The edge of nowhere

[al78]

Anyone seen this, James Cave treks to the most isolated spot in mainland Scotland on the shortest day of the year, the Fisherfield Forest.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/5p00tXDVjW06xcJFr7hnWhk/an-epic-trek-to-the-most-isolated-spot-in-scotland

I have questioned whether Fisherfield is the most isolated spot. The munros are difficult to get too because they are very central, the geography (e.g. loch Maree) prevents crow flies access, and it isn't feasible to use a mountain bike to eat up the long mileage as it is with Ben Alder for example. I crossed Fisherfield a couple of years ago in June, I spent two nights there when crossing over from Poolewe to Dundonnell but that was to put myself in a good position to tackle the Fisherfield six, and I stayed at Shenaval the second night because I abandoned my Munro plan, and I couldn't walk straight to the hotel because I would have arrived a day before my reservation. If I wanted too I could probably hike from Poolewe to Dundonnell via the low route in a full day. Looking at OS maps, I would have thought that somewhere in the Forest of Atholl is the most isolated, somewhere between Beinn Bhreac and Carn an Fhidhleir. That looks to me to be about the furthest you can get from a permanent human settlement of any significance, and maybe the furthest you can get from a tarmacked road. It doesn't necessary feel as isolated as it is because there are bikable tracks that give access deep into the area, so you don't have to slog with a backpack on foot for hours if you don't want too.

The west end of Loch Mullardoch is pretty isolated as well.

[Sgurr]

We were very lucky in that a friend booked Carmore Lodge (near the barn) underneath A'Mhaighdean and the estate took us in by boat, so what seemed very distant when we did Ben Lair from that end, suddenly became possible even though we are old https://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/Forum/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=89483, similarly we hired a boatman to take us in to Oban bothy to do An Stac as Meith Bheinn had almost killed us at the head of Loch Morar, but I don't think that option is open any more. I think the most remote, as far as we were concerned was Ben Aden where we had to take a tent http://www.scottishhills.com/html/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=8240 and ditto for the Gahams Beinn nan Luss and meall Garbh to the East of Loch Affric http://www.scottishhills.com/html/modules.php?name=Trip_Report&topicid=10709


They all felt pretty remote at the time.

[Sgurr]

If you go to the Geograph site and look for the green squares (i.e. the ones for which they have no photos), you might assume that this was because they are hard to get to, but maybe it is just because the middle of Caithness is quite featureless.
https://www.geograph.org.uk/mapper/combined.php#7/57.309/-4.922

[prog99]

Anyone seen this, James Cave treks to the most isolated spot in mainland Scotland on the shortest day of the year, the Fisherfield Forest.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/5p00tXDVjW06xcJFr7hnWhk/an-epic-trek-to-the-most-isolated-spot-in-scotland

Watched this too, I questioned more than just the location but thats a different story.

I have questioned whether Fisherfield is the most isolated spot.

They showed the location on the map but was only half watching, was it near Beinn a'Chaisgein Mor? Its often thought to be the remotest part of the country with airliners being closer to you.
He did ask the OS but there was no mention of the criteria.
I read somewhere else that Carn an Fhidhleir or thereabouts is the furthest from a public road. Beinn Bhreac is thought to be remote but we managed it on the train from Edinburgh as a day trip with enough time for dinner and beer in the hotel at the end.

The west end of Loch Mullardoch is pretty isolated as well.

Can get the boat but have walked to that end and its not as isolated as it may look.

[Scraggygoat]

Isolation is relative and influenced by perception.

To many people in England parts of mainland Scotland are isolated. To someone from Alaska all of Scotland is very accessible. In reality most of Scotland is accessible as witnessed by the fact Scots based walkers can do the Fisherfields, the Mullardoch Round, Seagh Braigh, Knoydart, or the Cullins in a normal weekend. Albeit with a bit of effort. Nearly every hill in Scotland is some bodies local hill (though many locals choose not to), and most Glens are some bodies workplace, though again they may not work there every day.

The end of Loch Mullardoch can be reached quickly via Iron Lodge which is an easy cycle.

It's also partly defined by mobility, if you are fit and strong many places don't feel isolated, if you turn an ankle your position my become isolated, even though nothing geographically has changed.

[al78]

Isolation is relative and influenced by perception.

