Summer walking for families

Angus foothills: Perfect for family walking

We've been seeing a lot more families out walking this year – and now that the summer holidays are in full swing in Scotland there have been a lot more enquires about walking adventures and holidays for the family at Glentrek.

Walking is a great activity for all ages and fitness levels because it can be geared to suit everyone. If you have younger children then you will want to keep the walk shorter, on flatter terrain and with lots of things to see and do en route. As children become older then you can plan to extend your walking expeditions and start to take in some of Scotland's glorious hills and mountains.

One question we're often asked is what kit will children need. The answer is that they should have pretty much the same gear as the adults, although if you're walking in summer it is possible to buy clothing and footwear that is less robust, and hopefully cheaper. With children still growing it can be costly to pay out for new clothing every year so it's worth shopping around for lighter weight, summer clothing that should not be as pricey as winter-standard kit.

The most basic summer walking kit for children should include a waterproof jacket, waterproof over-trousers (have these handy in a rucksack in case the weather changes), walking boots or shoes and walking socks. Children can wear their ordinary t-shirts and fleeces and a pair of comfortable trousers, such as tracksuit bottoms or cargo pants.

A small rucksack is a useful addition, but again, this could be one they already own, perhaps used last term at school. For cooler days, pop a woolly hat and gloves into their backpacks, while on hot days you should insist they wear a sunhat.

A couple of good stores for affordable children's kit include Millets and Go Outdoors. For sturdy, comfortable yet budget-friendly walking shoes we've heard great things about Hi-tec children's boots and also Brasher boots.

Hi-tec do a great range of lighter hiking boots for summer wear. Fellow outdoors enthusiast FionaOutdoors wrote a useful review of a pair of children's Hi-tec walking boots.

Meanwhile, Brasher's Chichon GTX boot for children is a great boot. At £50 a pair it's pricier but if you have younger children to pass the boots down to then this would be a good option. Remember, too, that children can wear walking boots for mucking about in during summer play or during the winter when out and about in the snow. This way you get more wear for your money. (We noticed that Go Outdoors have this boot on sale at £45.)

Another option is Regatta. They sell a slightly cheaper range that would be fine for drier, summer walking on trails. This range of footwear offers some pretty colours, too, which is always god for encouraging the girls to pull on their walking boots!

Now there is no excuse for entertaining the children this summer with a few great family walks.

Pic: Regatta Wayright Jnr walking shoe