What clothing should I wear for winter hillwalking?

You can see a detailed list of clothing for winter hillwalking further down this page. As an overview, you need a waterproof and windproof outer shell [hooded jacket and trousers], and a layering system underneath of synthetics such as fleece and merino. Layering works because you can regulate your temperature throughout the day by adding and taking off layers.

We would always recommend you go for bright colours so you can be easily seen, and avoid cotton – when it gets wet it stays wet. We would also recommend synthetic insulated jackets over down jackets. It can be seriously wet in Scotland and down loses its insulation properties when it’s wet. Synthetics continue to function at about 80%.