The steep pull up Ben Bhraggie (or Beinn a'Bhragaidh to give it its proper, Gaelic name) is well rewarded by excellent views over the coastline and inland hills - on a clear day both coasts of Scotland can be seen. The massive Sutherland monument, locally known as the 'Wee Man', marks the top from where this circuit takes a gentler route down on forest tracks. Some of this walk is on trails shared with mountain bikers so care should be taken on these sections.
Summary
Waymarked forest paths and tracks some shared with mountain bike trails.
Terrain
Car park just off Golspie main street on Fountain Road
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1. Either start from the centre of Golspie, where Fountain Road meets the main street - there is a car park here with information about the mountain bike trails, or turn up Fountain Road, passing a monument and under the railway line and turn right into a new car park at the start of the bike trails. From Golspie walk up Fountain Road, past the ornate fountain and straight across the junction to go under the railway line and continue up the road. Soon the car park on the right is reached, turn into it and follow the sign onto the shared path which bears left through a small patch of trees and then heads uphill. If you would prefer not to use the shared track, stay on the road and pass the farm and continue for some distance until a left hand turn indicates the path to Ben Bhraggie (ignore the first sign to the right).
Photo shows Ben Bhraggie from the south
2. Follow the shared path up through the beech trees until it emerges at a grassy, and sometimes muddy, track. Turn right here and continue up the track, ignoring the bike trail which leaves to the right. Just before a farm gate is reached turn left onto a signed path. If you continue as far as the gate a chambered cairn can be seen to the right over the fence. The path passes some interesting (and scary-looking if you're not a mountain biker) bike features and passes through birch trees before going over a small cattle grid into forestry.
3. This path soon reaches a main forestry track. Turn left here (ignoring the orange arrows which are for the bike trail) and head slightly downhill, signed for escape route, until a crossroads. Take the right hand turn signed for Ben Bhraggie and climb steeply uphill through the forest. Almost immediately take a right hand signed path and continue climbing. After crossing an open area with pylons, go straight across a track and pick up the path on the other side. Cross another track and stay on the path as it climbs through an area of felled trees. From this section there are good views back over the coastline. Soon a wooden structure can be seen ahead - this is a bike feature which contains a seat with a view underneath. Climb the stone steps and go through the gate in the bottom of the feature.
4. Continue on the path as it heads towards the Sutherland monument which soon looms into view. The 100 foot statue is of George Granville Leveson-Gower, the first Duke of Sutherland, notorious for his role in the forced clearances of his tenants to make way for sheep in the early nineteenth century. After his death in 1833, money for the statue was raised by subscription, the stone was quarried nearby and the statue brought up by horse and cart in pieces, more recently some campaigners have called for the monument to be removed.
5. Ben Bhraggie is a corruption of the original Gaelic name Beinn a'Bhragaidh; the views up and down the east Sutherland coastline are unmatched. From the base of the monument follow the track heading inland passing a small pool and then a wooden bench.
6. The track curves across the heather moorland with good views in all directions and the windfarm visible to the north. Eventually the track curves back towards the coast and heads downhill. Ignore the bike track on the right which leads back to the monument. At the forest go through the pedestrian gate and keep on the track. At a crossroads go straight across still heading downhill alongside a stone wall. At a clear gateway in the wall turn right and keep on the path to the right of the boggy track. This path is a shared trail which eventually comes back to the track which you then follow rather than the bike trail which turns off to the right. Follow the track into the pine woods passing where you reached it on the way up, keep straight on here and again at the crossroads. Soon the track turns back to the left and passes a gate and water tank and bears round to the right towards Rives Farm. Keep to the left at the farm to pass the barn and house and follow the road downhill all the way back to the centre of Golspie.
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