by al78 » Wed Jul 22, 2020 8:58 pm
I've just had a look on Streetmap. There are two routes to the mainland that look vaguely feasible:
1. Starting at Broadford walk about four miles along the A87 to the airstrip, then turn right onto a single track unclassified road. That takes you to the Kylerhea ferry terminal where you can cross to the mainland. If you miss the ferry you do know how to swim, don't you?
2. Walk along the A87 for about a mile then walk along the A851. There are tracks marked on the map which run parallel to the road, and mean you can avoid most of the road walking. Eventually you pass a right turn to Drumfearn. about 3/4 km further on turn left onto a track (might be signposted Kinloch lodge hotel). This track goes past the hotel and follows the water above the shoreline. When the shoreline bends left there is a path marked which takes you to the ferry terminal following the shoreline at altitude. Take the ferry or swim to the mainland.
Once on the mainland, walk to Glenelg (might be somewhere to stock up on food here), then you need to follow the shoreline along an unclassified road. After about a mile, you reach a river and a glen (Gleann Beag), turn and head up the glen keeping to the road until it ends and degenerates into a track. You will reach some power lines and at a small woodland inside a broad bend in the river, there is a marked path which follows the power lines over a bealach. Keep walking and following the power lines and you will (eventually) end up at Kinloch Hourn.
When you reach an unclassified road turn right to head along a path along the south side of Loch Hourn (it goes up and down a couple of times). That brings you to Barrisdale bay where there is a campsite. Carry on inland and take a right fork over the Mam Barrisdale (450m). At the top of the pass turn right and climb to the highest point you can see (Luinne Bheinn). Follow the ridge down and right and head over Meall Coire na Gaoithe n Ear (839m) and up to Meall Buidhe (946m). Turn ESE down to a bealach then turn right (SSW) to another bealach then head down a long descent SE to Carnoch. Cross the bridge and follow the river to the head of the sea loch you can see if you look SW. Follow the shoreline around a shoulder (which leads up to Sgurr na Ciche) past a bothy (Sourlies) and follow the path heading along a rough narrow glen past some small lochans. The glen eventually gets deeper and wider with woodland and you just keep following it past Upper Glendessarry, Glendessarry, and Strathan, where there is a cluster of buildings. Turn right here onto a track through the woodland along a river, and look for a path to your left which goes over a bridge. Follow this path up a steep sided glen to another bealach (471m) and head downhill. Cross another bridge where the path becomes a track which turns slightly left following the glen (Glen Finnan). You will pass Corryhully bothy and Glenfinnan lodge, keep going for another two miles to the viaduct and shortly after the main road between Mallaig and Fort William (A830).
From here you can take the train to Fort William or if you want to walk the full distance, turn left onto the main road and walk along it for a mile and look for a track on your right, which provides access to a car park. This track follows the Callop river and heads up a glen eventually turning into a path. Head up the glen to a bealach and at the path summit the path turns left, heading downhill at an angle to the side of the glen (Cona glen). The path becomes a track, follow it along the river (a long walk), until you get to some buildings and a road. Turn left onto the road and follow it heading NW. Eventually you'll reach a passenger ferry terminal from where a ferry will take you to the south side of Fort William. Again, if you miss the ferry, it is not far to swim.
If you don't want to walk over the Knoydart munros you can instead head to Inverie then head back along another path which takes you overr the bealach before you drop down to Carnoch.
If you like the idea of taking the high road, from Sourlies bothy, you can take the ridge to Sgur na Ciche and you can carry on and follow a big ridge that parallels Glen Dessarry, which if you follow to the end you can drop down off Sgurr Cos na Breachd-laoidh to Glendessarry. You could also instead of taking the low road up Gleann a Chaorainn, head up and over Sgurr Thuilm and Sgurr nan Coireachan before dropping down to Corryhully bothy.