LOSE WEIGHT, HAVE FUN AND EMBARK ON A LIFETIME’S OBSESSION. AUTHOR ALAN ROWAN EXPLAINS HOW TO GET INTO WALKING

IT’S the time of year when gym managers are rubbing their hands with anticipation, waiting for the punters to roll up. But you don’t need to be chained to a running machine indoors to get fit. This is Scotland – there’s a whole beautiful country out there to provide a natural detox. And you know what? This isn’t a short-term solution. This a lifestyle that will get you hooked. No matter what age or level of fitness, you can be lifted from sea level to the peak of a 3,000ft Munro within a matter of weeks.

This is the ideal time to start the transformation. Winter puts the mountains off limits to all but the most experienced walkers, so the trick is to get out now and start clocking up the miles at low level. Try to walk a couple of miles every day. Leave the car, take the stairs, walk to the shops. Increase your walks week by week until you are comfortable doing five or six miles. Build in some good uphill stretches and gradually take them at a faster pace.

Scotland has a lot of great country trails and paths – and The Herald Magazine highlights the best each week. Make sure you have a map of the route. This will get you used to finding your way around and set you up nicely for future hill walks. When you are confident in your route-finding and know your walking ability, you can move on to some of the smaller hills like the Campsies or the Lomonds.

You don’t need to splash out fortunes on gear, although a good pair of boots will protect your feet from the constant