Ceannabeinne Township Trail, near Durness

Summary

This short walk round the site of an abandoned village makes a tour of information boards telling the fascinating story of the resistence to the Clearance of this beautiful spot. Although the bridge and boardwalk have been neglected, the route is a core path and the info boards all remain in place; the coastal views are simply superb.

Grade

Bog Factor

Rating

Terrain

Waymarked route, high bracken in summer, livestock grazing. Bridge at Stage 3 is completely broken but burn usually easily crossed on stones.

Getting there

Start

Ceannabeinne layby on A838.

Public Transport

None to start, nearest bus stop Smoo Cave, Lerrinmore.

Start Grid Ref

NC436657

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Walk Statistics

Distance: 1km / 0.5 miles
Time: 45 minutes
Ascent: 65m (Profile)

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Explorer 446 - Cape Wrath

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Walk Description

User reports (7)

Stage 1

There is a layby adjacent to a passing place, around 5km east of Durness, marked with the first of the information boards. The trail begins through the gap in the wall. On its own the path would be hard to follow but it is marked by arrow posts and each board also has a map showing your current position. Some of the scattered stones of the houses are in view; in 1841 fifty people lived here, but by 1842 all had been cleared. Begin the walk by bearing right downhill through the field, aiming for the wooden boardwalk with a handrail across the boggy dip; take care as many planks are rotten. The route then goes to the right through a gap in the drystone wall.

Stage 2

On the other side of the wall head left to reach the next info board; the wall here crosses the foundations of an old long house. The route then bears right to reach the next board, where there is a much clearer long house. When Ceannabeinne's residents were served with a writ by their landlord, James Anderson, the women grabbed the sheriff's officer and got him to burn the papers. Later the police superintendent was chased away, and a further attempt retreated when they heard the villagers lay in wait. Finally the superintendent and fourteen special constables gathered at Durine Inn. Up to 300 men gathered and attacked the inn, and the constables fled - it was the riot of Durness. Ignore the faint path ahead - the route instead cuts sharply back left from here towards the wall, where there are the remains of wooden bridge.

Stage 3

Cross the burn next to the bridge and keep to the right, not going back through the wall. The path now continues to the right above the far side of the burn, with a view of the sea ahead. After the first hillock on the left the route bears left to head to the next info board. From here the marked route makes a detour up to the top of the grassy hillock on the right. This is a superb viewpoint, with sandy beaches seen down below and the dramatic, slabby cliffs of Whiten Head seen across the mouth of Loch Eriboll. Return to the board at the bottom of the hillock, and then bear right, following the markers.

Stage 4

The route finally heads through a gap in a stone wall to reach the final board board, beside the remains of a row of cottages. Following the riot, the cause of the villagers was taken up by the national press. The folk were eventually given an extra year to prepare properly for their departure and none were arrested, but the clearance did still go ahead. From the row of houses head back towards the start, bearing left towards the wall and rejoining the outward route to cross the boardwalk and return to the start.

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