, Backpacking, Hiking & Trekking, Active, Nature & Wildlife, National Parks |
Tour Type | Custom itinerary, Small group tour, Private guided tour |
Cape Wrath Trail (North)
Guided trekking in the Scottish Highlands
Destinations | The Highlands |
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Activity | Adventure, Backpacking, Hiking & Trekking, Active, Nature & Wildlife, National Parks |
Tour Type | Custom itinerary, Small group tour, Private guided tour |
St Cuthbert’s Way
Trek the rolling borderlands of Northumberland and the Scottish Borders
Destinations | Scotland, England |
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Activity | Adventure, Backpacking, Hiking & Trekking, Active, Nature & Wildlife, National Parks |
Tour Type | Custom itinerary, Small group tour, Private guided tour |
The Skye Trail
Guided trek on the Isle of Skye
Destinations | Hebrides |
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Activity | Adventure, Backpacking, Hiking & Trekking, Active, Nature & Wildlife, National Parks |
Tour Type | Custom itinerary, Small group tour, Private guided tour |
What's included
All trips with Thistle Trekking include the following services. Get in touch to find out more.
Accommodation |
All overnight accommodation. Options range from friendly, hand-picked B&Bs, to more luxurious 4* hotels, to camping for those who wish to get closer to nature. Contact Thistle Trekking to discuss your accommodation preferences. |
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Guided excursions |
All treks accompanied by a fully qualified Mountain Leader guide. |
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Ground transfers |
Pick up and drop off at arrival points and transport back to your departure point. Door-to-door luggage transfer between each stop is included (you only carry your day pack). |
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Breakfast |
Full cooked breakfasts included in hotel and B&B accommodation. |
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Camping equipment |
Tents and camping equipment provided (excluding sleeping bags and personal items). |
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Support |
A support vehicle is available on all treks to allow you to skip sections if needed, plus 24/7 emergency backup support. |