Walking in Scotland: Walks in Wester Ross

Wester Ross is one of my favourite holiday locations, and for the the purposes of these pages Wester Ross stretches from Loch Maree in the south to Suilven in the north. Wester Ross is one of the most interesting walking/hillwalking areas in Scotland – from the lochs and forests of the Loch Maree/Gairloch area to the bleak but stunning scenery of Assynt. This area offers the walker a wide variety of both low-level and higher level walks in unequalled scenery. I have chosen a selection of my favourite walks, ranging from the easy Beinn Eighe Woodland Trail to the more strenuous walk and climb to the summit of Suilven.

Here is a map of Wester Ross.

Walks

Easy:

• Beinn Eighe Woodland Trail, 300 ft, 1 mile: An easy walk on Beinn Eighe with stunning views of Loch Maree and Slioch. Dogs are not permitted on this walk. Public transport to start of walk.
• Flowerdale Forest and Waterfall, height negligible, 2.5 miles: An easy walk on good, if wet, paths through conifer forests to a waterfall. Public transport to start of walk.
• Slaggan Village and Bay, height negligible, 6 miles: An easy walk over open moorland to an uninhabited village and sandy bay.
• Victoria Falls, height and distance negligible: A stroll through a delightful conifer forest to a watefall visited by Queen Victoria in 1877.

Moderate:

• Ardessie Falls, 300 ft, 2 miles: A walk on muddy paths up the side of a spectacular waterfall. Public transport to start of walk.
• Beinn Eighe Mountain Trail, 1800 ft, 4 miles: A walk on Beinn Eighe with stunning views of Loch Maree and Slioch. Public transport to start of walk.
• Fairy Lochs, USAAF Crash Site and War Grave, 500 ft, 3 miles: A walk on good paths to the Fairy Lochs (good fishing), a crash site and war grave high above Shieldaig. Public transport to start of walk.
• Gruinard River, height negligible, 10 miles: This is a walk on good paths to the tiny beach on the western shore of Loch na Sealga.
• Loch Toll an Lochan, 1200 ft, 6 miles: A walk to a delightful lochan beneath the towering peaks of An Teallach. A perfect spot for a picnic.
• Red Point, 450 ft, 7 miles (one-way to Diabaig): A walk along the shores of Loch Torridon from Red Point to Lower Diabaig. Public transport to start of walk.
• Stac Pollaidh, 1800 ft, 1.5 miles: This is a short, steep scramble up one of Scotland’s most popular mountains.
• Tollie to Slattadale, 520 ft, 5 miles (one-way): A walk along the north-western shore of Loch Maree.

Hard:

• Corrie Hallie to Loch na Sealga, 1300 ft, 11 miles: This is a strenuous walk on paths which are often muddy and wet, into the wild and remote area behind An Teallach.
• Poca Buidhe, 900 ft, 12 miles: A long walk on rough stalkers’ paths to a loch deep in the heart of the Flowerdale Forest.
• Suilven, 2800 ft, 13 miles: A long, hard walk to one of Scotland’s most distinctive mountains.

Maps

See individual walks for recommended maps.

Further Information

• West Highland Walks Volume Two: Skye to Cape Wrath by Hamish MacInnes, published by Hodder & Stoughton.
• The Munros by the Scottish Mountaineering Club.
• The Corbetts and Lesser Hills by Scottish Mountaineering Club.
• The Scottish Peaks by W. A. Poucher, published by Constable.
• 100 Best Routes on Scottish Mountains by Ralph Storer, published by Sphere.
• Walks in Wester Ross by Mary Welsh, published by Westmorland Gazette.
• Walks in Wester Ross by Richard Hallewell and Rebecca Johnstone for Ross and Cromarty Tourist Board, 1987.
• The Cape Wrath Trail by David Paterson, published by Peak Publishing.

Local Walking Clubs

According to the book “Short Walks around Gairloch”, there are a local group of walkers known as “The Bootleggers”, who welcome visitors on their excursions in the area. Their walks are advertised in the “Diary” section of the local Gairloch and District Times.

Accommodation

• Iron Cottage 4 Star Scottish Self Catering – Overlooking Loch Ness (Brenda & Peter Stevens Iron Cottage 4 Star Scottish Self Catering iron…@ndirect.co.uk eFax 01 707 922-2999 tel/fax +44 (0) 1522 788 569 or +44 (0) 1854 633 309). Iron cottage is for non smokers only.
• Rua Reidh Lighthouse Holidays