To many people in England parts of mainland Scotland are isolated. To someone from Alaska all of Scotland is very accessible. In reality most of Scotland is accessible as witnessed by the fact Scots based walkers can do the Fisherfields, the Mullardoch Round, Seagh Braigh, Knoydart, or the Cullins in a normal weekend. Albeit with a bit of effort. Nearly every hill in Scotland is some bodies local hill (though many locals choose not to), and most Glens are some bodies workplace, though again they may not work there every day.

The end of Loch Mullardoch can be reached quickly via Iron Lodge which is an easy cycle.

It's also partly defined by mobility, if you are fit and strong many places don't feel isolated, if you turn an ankle your position my become isolated, even though nothing geographically has changed.

Yes I see what you mean, but I wasn't thinking in terms of relative to other parts of the world. Obviously there are more isolated places than anywhere in Scotland, simply because Scotland is a small country, and you are never more than a few hours walk away from a road. Similarly Scottish mountains are mere hills in other parts of the world, but they often still require significant time and effort getting to their summits. I was thinking of isolation as a combination of how far you are from other settlements or transport, or how long would it take to get to a settlement or road on foot. If you have a mountain bike, that reduces the remoteness of some areas as cycling eats distance much more efficiently than walking. When I went to the summit of Beinn Dearg (Atholl), I hired a mountain bike and used it to get as far as the bothy. Even though I took the wrong path and went on a bit of a detour, I was on the summit, hung around there for a fair few minutes taken aback by how alone and vulnerable (I'd say a certain feeling of discomfort) I felt in a huge rolling landscape with no (obvious) visible evidence of humanity, and got back to Blair Atholl by mid-afternoon. Immediately felt a desire to visit the House of Bruar just to get back amongst civilisation again.

[Glengavel]

Immediately felt a desire to visit the House of Bruar just to get back amongst civilisation again.

Wow, you were really in a bad way.

[WalkWithWallace]

The chaps didn't have GPS, so couldn't and didn't reach the most remote spot in Scotland, said to be NH 0157 7893. Must be the most remote location in the British Isles too, unless you count somewhere like Rockall.

Kev and I came close to that spot when we walked passed Loch Beinn Dearg and ascended the bealach between Benn Dearg Beag and Mhor.

I remember reading an old Trail magazine article, it had two of the most remote spots as Ruadh Stac Beag NH 026 771, which is around 2km away from the GR on the Adventure Show, but also NN 919 829 in the Atholl Forest, just SW of An Sgarsoch.

I also recall Mullach na Dheiragain feeling pretty remote too.

[weedavie]

When I went to the summit of Beinn Dearg (Atholl), I hired a mountain bike and used it to get as far as the bothy. Even though I took the wrong path and went on a bit of a detour, I was on the summit, hung around there for a fair few minutes taken aback by how alone and vulnerable (I'd say a certain feeling of discomfort) I felt in a huge rolling landscape with no (obvious) visible evidence of humanity, and got back to Blair Atholl by mid-afternoon. Immediately felt a desire to visit the House of Bruar just to get back amongst civilisation again.

If you get beyond Ben Dearg or if you cross the Tarf, the sense of isolation increases. The ground's featureless and you have days you don't see anyone. Last time I left Carn a' Chlamain, heading west towards Dearg, I was aware of two walkers ahead of me. I lost them in the mist but I'm pretty sure they were the two rescued by helipcopter the next day. Ok the terrain's not exciting or threatening it's just remote and empty ( as opposed to busy Fisherfield.)

House of Bruar is beyond contempt, head for Blair and coffee at the mill or a pint in the Atholl Arms.

[walkingpoles]

If you're lucky you get caught in mist and remoteness will kick in as soon as you venture off-path.

I got to appreciate that feeling when hiking in the Highlands.

[al78]

House of Bruar is beyond contempt, head for Blair and coffee at the mill or a pint in the Atholl Arms.

