Scottish Highlands Packing List

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🛒 Top picks for this trip

🦟

Insect Repellent Midges in Scotland, mosquitoes everywhere in summer.

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✅ Essentials Checklist

✓Midge repellent and head net (May–September, west coast especially)
✓Waterproof jacket and trousers — full spec
✓Waterproof boots
✓OS maps for your area and compass
✓Layers — Highland weather delivers four seasons daily
✓Head torch
✓First Aid Kits ↗ kit
✓Flask and food — shops and fuel can be 50+ miles apart
✓Full fuel tank discipline when touring
✓Cash for honesty boxes and small community shops

🛒 More kit for this trip

🥾 Walking Boots View › 🧤 Thermal Base Layers View ›

👕 Clothing Checklist

→Thermal base layers
→Fleece and down mid-layers
→Waterproof jacket and trousers
→Waterproof boots
→Warm hat, gloves, buff
→Wool socks × 4
→Gaiters for boggy glen paths

⭐ Nice to Have

○Binoculars — red deer, golden eagles, otters, dolphins at Chanonry Point
○Camera with zoom lens
○Swimwear for wild swimming in lochs
○Trekking poles for Munro descents
○Sleeping bag and bothy kit for bothy nights
○Whisky miniatures for bothy etiquette

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Frequently Asked Questions

How bad are the midges in the Highlands?

From late May to early September, on still overcast days on the west coast, they can be genuinely miserable — clouds of them at dawn and dusk near water. Smidge or DEET repellent, a head net for camping, and choosing breezy pitches all help. The east coast and windy days are largely midge-free. April–May and late September onward avoid them almost entirely.

What is a bothy and can anyone use one?

Bothies are basic unlocked shelters in remote glens, maintained by the Mountain Bothies Association. Anyone can stay for free — no booking. Expect four walls, a sleeping platform and often a fireplace; bring everything else including a sleeping mat, stove and fuel. Bothy code: leave it cleaner than you found it, carry out all rubbish, and be sociable with fellow users.

Do I need a 4x4 for Highland roads?

No — all public Highland roads including single-tracks are fine in a normal car. What you do need is single-track road etiquette: use passing places to let oncoming traffic through AND to let faster traffic overtake, never park in passing places, and expect sheep and deer on the road, especially at dawn and dusk.

Check the weather and best time to visit before you finalise your Scottish Highlands packing list — and see country facts and travel info for entry requirements and local tips.

Not sure which suitcase size or clothing sizes you need? Check 247Sizing's luggage and clothing size guides before you pack.