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The Affric Kintail Way, a long time coming!

The Affric Kintail Way, a long time coming!


Postby kiltedmidgie » Thu Mar 17, 2022 5:39 pm

Route description: Affric Kintail Way

Date walked: 04/05/2021

Time taken: 3 days

Distance: 71 km

Ascent: 1610m

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Loch Beinn a Mheadhoin.jpg
Loch Beinn a Mheadhoin

It seemed like a long time coming! With thanks to Covid, like so many others my plans seemed to slip to the point they'd never happen. I had identified the 'Affric Kintail Way' as my next Long Distance Trail, not that it's long by any manner of means, it is however remote. Well remote for Scotland at least. Running from Drumnadrochit on the shores of Loch Ness to Morvich, a small settlement which sits in the shadows of the Western extremes of the Five Sisters of Kintail, in the Glen Shiel area, giving The Affric Kintail Way a total length 44 miles (71km).

Following the first day and first quarter of the Way, that is if like most you choose to make your first stop Cannich and walk from East to West, you will start to experience the remoteness that this walk has to offer. Besides the tourist car park at the Dog Falls on the River Affric that you have to pass through you will be unlikely to meet anyone besides the odd walker, possible mountain bikers or Trail runner, that is unless you take the short detour to the River Affric car park that sits between Loch Beinn a'Mheadhoin and Loch Affric which is also the start and finish of the Loch Affric Circuit, in itself a stunning day walk of just over 11 miles (18km). The chances though, are you are more than likely to have this Trail to yourself for much of the time.
Monochrome Selfie.jpg
Monochrome Selfie

l should say that beyond Cannich, literally within a few miles, you are unlikely to have any mobile phone reception until you reach your final destination of Morvich. To be honest, this really is a nice change from the constant phone to face that is now the norm. Well except for when I was taking pictures, that probably defeats the argument, because I took plenty of pictures.

So, it had arrived, Day 1 of my adventure on the Affric Kintail Way (the AKW), this however, was to be a long day. Having not travelled the previous night to reach the start of the AKW, my actual plan was to drive to my final destination at the Western reaches of the AKW and walk the route back to my car from Drumnadrochit, I’d be in need of an early start.
Leaving at 5am, I set off for the four hour drive North. I had settled on driving through Glencoe rather than heading up the A9. Glencoe was at its usual mystical best. Loch Achtriochtan and the Western Edge of Glencoe was looking too moody not to stop and grab a quick snap.
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The Commando Monument, Spean Bridge

A quick stop before reaching Morvich was the Commando Memorial at Spean Bridge, this Memorial is a fine sight no matter what the weather, and on this morning was living up to expectation. The three Commando cast of bronze, stand looking onto the area of Achnacarry Castle and beyond to the Anochs and Ben Nevis in the area known as Lochaber.

Back into the car I head north-east through the Great Glen before swinging West at Invergarry heading for the lands of Kintail passing Lochs Loyne and Cluanie before swinging down the glen between The Five Sisters of Kintail and The South Glen Sheil Ridge.

Finally I arrive at the Western Start/Finish of the AKW, which is located adjacent to the Kintail Mountain Rescue Base, this is where I leave my car making sure not to block access to any area that might be used for access, I then take an easy dauner to the bus stop at Ault a'chruinn on the banks of Loch Duich, the weather now high broken clouds and feeling the heat of a morning Spring sun. From here I would catch a bus to Drumnadrochit and to my start at the Eastern end of the AKW.

The bus comes, it's 10:30am, I climb on board having bought my ticket in advance and I enjoy the views now that I'm not driving, it's relaxing hour or so as the bus meanders back the way I came, heading for the banks of Loch Ness drinking in the views.
A wee snap at the first waymarker of The AKW.jpg
A wee snap at the first waymarker of The AKW

So I arrive at Drumnadrochit, where I had the privilege of meeting a work colleague and friend Niall, who stays close by. Niall had agreed to join me for a few miles as I set off in earnest on my wee adventure bringing along his trusty wee pal Frankie, the most adorable yellow Labrador, We're off, Niall, Frankie and I, head through the village to where a sign and first AKW marker would send us on our way up the lower Northern slopes of Cnoc a' Bhuachaille and onto forestry tracks that would run through Glen Urquart and parallel to the River Enrick. The views on this section are limited to be honest, there is one particularly nice view though as you climb the Forestry Track to around 200m, things open up over Drumnadrochit if you look north east, Loch Ness reaches out to Dores and Drummossie Muir beyond.
Loch Ness from above Drumnadrochit.jpg
Loch Ness from above Drumnadrochit

