Walking the Cape Wrath Trail

Backpacking through the Scottish Highlands: Fort William to Cape Wrath

By Iain Harper

ISBN

9781786311344

Availability

Published

2 Jun 2022

Edition

Fourth

Pages

176

Size

17.20 x 11.60 x 1.10cm

Weight

210g

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A guidebook to the Cape Wrath Trail, a long-distance trek through the Scottish Highlands from Fort William to Cape Wrath. The Cape Wrath Trail is a 230 mile, 3-week challenge through wild and magnificent landscapes, such as Morar, Knoydart, Torridon and Assynt. Crossing such empty country, it is for the experienced backpacker only.

Seasons

April, May and June are ideal months to walk the trail. September and October are also good, but there may be diversions due to deer stalking and military operations at the cape. In July and August the days are superbly long and the weather can be fine, but midges will be in full flight. The limited accommodation along the trail may also be booked up at this time of year.

Centres

Fort William, Glenfinnan, Barisdale, Kinloch Hourn, Shiel Bridge, Strathcarron, Kinlochewe, Dundonnell, Ullapool, Bridge of Orchy, Inchnadamph, Kylesku, Rhiconich, Kinlochbervie, Durness

Difficulty

The Cape Wrath Trail is regarded as the toughest long-distance backpacking trail in Britain. It crosses remote, sparsely populated and potentially dangerous mountain country. There are no pack-carrying services and often no clear paths. Limited re-supply points mean you need to be self-sufficient for several days at a time. Not a route for beginners or those unfamiliar with remote, rugged mountain areas.

Must See

Glenfinnan monument and viaduct, the gloriously remote rough bounds of Knoydart, Barisdale, Forcan ridge, Falls of Glomach, Beinn Eighe, Lochan Fada, Shenavall, An Teallach, Glen Douchary, Glen Oykel, Ben More, Glencoul, Arkle, Foinaven, Sandwood Bay, Cape Wrath lighthouse

ISBN

9781786311344

Availability

Published

2 Jun 2022

Edition

Fourth

Pages

176

Size

17.20 x 11.60 x 1.10cm

Weight

210g

Overview

This guidebook describes the Cape Wrath Trail, a long-distance trek from Fort William to Cape Wrath crossing the wild northwest of the Scottish Highlands. The route is described from south to north in 14 stages, with 6 alternative stages along the way, allowing for a flexible itinerary of between two and three weeks. A long tough trek with no waymarking, this is for the tried and tested backpacker.

The guidebook includes OS mapping, route profiles and detailed route descriptions and gives you all the information you need about accommodation (including hotels, bothies, B&Bs and bunkhouses), campsites and amenities en route, to help you plan and prepare for this epic challenge.

The Cape Wrath Trail is regarded as the toughest long-distance route in Britain and offers unparalleled freedom and adventure to the experienced and self-sufficient backpacker prepared to walk for many days in remote wilderness. Travelling through the wild and rugged landscapes of Morar, Knoydart, Torridon and Assynt, it will test the limits of your endurance.

Table of Contents

CONTENTS

Map key

Overview map

Preface

Introduction

Geology and wildlife

Getting there

Getting around

When to go

Accommodation

Safety

Emergencies

Money and communications

Preparation and planning

What to take

Waywarking and access

Maps and navigation

Using this guide

1 Fort William to Strathcarron

Stage 1 Fort William to Glenfinnan

Stage 2 Glenfinnan to Glen Dessarry

Stage 3 Glen Dessarry to Barisdale

Stage 4 Barisdale to Morvich (near Shiel Bridge)

Alternative Stage 1 Fort William to Laggan

Alternative Stage 2 Laggan to Cluanie

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

Maps

Maps and navigation

Sign, Attadale Forest (Stage 5)

Choice of maps is quite a personal thing. Some prefer the extra detail of the Ordnance Survey 1:25,000 scale on mountainous sections, others like to have maps of this scale available at all times. Some swear by Harvey maps, others find them difficult to interpret. Carrying paper maps will add a fair bit of weight to your pack so it’s worth giving some thought to the different options.

If you opt to carry the original paper maps, you can post them home from points of civilisation with pre-paid envelopes once they have served their purpose. The advantage is that you’ll have the full maps available at all times, but you’ll have to put up with extra weight. A map case is essential to keep your maps in good repair as a bit of ‘scotch mist’ (a local euphemism for torrential rain) can reduce an unprotected map to mulch in a matter of minutes. Laminated versions of Ordnance Survey maps (called ActiveMaps) are available for many OS sheets, although they are heavier and more expensive than the regular versions. All Harvey maps are both waterproof and lightweight, but they do not currently cover the full trail.

There is an increasingly wide range of Ordnance Survey mapping programmes for personal devices that allow you to plan and print the relevant sections of the route: ViewRanger seems to have come out on top recently. Toughprint paper can be used to print weatherproof maps at home or you could make colour photocopies from your OS maps, which can then be laminated. Although this approach will save weight, you may find yourself lacking the wider map area and context needed in an emergency or for a detour. Weight savings must always be balanced with safety.

A full list of Ordnance Survey and Harvey maps covering the Cape Wrath Trail can be found in Appendix E. To walk the trail safely you will need to be a competent navigator, confident in taking, setting and walking on bearings and orientating yourself in low visibility on featureless terrain. If you are carrying a GPS device it should only be used as an aid, not as your primary method of navigation. No electronic device can be completely relied upon in the outdoors environment, particularly one as wet as Scotland.

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Iain Harper

Iain Harper completed the Cape Wrath Trail in 2009. Armed with his research he approached Cicerone to write the definitive guidebook to the trek. Iain has walked extensively in the Highlands for 20 years, enjoys running ultra marathons and lives with his wife Kay in the Cotswolds.

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