A lovely walk with plenty of good coastal views and varied interest. Can be very muddy in places and two gates have to be climbed at present (some barbed wire). There are two steep sections and care is needed with children because of the steep cliffs nearby.
Summary
The walk mainly follows waymarked paths and unmarked tracks across, often very muddy, farmland. The descent to the beach and cave is fairly steep. Livestock in fields on route so dogs must be kept under tight control.
Terrain
Car park on sea front at Cromarty.
[Map of start point, satnav coords and directions]
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1. From the car park walk east (to the right as you face the sea from the car park) along the Cromarty shore passing the pretty lanes of cottages. At the end of Shore Street, keep heading east (signed South Sutor Viewpoint), follow a short dog leg inland along Miller Road for a short distance before reaching Clunes House on the left. Here turn left following a path signed for South Sutor. The path soon reaches the shore where you turn right following a sign for Cromarty circular walk. The path follows the shore for some distance giving good views over the Cromarty Firth and the wild coastline opposite. You may well see dolphins or ships heading to the dockyard at Nigg which used to build oil rigs but is being developed as a general service centre for the energy industry.
2. Keep on the coast path, passing a single house which disguises the town's sewage station and keep following the sign for South Sutor. From here, at low tide,you can see Clach Malloch in the sea, a huge erratic boulder left behind by the glaciers of the last ice age. The path now begins to climb up through woodland via a series of steps some of which are quite steep - there are a number of well placed benches to provide rest spots.
3. The path briefly stops climbing amid some large beech trees and reaches a T junction. Turn left here but keep an eye out for a climbing path off to the right up some steps - take care not to miss this path. Head up this, climbing past an old well and the remains of a second world war pill box before curving round the headland providing some lovely views. Eventually you climb up some final steps and emerge out of the woodland at a parking area (turn right to short cut back to Cromarty). Turn left following the sign for McFarquhar's Bed. Ignore the farm gate to the left and go up the track ahead quickly reaching a farm gate and kissing gate which you go through and just before the gorse bush branch off to the left across farmland following a faint grassy track. This traverses the hillside giving lovely views over the Moray Firth. Continue over a farm gate (take care if there is barbed wire) and keep following the vague grassy track which climbs slightly to the right before heading downhill.
4. The track, very muddy in places, continues through fields and gorse bushes before reaching a farm gate. Climb the wooden fence next to it and head straight across the field towards the trees (if no crops in field you can head diagonally left to the corner) to reach two gates at angles to each other and no signs. Go through the first gate and then immediately turn left and go through the second gate so that you are facing the coast and an avenue of mature beech trees. Follow this line of trees down to the cliff edge. At the right hand corner is the fenced over path. Carefully cross the fence and follow the path past a bench to the right to the edge of the cliff. You can now see the beach and McFarquhar's bed and cave below.
5. The path down the cliff is easy to follow and not exposed but is steep in places. Once down at the cove you pass the remains of two fishing huts, one of which has recently been restored, to explore the cave and arch to the right. There is also a small cave to the left. Its a lovely spot for a picnic or a bit of wildlife watching. Retrace your steps to the top of the cliff and climb all the way back up the avenue of trees and once through the gate keep straight on towards Mains Farm on a muddy track passing through a field, on the way.
6. Continue on the track past the houses on your left and then turn right and then immediately left to follow a minor road downhill, passing The Stables arts venue on the left further down. This road winds down the hillside with glimpses of Cromarty House to the left, especially through the impressive private tunnel that provides an access to the house, and eventually brings you back to Miller Road from where you can explore fascinating Cromarty on your way back to the car park.
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