Adrenaline activities are not for everyone and the Scottish Highlands is not known for its adrenaline activities. Walks around Loch Ness, historic castles and deep-fried mars bars, certainly. But wind-flipped hair, blood rushing, stomach flipping adventures? Believe it or not, we have you covered. If a bike ride around the Highlands or a day on a golf course is not enough for you, keep reading!
Munro Bagging
Scotland has a mountaineering hobby of its own: Munro Bagging. A Munro is a mountain in Scotland that is over 3000 ft high (914 metres). There are over 280 Munros in Scotland. If you bag all 282 Munros, you can call yourself a Munroist. The most famous Munro would be Ben Nevis, which stands at 4411 ft (1345 metres). In fact, this hobby is not as easy as it may sound on paper. Often the conditions of the Munros are arduous due to the unpredictable Scottish weather. As a result, only around 6000 people have bagged all 282 Munros. Why not try to become one of this elusive club? You’ll find 17 Munros just in the Loch Ness area alone.
For more information, please visit: https://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/munros/
Bungee Jumping, Bridge Swing & Skydiving
These three are synonymous with adrenaline activities. Each of these activities are some of the most stomach dropping things you can do in your life, and you can tick all of these off your bucket list whilst staying at The Highland Club! Whether you’re trying something new or well-versed in jumping off of high places, you’ll never find another setting quite like the Scottish Highlands. Check out our list below of bungee jumping, bridge swings and sky diving – all within an hour from The Highland Club.
Fort William Skydiving
Fort William Bungee Diving
Fort William Bridge Swing
Killiecrankie Bungee Diving (2hrs drive away)
Paragliding
In Nevis Range, you can not only hike and ski but also go paragliding! It is one of the less blood-racing adrenaline activities, but it will treat you to spectacular views as you sail through the air. Beyond Extreme is a paragliding school recognised by HRH The Duke of York. With them, you can take a tandem flight or even begin lessons on how to paraglide. You can have a taster course or complete a full training course from beginner to club pilot.
Motor Racing
This exhilarating sport encompasses many different varieties of car racing can be found in the Highlands.
Knockhill is the ultimate location for driving based adrenaline activities. At Knockhill, you can drive a racing car, a Ferrari F430, try out rally car driving, an E-type Jaguar Experience or Aston Martin amongst many other options. Whilst, this circuit located near Edinburgh, a day trip would be worth it for all the family!
Fort William:
In Fort William, there is a unique way to see the sights: by quad bike. With Quad Bike Tours, you can not only go on quad bikes but also go on 4×4 tours, taking you on and off road to fully explore the area.
Mountain Biking
For information on Mountain Biking, please see our post on Sports in and around Fort Augustus.
Skiing/Snowboarding
Though snow in the rest of the UK is often unreliable (especially at Christmas!), snow can be guaranteed in Scotland. In the Ben Nevis region resides Nevis Range Mountain Resort, which is the perfect location for winter sports. A 40 minute drive away, The Nevis Range offers breath-taking views from the top of the gondola, as well as excellent slopes.
White Water Rafting
Get your blood pumping and adrenaline flowing by going white water rafting in the Scottish Highlands. Vertical Descents offers four rivers of varying levels in Fort William, and many companies have different levels of white water rafting. Get the whole family and all your friends involved for an unforgettable time.
Fort William
Aviemore:
Other listings and companies:
Canyoning
Canyoning is the downwards traversing of a gorge through various means. From jumping into chutes of water or simply jumping off a waterfall, there are ways to canyon. And there are many places where canyoning can be tried out near The Highland Club! The closest venue would be in Fort William as there is a canyon along The Alt (a river which drains from Ben Nevis). Alternatively, there are many other places in the Highlands where you can try out canyoning including the Isle of Skye.
Fort William
Aviemore:
Isle of Skye:
Scuba Diving
Experience a new world under the water through scuba diving. In Scotland, we may not have the reefs of Bali or Australia but the sea lochs are an equally beautiful experience. Scottish sea lochs are sheltered by Scotland’s mountains and provide a unique and thriving habitat for marine life. You will find sponges, anemones (including the striking Firework Anemone), lobsters, a variety of fish and Conger Eels.
Whilst Scottish dive sites like Loch Fyne have gained a lot of reputation over the years, you can dive in Loch Ness to hunt for Nessie! Highland Diving offers courses, recreational diving or even equipment servicing. Highly recommended on TripAdvisor, find out more on their website:
But there are plenty of options beyond sea lochs. If wreck diving interests you especially, you can go sea diving in Moray Firth or Oban.
Other options:
River Sledging (White Water Sledging)
River Sledging is an exciting sport where you quite literally sledge down rapid filled rivers. Enjoy plunging down the small waterfalls on a river sledge, wrapped up in a wetsuit. It is certainly a new way to experience nature! If you’re well versed in river sledging or looking for something new to try, give this activity a go. In Your Element offers River Sledging near Loch Lomond, a short drive from The Highland Club.
For more information, please visit: https://iye.scot/tours/river-sledging/
Sea Kayaking
Sea Kayaking is an especially challenging and amazing sport. This adrenaline activity involves you battling your way across the changing tides and crashing waves. In the Scottish Highlands, there are many areas where you can try it out, from Fort William to nearby the Isle of Skye.
For more information, please visit:
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Post first published 7th November 2018