There is a particular moment on the track above Kirriemuir when the noise of the town finally stops and the only sound left is the wind moving through the birch trees. It happens every time, regardless of the group — seasoned walkers, first-timers, children who were reluctant in the car park an hour earlier. That moment is the whole reason Cairnvost Howe runs its group walks programme, and it is the thing participants mention most often when they tell someone else about us.
The walks programme runs year-round across three landscapes: the Angus Glens, which reach north from the Vale of Strathmore into the high Cairngorms foothills; the Sidlaw Hills, the modest ridge that separates Dundee from Perthshire; and the Lomond Hills in Fife, reachable in under an hour. Routes are graded from gentle riverside paths — ideal for families with young children or anyone entirely new to walking — to longer half-day routes on open moorland where the views stretch as far as the Tay estuary on a clear day.
Transport is included in every booking. We run a minibus from central Dundee, picking up at two stops in the city, so a car of your own is never a requirement. Kit lending is available at no extra charge: waterproof jackets, fleeces, walking poles, and gaiters can all be reserved when you book. We ask that you bring sturdy shoes and a packed lunch; we take care of the rest. The aim is that the only decision you have to make is whether to come.
Groups are kept deliberately small — twelve walkers maximum per walk leader — so nobody gets lost in a crowd and the leader can spend real time with each person. Walks typically run on Saturday mornings and Sunday afternoons between March and November, with a shorter winter programme of lower-level routes on clear days between December and February. Every walk is led by a Mountain Training-qualified leader who knows these hills across all seasons and conditions.
Alongside the standard walks, we run skills sessions that teach practical hillcraft: navigation with map and compass, weather reading, first aid in remote settings, and low-impact wild camping. These sessions are open to anyone who has already completed two group walks with us, and they are priced on a sliding scale so that cost is never the reason someone cannot attend. Several participants have gone on to pursue their Mountain Leader Award after starting with us on a borrowed fleece and a borrowed pair of poles.
Booking is straightforward. All walks and sessions are listed on our website and reservations close three days before each departure. If a walk is full, a waiting list operates and we run repeat dates for popular routes. Students at Dundee and Abertay universities can access a subsidised rate with a valid student card. Families with more than two children pay a single family rate regardless of how many young people are in the group. No experience, no kit, and no car are required — just a willingness to show up at the pick-up point on time.