(Photo: Zahrah Mahmood on Arthur’s Seat in Edinburgh)

Zahrah Mahmood, aka ‘The Hillwalking Hijabi’

Zahrah Mahmood, known as @the_hillwalking_hijabi on Instagram, is a hiker who lives in Glasgow.

She only got into hiking three years ago when a friend took her out for a walk to reduce the stress of her chartered accountant exams.

Since then, the outdoors has transformed her previously city-orientated life.

James Michael Forrest, aka ‘Mountain Man’

Zahrah Mahmood, aka ‘The Hillwalking Hijabi’

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Zahrah Mahmood, known as @the_hillwalking_hijabi on Instagram, is a hiker who lives in Glasgow.

She only got into hiking three years ago when a friend took her out for a walk to reduce the stress of her chartered accountant exams.

Since then, the outdoors has transformed her previously city-orientated life.

(Photo: Zahrah Mahmood on the top of the Munro Beinn Narnain)

She now spends dozens of weekends in the hills, highlands and on the Munros of Scotland and counts down the hours for her next adventure.

Zahrah is hugely motivated in encouraging other Muslim women to get into the outdoors and experience its physical and mental benefits.

She says that she noticed early on in her hiking life “how few people like her” were in the hills having adventures and she wants to change this.

(Photo: Zahrah on the summit of Ben Vrackie in Perthshire)

Through her social media she puts particular emphasis on showing how accessible hiking can be, offering advice for beginners and answering any questions for those intrigued but perhaps too unsure to start.

She hopes that by showing that a woman who wears a head covering can have adventures outdoors, more women will follow in her footsteps, and the hiking community will become more representative.

(Photo: Zahrah Mahmood)

I went to visit Zahrah at her home in Glasgow to hear more about how the outdoors has changed her life and how it is inspiring her to get others outdoors too.

Links to some of the beginner hikes Zahrah recommends in the podcast:

Ben A’an

The Whangie, Kilpatrick Hills

Conic Hill

Loch Humphrey