Building on the earlier suggestion, I totally agree that for landscape work in the Highlands, autofocus is a lifesaver. In my experience, you dont want to be fiddling with focus rings when the light is changing fast or the weather turns sideways. I have spent years shooting landscapes and honestly, zoom versatility is king when you are hiking. You should look at the Fujifilm XC 15-45mm f/3.5-5.6 OIS PZ. People write it off because it is a kit lens, but it is super tiny, cheap, and actually quite sharp for landscapes. If you want something a bit more premium that fits your budget:

• Fujifilm XF 10-24mm f/4 R OIS WR is the gold standard, though you might need to find one used to hit your price target.
• Sigma 10-18mm f/2.8 DC DN Contemporary is another stellar choice that stays compact and gives you that epic wide field of view.

@Reply #1 - good point! Honestly, manual focus is a nightmare in Scotland. I tried the Samyang 12mm f/2.0 AF recently and honestly, it was pretty hit or miss for me, had some sharpness issues on the edges. If you want something consistent, the Fujifilm XF 14mm f/2.8 R is way better optics-wise, even if it feels a bit dated. You'll get much cleaner shots of those mountains without the distortion headache.

Adding my two cents here, totally agree with the others about staying away from manual lenses in Scotland. You really dont want to be messing with focus rings when the wind is howling and you are trying to frame a shot. I picked up the Fujifilm XF 10-24mm f/4 R OIS WR used and it honestly changed my landscape game completely. It is way wider than those kit lenses and that image stabilization is a lifesaver when you are shooting handheld in lower light. I know it might push your budget slightly, but keep an eye out for a clean used copy. I have been using it for years and have zero complaints. It makes the Scottish mountains look massive without that weird fisheye distortion you get with cheaper ultra-wides. If you want a cheaper alternative that is still super sharp, the Sigma 18-50mm f/2.8 DC DN Contemporary is incredible too, though not quite as wide. Quick tip: bring a cheap microfiber cloth everywhere, the Scottish mist will get on your glass constantly. Also, shoot in aperture priority mode and just keep it around f/8 for your landscapes. You will be golden.

TL;DR: Grab a wider lens than the kit one, but stick to autofocus because manual is a pain when you're hiking. Honestly, I tried using manual focus glass when I first started and it was such a disaster in the Scottish rain. You're gonna miss shots while fumbling with rings, and unfortunately, landscapes often change in a blink. I had issues with some cheap third-party glass that gave me terrible corner blur, so dont go for the absolute cheapest option you find on marketplace. It wasnt as good as expected and ruined some of my best shots from the Highlands. Just stick to a versatile zoom that feels sturdy. It makes capturing those massive mountains so much easier, and you wont regret having that extra bit of focus insurance when the weather turns.

Re: Building on the earlier suggestion, I totally agree about avoiding manual lenses. I learned the hard way when my focus ring jammed in the salt spray. Reliability is everything.

• moisture sealing matters
• autofocus is essential