Continuing along the track, there has been a fair amount of felling by the Forestry Commission which continues for some distance, from before to beyond Loch Meiklie. Don't get me wrong, it's pleasant walking here and the path is good, and although there's views, they are nothing compared against what is to come in the days ahead.
Niall with Frankie.jpg
Niall with Frankie

Niall and I had a great catch up, due to work rota's and Covid we hadn't seen one another for a while. As we walked, we were taking turns at launching Frankies ball as he burned his boundless energy playing fetch. As for the weather, well I can only say it had definately closed from my morning walk to catch the bus under lovely broken cumulus clouds. Precipitation of all types coming in waves, nothing drastic, a little drizzle, a little snow interspersed with a little sun, never too cold, sometimes a little warm under the waterproofs we had pulled on. On the whole however, a nice day for walking. After about five miles we approached the Glen Urquhart Forest car park at Balnain, where far too soon I had to part company with Niall and Frankie, before continuing on my heading to Cannich, my first planned stopover.
Track above Loch Meiklie Glen Urquart.jpg
Track above Loch Meiklie Glen Urquart

Pushing on again, Loch Meiklie to my right, I have around three miles of 'much the same' as the previous five miles, before reaching probably the worst section for all who complete the AKW, the road walk. Passing through the small settlement of Shenval, picking up a few views here and there as I go, no large panoramas or mountains, just a few bits and bobs that keep your interest. Too soon it's the dreaded road, which you reach by crossing the River Enrick approximately a kilometre short of Corrimonny. A little detour at this point would take you to the well preserved Corrimonny Cairn, a chambered cairn which is particularly well preserved. Another historical feature in this little settlement is Mony's Stone, a megalith (standing stone) that is said to represent the resting place of Mony, the son of a Danish King. So, onto the A831 it is and to be honest there is not much to say about this last five miles into Cannich, the road is reasonably flat at first, in the distance you catch the odd glimpse of mountain tops above Mullardoch. Before long a sweeping hill climbs just after Millness and crests with views to the north east over the Munros of Strathfarrar. From here the road swings westwards downhill for about one mile or so parallel to the River Glass, where the gaze is drawn over the lovely Strathglass and home for the night.
River Glass.jpg
River Glass

Having arrived and checked-in at the Cannich Woodland Camping and Caravan site, I set up the tent and went for a dauner round to the local Spar, I had read in a Walkhighlands 'Users Walk Report' that a quality portion of chips could be had here. I must say, I was not disappointed. Back in my tent it wasn't long before I was cooried up in the sleeping bag, it had been a long day. Just as I was starting to dose off, I heard the outer fly of my tent being rustled with a lass saying, "Are you in, do you fancy coming over to ours, there's a few of us have got a wee fire going if you fancy a heat and a few drinks?" Normally it'd be a no brainer, a little bit of the sociability that you often find at campsites on distance trail routes. However, after the time on the road, followed by the walk I was pretty exhausted, so I thanked my would be host and returned my beak under wing and was soon, out for the count.
Waking on day two after a very cold night which had caused lots of broken sleep, I made a brew and ate an oat bar as I lay listening to rain pattering lightly on the tent. Having checked the weather the rain was due to clear from the East, which it duly did, so it was a quick wash, tent dropped and off I set. This would turn out to be a day's walking that would become a good bit longer than expected.
Chisolm Clan Memorial Cairn.jpg
Chisolm Clan Memorial Cairn

Chisolm Clan Plaque.jpg
Chisolm Clan Plaque

Leaving Cannich I climb the single-track road towards Loch Mullardoch, I stop at the Chisholm Scociety Memorial Stone briefly before moving on for another few hundred yards where an AKW fingerpost ushers me onto a forestry track that will take me just over four miles to the Dog Falls carpark. This section is pretty easy going and the temperature had risen to give lovely walking conditions. You know that feeling you get when you know there's something you forgot, and you just can't mind what? Well, my memory returned, I had forgotten to lather on the vaseline, chaff central for me if I don't remedy this. A quick shifty about, I can see a fair distance in either direction, good to go. Brieks doon, boxers doon and I'm slapping it on, boxers hoisted, brieks back to waist level and I'm fixing my belt as some guy on a mountain bike comes screaming down the track, I'm sure he thought he'd caught me in the throes of taking a crap. The poor fella stopped and made some small talk before cranking his peddles and making haste, most likely traumatised.
Comar Wood.jpg
Comar Wood