I didn't think it was that bad. It's a typical tourist outlet village. From my recollection it has a good stock of food and clothing. The only annoyance I recall is that it can get rammed full which is not surprising being on one of Scotland's primary routes, so it starts to feel like being back in my home town. At the time it was the obvious place in my mind to go for a drink and a snack. I wasn't (and am still not) familiar with the facilities Blair Atholl has to offer. My impression on going through the village has always been that not a lot happens there, a bit like a Scottish version of Karl Pilkington visiting Barrow Alaska (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yy37SA5bt0c&ab_channel=locoeskimo) (Dalwhinnie is a bit like that as well). Pitlochry, only a short distance along the road and the next rail stop, is bustling. It is curious why there is such a difference between the two places located close together on the same primary road and rail lines.

[Fractral]

If you get beyond Ben Dearg or if you cross the Tarf, the sense of isolation increases. The ground's featureless and you have days you don't see anyone. Last time I left Carn a' Chlamain, heading west towards Dearg, I was aware of two walkers ahead of me. I lost them in the mist but I'm pretty sure they were the two rescued by helipcopter the next day. Ok the terrain's not exciting or threatening it's just remote and empty ( as opposed to busy Fisherfield.)

Last summer I did an overnighter from Blair Atholl that way, dropping north from Beinn Dearg and walking the length of the Tarf to camp by the falls. It's weird, while it was probably geographically one of the most isolated places I've walked it didn't really feel all that remote to me. Despite the distance there is still a track most of the way along the river, estate paths and vehicle tracks in various places, and when I walked past there was a pretty big group staying in the Tarf Hotel. Once I reached Glen Tilt it was really busy, loads of cyclists and campers heading both ways.

There's not really any places in the highlands where there's no evidence of people passing through; either footpaths, estate tracks, old buildings and so on. It's all owned and used by somebody and its not hard to see the things we leave behind.

[Scraggygoat]

It's very hard to predict if you will be sharing what limited isolation Scotland has to offer. Once mid winter a group of five of us went into Tarf over the Corbett to the South. The North slopes had drifted in requiring us to plough our way. The Gable end wall of the Bothy was snowed up all the way up the chimney so that we didn't see it till 20ft away. We were certain we'd have it to ourselves.....nope another party had cycled the icy tilt and forced thier way up the Tarf.

[al78]

When I went to the summit of Beinn Dearg (Atholl), I hired a mountain bike and used it to get as far as the bothy. Even though I took the wrong path and went on a bit of a detour, I was on the summit, hung around there for a fair few minutes taken aback by how alone and vulnerable (I'd say a certain feeling of discomfort) I felt in a huge rolling landscape with no (obvious) visible evidence of humanity, and got back to Blair Atholl by mid-afternoon. Immediately felt a desire to visit the House of Bruar just to get back amongst civilisation again.

If you get beyond Ben Dearg or if you cross the Tarf, the sense of isolation increases. The ground's featureless and you have days you don't see anyone. Last time I left Carn a' Chlamain, heading west towards Dearg, I was aware of two walkers ahead of me. I lost them in the mist but I'm pretty sure they were the two rescued by helipcopter the next day. Ok the terrain's not exciting or threatening it's just remote and empty ( as opposed to busy Fisherfield.)

House of Bruar is beyond contempt, head for Blair and coffee at the mill or a pint in the Atholl Arms.

On my list of treks to do is to walk from Blair Atholl to Aviemore taking a high route over most of the Munros, and the Cairngorm summits west of the Lairig Ghru.

[rgf101]

On my list of treks to do is to walk from Blair Atholl to Aviemore taking a high route over most of the Munros, and the Cairngorm summits west of the Lairig Ghru.

I tried to do something similar during the gap between lockdowns. I may not have done it right, but I found after Beinn Dearg it was a lot of wet pathless slogging (or worse, "there's a path around here somewhere" slogging) and strategising about whether it was worth using up a pair of dry socks yet or not. I got over Beinn Dearg and camped somewhere around NN868804, then next morning up Beinn Bhreac and over to the Fiddler. That was the end of my legs and I didn't even get An Sgarsoch (which'll be a pain to go back for if I ever start counting Munros), camped down at the Geldie and came out to Aviemore low level. Gorgeous and remote country, but you can see why it's remote...

I'm not sure which direction is best to do that trip. South to North you're saving the more spectacular bits and the easier (well, dryer) walking for the end, but may well have trenchfoot and a burning desire to be in the pub by then. North to South and it could feel a bit of an anticlimax towards the end. Depends whether or not you've got a unicycle, I suppose.