The Cape Wrath Trail. Iain Harper

       Alternative Stage 3 Cluanie to Morvich (near Shiel Bridge)

       Stage 5 Morvich (near Shiel Bridge) to Strathcarron

       2 STRATHCARRON TO INVERLAEL (NEAR ULLAPOOL)

       Stage 6 Strathcarron to Kinlochewe

       Alternative Stage 6 Bendronaig to Kinlochewe

       Stage 7 Kinlochewe to Strath na Sealga

       Stage 8 Strath na Sealga to Inverlael (near Ullapool)

       3 INVERLAEL TO CAPE WRATH

       Stage 9 Inverlael (near Ullapool) to Oykel Bridge

       Alternative Stage 9 Ullapool to Oykel Bridge

       Stage 10 Oykel Bridge to Inchnadamph (or Loch Ailsh)

       Stage 11 Inchnadamph to Glendhu

       Alternative Stage 11 Loch Ailsh to Glendhu

       Stage 12 Glendhu to Rhiconich

       Stage 13 Rhiconich to Sandwood Bay

       Stage 14 Sandwood Bay to Cape Wrath

       Appendix A Route summary table

       Appendix B Accommodation

       Appendix C Shops, cafés and Post Offices

       Appendix D Useful websites

       Appendix E Maps

       Appendix F Further reading

      Overlooking Loch Hourn (Stage 4)

      PREFACE

      After gazing at the sky for some time, I came to the conclusion that such beauty had been reserved for remote and dangerous places, and that nature has good reasons for demanding special sacrifices from those who dare to contemplate it.

      Richard E Byrd, Alone (1938)

      Sandwood Bay (Stage 13)

      From the headland that juts imperiously over the broad ochre strand of Sandwood Bay, you may catch a first glimpse of the Cape Wrath lighthouse peeking over the low, dun hills of the horizon, beckoning you the final few miles towards the end of one of the world’s finest long-distance walks. You’ll already have crossed most of the northwest coast of Scotland via Morar, Knoydart, Torridon, Assynt and Sutherland, winding through some of its most remote and beautiful glens. Cape Wrath itself, staring out into the white-capped North Atlantic, closer to the Arctic Circle than London, is now within a day’s walk.

      The Cape Wrath Trail is not an officially recognised UK National Trail. In truth, it is not really a trail at all, more a jigsaw of routes between Fort William and the most northwesterly point of mainland Britain, to be assembled according to your preferences. Perhaps because of this unique flexibility and lack of formal status, it has become highly regarded by many backpackers. It’s a tough test for anyone and you’ll brave remote country, rugged terrain, rain, wind, midges, bog and tricky river crossings. Most people take between two and three weeks to complete the full journey and whatever time of year you attempt the trail it will test the limits of your physical and mental endurance. But dark, boggy moments are quickly forgotten amid a solitude and beauty rarely found in modern life.

      This trail has an intriguing capacity to draw people into some of the most wild and remote places Scotland has to offer. The cape itself, so aptly named, pulls you inexorably northwards – there can be few other long-distance paths with such an inspiring finale. There is also something in the challenge of traversing such a vast, primal and largely unspoilt tract of land that explains why this route has attracted so many fans. Its beauty lies in its freedom: you’ll find few signposts around here. This one’s for true connoisseurs of the wild lands, and it’s down to you.

      This book draws together updates and attempts to improve on a variety of routes that have previously been suggested. It also offers a wide range of variations, recognising that there can be no definitive path suitable for all. It shares the same intrinsic aims as those that have gone before, namely to visit the most scenic areas and avoid most tarmac roads and high level mountain traverses. This brings the route well within the abilities of most ambitious but experienced hill walkers.

      Descending into Gleann Cuìrnean (Stage 2)

      The trail traditionally begins in Fort William and winds across Ardgour towards Glenfinnan, taking in the gloriously remote rough bounds of Knoydart before striking north to Shiel Bridge, Strathcarron, Kinlochewe and lnverlael, near Ullapool. A popular alternative route leaves Fort William via the Great Glen Way before turning north to cut across Glen Garry and Glen Shiel, rejoining the main route at Morvich, near Shiel Bridge. North of the Ullapool road, the route turns inland to Oykel Bridge before heading towards Glencoul via Inchnadamph and the majestic Ben More. Then, below the shadows of Arkle and Foinaven, the final stretch passes Rhiconich and on to the farthest northwest coast and over the moors to Sandwood Bay and the Cape Wrath lighthouse, the end of the journey.

      Follow as much or as little of the route as you like. Take detours, plan alternatives, make the journey to the Cape your own. It’s one that will live with you for the rest of your life.

      Iain Harper, 2012

      Path by Carnach River, Sgurr na Ciche in the background (Stage 3)

      INTRODUCTION

      View back to Glenfinnan

      The Cape Wrath Trail is part of a vast network of 720 long-distance paths that criss cross the British Isles. Some of these are official National Trails – well maintained long-distance footpaths and bridleways administered by Natural England and the Countryside Council for Wales and waymarked with acorn symbols. In Scotland, the equivalent trails are called Long Distance Routes and are administered by Scottish Natural Heritage. There are currrently 15 such routes in England and Wales and four in Scotland. Many other long-distance paths are equally well maintained and waymarked. The Cape Wrath Trail is fairly unique, combining a complete lack of waymarking and a variety of routes rather than a firmly fixed trail. The route often follows traditional drovers’ and funeral routes, dating back hundreds of years, that provided the only means for crofters to move themselves and their animals around the rugged landscape of the Scottish Highlands.

      The route as we currently know it has evolved more recently, with landscape photographer David Paterson’s 1996 book The Cape Wrath Trail: A 200 mile walk through the North-West Scottish Highlands setting out a basic template. Paterson set off from Fort William with his camera and a bivvy bag and his route was initially along the Great Glen Way, hence its inclusion in this book as a route alternative. The route starting along the Great Glen Way was further popularised by Cameron McNeish, wilderness backpacker and editor at large of The Great Outdoors magazine, who suggested a more practical and less circuitous alternative to Paterson. McNeish has included