Walking & Hiking:
This has to be one of the best destinations in Europe for a walking holiday. Wester Ross has a huge network of paths available to suit a range of abilities from a short, level stroll around Flowedale (in Gairloch) to a full expedition up and around An Teallach, which has been used as a training location for Himalayan climbs!
Many people are attracted by the fact that it is relatively quiet here even at the height of summer, and it is often possible to have a days walking without meeting anybody on the hill. The other side of the coin, however, is that you must be aware of the potential dangers. Unlike several walking destinations abroad, there are few stairs, ropes, signs and waymarkers on any of the hills. paths are often only wide enough for a single person to walk over at any one time, and there are rivers and streams to cross without the benefit of bridges. Most importantly of all, the weather on the West coast of Scotland can change very rapidly indeed - Sunshine in the morning, then rain, high winds, and dramatic alterations in temperature by evening are not at all unusual. So, please make sure you are aware of the weather forecast for the day.
The local forecast from the met office can be found by clicking HERE
And for a full and detailed Mountain forecast, have a look at the MWIS site.
So, where should you try for a decent walk? Here's some suggestions!
Short Walks, relatively flat: (Click on any links for downloadable booklets / information)
- Flowerdale (Gairloch)
- Lael Forest (Between Braemore Junction and Ullapool)
- Beinn Eighe Nature Reserve (Includes "All Abilities" routes) (Info: download)
- Along the River Ewe towards Kernsary
Walks from two to four hours, including some uphill treks:
- Beinn Eighe Mountain and Woodland Trails
- Poolewe to Loch Maree by Slattadale
- Corrie Hallie towards Shenaval (on the A832 Dundonnell - Braemore road)
- Mellon Udrigle to the ruined village of Slaagan
- Ullapool Hill Path Network (Full details - download)
- Beinn Enaiglair stalkers path circuit (Braemore)
- Reiff to Achnahaird (Coigach)
FULL day outings, requiring a good level of fitness and walking ability:
- The Heights of Kinlochewe
- Beinn Eighe via the Triple Buttress
- An Teallach
- Beinn Dearg via Inverlael
- Ben More Coigach and Cul Mor
For maps, the suggestion is the Ordnance Survey "Landranger" maps, on a 1:50,000 scale. For this area, you will need maps 15,19,20,24, or 25 - depending on exactly where you intend walking.
Finally, we now have a really excellent walking information resource serving the area, in the shape of the "walk highlands" website. This has maps, route information, and links to a variety of helpful sites covering nearly every aspect of walking here. Furthermore, it's not just a long walk / mountain type of site - there are low level walks listed as well that take from as little as 20 minutes.
The site info can be found by clicking on the links below:
Torridon: Kinlochewe to Shieldaig
Glen Carron: Lochcarron to Achnasheen
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Jeff Gilberston, Florida