What the Ptarmigan Hillwalking and Mountaineering Club Website Offers

The Ptarmigan Hillwalking and Mountaineering Club website belongs to a friendly, Edinburgh-based hillwalking and mountaineering club. Its main draw is a monthly Sunday bus to the Highlands — occasionally to the Borders or the Lake District — where members walk their own routes at their own pace and can leave or rejoin the bus at any point. The site is aimed at people with some hillwalking experience who are considering joining a trip or the club itself.

What the Club Actually Does

The club's core activity is the monthly Sunday bus outing. Because the bus can be joined and left along the way, members can plan through routes and variations that would be awkward with a car — and someone else handles the driving. The bus convener records the day's routes and the groups of at least two or three people walking them.

Membership spans a wide range of ages, abilities and interests, from hill-running and serious climbing to low-level walking, geology, bird-watching and botany. The club notes a depth of experience among members, including several who have completed the Munros, Corbetts and even Grahams.

What the Website Covers

The navigation reflects how the club is organised:

What You Need Before a Typical Day

The club describes a typical day as about six hours in the hills. Prospective members are expected to have some hillwalking experience and the necessary equipment, including:

• Basic first aid and an emergency whistle
• Food, drink and clothing, including full waterproofs
• An OS map of the area (or equivalent) and a compass — and the knowledge to use them
• In winter, extra clothing, an ice axe and crampons are often essential for safety

The club does not "lead" walks or provide formal tuition, though experienced members are happy to pass on advice. As a Mountaineering Scotland affiliated club, members can get discounts on formal summer and winter mountaineering courses at Glenmore Lodge near Aviemore.

How to Try It Without Committing

Potential new members start as guests with no commitment. To book a place on a bus, the site directs you to email Bookings; for general information, email Enquiries. The bus convener can advise on routes and on who to walk with.

The club also has a friendly link with the separate Highways Hillwalking Club, also based in Edinburgh: each lists the other's trips (Ptarmigan usually first Sunday of the month, Highways usually second Sunday), and members of one are welcome on the other's trips.

Who This Site Is For

The website suits walkers based in or near Edinburgh who already have some hill experience and want organised transport to the Highlands without giving up freedom over their own route. If you are a complete beginner, or looking for led walks or formal instruction, the club's model — self-guided routes, no formal tuition — is worth weighing before you book a guest seat.