Chasing Dreams & Echoes of the Past on Scotland’s Hard Rock Routes
Senior Instructor Nathan White recounts a recent roadtrip around Scotland with friend and Chief Instructor Jon Jones, in search of Scotland’s classic hard rock routes that they’ve been dreaming of climbing.
There are routes that lodge themselves in the back of your mind, names spoken with reverent tones in bothies and climbing walls, whispered between battered guidebooks and mugs of tea. For years, I had kept a quiet list of lines I hoped to climb one day. Not for grades or guidebook ticks, but for the stories they told, the history they carried, and the feeling they promised. A couple weeks ago, I had the chance to spend six days with Jon, a close friend and Chief Instructor at Glenmore Lodge, chasing some of those long-held dreams across the Highlands & Islands. What followed was a journey through some of Scotland’s hard rock, stitched together by friendship, sunshine, and the ghosts of the boldest climbers who came before us.
Torridon
We began in Torridon, on Seana Mheallan. The mountain is modest in height but steeped in character, and its west face catches the evening light in a way that makes you pause. The climbing here is on Torridonian sandstone, a fantastic compact rock with striking friction and a tactile, grippy quality that draws comparisons to gritstone. It encourages confident movement and rewards commitment. Proud, inciting lines like Crack of Ages, The Torridonian, and Fist Fighter stand out among a spread of hidden gems. We spent the day moving through a handful of excellent routes, each one different in style but all marked by that unique blend of quality rock and exposed, compelling climbing. It was a strong start; the kind of day that builds anticipation for what lies ahead.
Skye
From there we drove west to Skye, heading first to the cliffs above Bornesketaig. We climbed in the sea breeze, gulls wheeling above us, the Atlantic stretching into a blue haze. Skye is rapidly becoming one of the UK’s premier crack climbing venues and this relatively new addition reinforces this. Fantastic dolerite columns and splitter cracks combined with bolt lower-offs below where the rock turns chossy mean you can really savour the thuggery. With grazed hands, forearms totally fatigued, and shoulders aching from two days of burly climbing, we were already fairly broken. But change is almost as good as rest apparently. So, change it was.
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The next day we moved onto Vulcan Wall, with Uhuru and Spock firmly in our sights. The buttress is composed of impeccable gabbro, offering a mixture of bold aretes, technical slabs and fine corners. For the higher grade climber, it holds some of the finest mountain routes in Scotland. Uhuru, with its awkward crux and bold positioning, felt like a real test of composure. While Spock demanded power and precision in equal measure, all whilst keeping a cool head. Heaving read about these in Jules Lines autobiography, I shuddered at the thought of making the intricate movements and relying on the delicate smears unroped. Utter madness, I thought.
Ben Nevis
By day 5 we were on Ben Nevis, and all roads led to the Bat. I’ve wanted to climb it for as long as I’ve tied in. It’s a route that looms large in Scottish climbing history, first climbed in 1959 by Robin Smith and Dougal Haston. Their ascent is the stuff of legend. Driven by vision and grit, they put up one of the most devious and iconic lines in the country. It was a privilege to follow in their footsteps. The climbing was steep, complex and physical, the exposure total. At times it felt like we were holding a conversation across time, inching through the same moves with modern gear but equal awe. We moved steadily, trying not to emulate Haston taking flight like its namesake. Arriving at the top with burning forearms and wide grins. For me, The Bat was a highlight, a line that lived up to every ounce of expectation.
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Glen Coe
The final day began with a false start due to a road closure. However this may have been a blessing in disguise, as it saved my calves and brain from the relentless terror that can be found on the Etive slabs. However the guardian of Glen Coe – Buachaille Etive Mòr can hardly be referred to as a consolation prize. The glen was still and warm, the sky a cyan hue. We climbed Line Up, another classic that blends a delicate approach and atmosphere. Not quite as classic as others that week but absorbing and with an incredible outlook; it’s hard to beat the Rannoch wall for position.
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A memorable week of Scotland’s Hard Rock Routes
What tied the week together wasn’t just the climbing, though it was excellent. It was the feeling of chasing dreams with someone who understands the language of it all, the anticipation felt on the walk-ins, and the route-reading. The silences, the shared meals, the unspoken trust on the sharp end. These climbs had lived in our heads for years, and to move through them together made it all the more special.
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It also left me thinking about the ones who came before us. Many of these routes were first climbed in an era when the gear was rudimentary, the knowledge sparse, and the margins thin. Their audacity is still hard to grasp. They weren’t following topos or chalk, they were imagining lines where none existed, committing to moves with nothing but belief and a hard-won peg below. Our respect for them deepened with every pitch.
Six days, six venues, countless pitches and a lifetime of inspiration. There’s something about climbing in Scotland that gets under your skin. The weather, the rock, the history, the scale, all of it wraps together into something elemental. And in good company, on Scotland’s hard rock routes, the experience becomes something close to magic.
Looking for a Scottish climbing adventure with iconic landscapes and dreams fulfilled? Climb with one of our experienced Instructors, and take on new routes and build your skills and headgame for bigger adventures.