Are you just starting out walking and looking for someone to walk with. There are numerous walking clubs and groups in existence and a google search should easily find some close to you.

Here are a few ideas to get you going.

Health Walks

Short easy (up to 3 miles) walks run under the Paths For All health walking programme. Suitable for beginners. Fife Council have an extensive programme called Bums Off Seats which is totally free. Walks are led by trained leaders. Also included in the Bums Off Seats initiative is a nordic walking programme.

In Fife, some Ramblers groups offer monthly walks of about 4 miles intended as a next step from the health walks. You do not need to be a Ramblers member to attend these walks and they are free to attend.

Walking Clubs and Groups

Fife Out and About – based in the Dunfermline and Kinross area we offer a selection of walks from short evening walks to full day hill walks and weekend trips. Small group sizes.

Ancrum Mountaineering Club – a Dundee based club but with members in Fife. Activity is mainly focused on hill and mountain walking throughout Scotland. Both Sunday walks and weekend trips to the mountains are organised.

Cioch Mountaineering Club – Dunfermline based. Again focused on hill and mountains and offering both weekends and day meets.

Other clubs are available. Usually they will be affiliated to either Mountaineering Scotland or the Ramblers Association. Check the websites of these organisations for lists of affiliated clubs.

When choosing a group or club you need to decide whether you want the security of a “led” walk or you are happy to take responsibility for yourself and walk as “equals” with others. In general, if you are looking for the former then the Ramblers will probably be your best option, whereas for the latter then Mountaineering Scotland affiliated clubs will be better suited to you.

There are other groups who are not affiliated to either of these organisations (particularly social media organised groups). If you choose one of these groups do a bit of research to find out how it is organised, whether or not they have public liability insurance (important as all members can be held legally liable for incidents caused by members of the group), if they charge a membership fee are they are open and transparent about their finances and what approach do they have to safety in the outdoors and environmental sensitivity.