A short, attractive walk in the Beinn Eighe National Nature Reserve with several sculptures and fine views of the surrounding mountains. A unique feature is the several poetry points, where poems about the landscape can be heard in both Gaelic and English by turning a wheel.
Summary
Well constructed path throughout, with one steep section. The first half of the walk is accessible to wheelchairs and prams.
Terrain
Beinn Eighe Visitor Centre car park off the A832.
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1. Park at the car park for the Beinn Eighe Visitor Centre at Aultroy on the A832. There is a wooden stand where laminated cards detailing the route of the walk can be borrowed. The walk begins past the front of the visitor centre (well worth a visit), going through an attractive picnic area with finely carved benches and tables. The first section of the walk is the Rhyming Trail, where interpretative boards give riddles about the local wildlife, excellent for children.
2. Soon you will reach a junction with a seat. Turn right here for the 'Ridge Trail'. Ignore the next turning on the right (marked 'Ridge Trail - no entry'), this is the route used on the return. Instead, continue - you are following the green hilly markers. The walk passes through some boggy clearings on the excellent dry path, soon reaching a bridge. Cross the bridge and continue to the point where wheelchairs are advised to turn back; bear right here across a second bridge. The path now starts to climb uphill.
3. There are great views of the eastern scree-girt peaks of Beinn Eighe ahead, and Slioch behind, whilst the poetry listening points provide an excuse for a rest. The path soon reaches a junction; turn right (green hills marker post). Soon you will reach an elaborately built seat at the highest point on the trail. From here, the trail continues downhill to emerge on the outward route at the 'No Entry' sign passed earlier. Turn left here, then then bear right at the next junction for a different route back to the start.
4. The car park is just a short distance further on, past a fine stone sculpture of a pine cone. If you've enjoyed this walk, consider doing the Woodland Walk just a short distance north up the A832, which has much older pinewoods.
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