This lonely circuit to the south of Ardgay heads through both forestry and across boggy heather. The walk is well off the beaten track and offers views over the Dornoch Firth.
Summary
Forest tracks for much of the distance, but the early section to the isolated house at Badvoon is badly waterlogged. The route is poorly waymarked with red posts.
Terrain
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1. Take the Kincardine minor road which leaves the A836 about a mile south of Ardgay. Keep right at the junction and follow the road which soon ends at a turning area. There is no parking here but there is space along the grassy verges a short distance back along the road. Begin the walk from the road end, following a track signed for the Badvoon Forest walk. It passes a farmhouse and then heads through a gate (or stile alongside), with the first of the red-painted marker posts.
2. A short distance beyond the gate, fork right onto a much more overgrown track through the heather. This descends gently into the glen of the Kincardine Burn. The very lonely house of Badvoon comes into view ahead; the route passes it but the track soon becomes almost impassably waterlogged before reaching the house. It is probably best to keep to the right of the track through the grassier meadow, though there will still be a few wet sections to cross.
3. Once the house is reached, the worst of the bog is behind. Pass to the right of the house and immediately to the right of the barn just beyond. There is an overgrown heathery section but a marker post helps lead towards a large gate and stile above the burn. Pass through the gate and follow the path along the edge of the wood above the stream. There are some good open views of the forests higher up the glen. The path eventually reaches a large, newly built forest track. The waymarked route continues across the boggy heather but the track goes almost the same way and gives much easier going. Keep right at the fork and follow the track, with the burn not far away to the right.
4. A tiny, broken footbridge marks the point where the original walk crossed to the other side of the water before continuing upstream on the far bank. Instead, simply continue ahead on the track. When it reaches an older track at a t-junction, turn left into the forest. Keep straight on at the next junction, where a track goes off to the right. There are glimpses of the Dornoch Firth down a couple of forest rides but the view becomes much better as the track eventually curves to the left downhill, passing a picnic table.
5. At the end of the forest do not cross the stile straight ahead, instead following the track as it curves to the right and passes through a gate. There follows a more open section of scattered pines, heather and sheep grazings.
6. Eventually the track leads back to where the route forked right near the start of the walk. Continue straight ahead to return to the end of the public road.
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