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.
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 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.