Dropping from Comar Wood to the Dog Falls Car Park.jpg
Dropping from Comar Wood to the Dog Falls Car Park

The last half mile or so from the forestry track down to Dog Falls carpark has you follow a little single track through a lovely deciduous wood, as you reach Dog Falls carpark the trail crosses to the southside of the River Affric. Another possible detour could be had at this point where you could choose to view the Falls. On the day I chose to carry on, it'll give me an excuse to go back some day.
Loch Beinn a Mheadoin.jpg
Loch Beinn a Mheadoin

Moving on, this section continues along forestry track with a steady climb for a kilometre or so until a view point is reached. From here a magnificent vista opens looking West, across Loch Beinn a'Mheadhoin on to the Affric Hills and beyond. This viewpoint has to be one of the finest in Scotland, I understand this is a massive statement, the truth is, this is massive views.
Loch Beinn a Mheadion from AKW.jpg
Loch Beinn a Mheadion from AKW

The road is long.jpg
The road is long

Continuing along Loch Beinn a'Mheadhoin it's much of the same mile after mile, mountain views popping between swathes of Scots pine intermingled with that other staple of Scottish woodland, the Silver Birch. Never leaving the lochside by any great distance, the trail didn't take you to the water's edge either, and for much, the access down to the water would be precarious at best. The previous couple of sentences make this small section sound laborious, it is anything but. The further you delve into this trail the better it gets, each fleeting glimpse getting a little more remote, often bigger views, the wilderness that anyone doing this type of walk is yearning, for now is within grasp. Any phone signal now well and truly out of range, solitude to the point of meditation kicks in, in my case only lifting the phone to take pictures. To my shame, many more times than I should have. However, I so wanted to share the views I was getting with family and friends on my completion of the Way.
Industrial Sculpture.jpg
Industrial Sculpture

Days better past.jpg
Days better past

Rounding a corner whilst belting out an out of tune number from yesteryear, I was surprised to see a lad walking along the track towards me. We had a bit of a chaff and it turns out he'd been heading further North, but due to a Cold front coming in from the Arctic, he had changed his plans and settled on the beauty of Glen Affric for a few days. Pushing on I soon enough find myself approaching the end of the loch, this was initially where I had planned to camp. For many the area around the car park at the end of the public road in Glen Affric is the Day 2 camp of choice, which gives a nice walk of just over 12 miles if you overnighted in Cannich on Day 1.
River Affric 2.jpg
River Affric 2

Fingerpost.jpg
Fingerpost

Springtime in Glen Affric.jpg
Springtime in Glen Affric

However, whilst planning my days on the trail I had decisions to make, how many days, where I would stay etc. Additionally, many decisions would directly affect my pack weight which in turn can have a proportionate effect on your enjoyment of a trail, Too heavy a pack can destroy morale,
So what decisions would have me in turmoil, food for the trail, what to wear, would I need this, would I need that? Nope, my dilemma! Fishing rod or photography equipment? After many hours of humming and hawing I plumped for the fishing rod, the reason. Many, many moons ago I used to fish Loch Beinn a'Mheadhoin with my father, however I had never wet a line on its neighbour Loch Affric, this would be chance to scratch this long-term itch. Or so I thought. With the thought of casting a fly on Loch Affric I had made the decision to carry on beyond the Carpark for a mile or so where I would drop down to the loch have a cast and camp for the night.
All best plans though!
Affric Lodge.jpg
Affric Lodge

Glen Affric to Cougie path.jpg
Glen Affric to Cougie path

Sometimes a tree just needs to be photographed.jpg
Sometimes a tree just needs to be photographed

Deer oh Deer!.jpg
Deer oh Deer!

Along the South shore of Loch Affric is deer fence that creates a barrier that I had no intention of tackling with a full pack, so I decided to keep walking until I found a suitable section to access the loch, I walked, then I walked some more, bloody deer fence the entire way, all the while sporadic light snow showers blowing through. The temperature for walking however was as good as you could ask for. Demoralised with my fishing prospects and the memory of the cold last night and the knowledge of the weather tonight and tomorrow. Having checked a few of my normal web sources with regards the weather before losing signal and the distinct lack of fishing opportunity had me thinking of continuing onto my Day 3 camp and just combining the hike of Day 2 and 3 in one. I decided to stop and drink in some of the views and distract myself from the fishing dilemma. What seemed like an age I sat and relaxed, intoxicated with the views across to Càrn Eige and Mam Sodhail on the Northern shore of Loch Affric and West to An Socach part of the Sgùrr nan Ceathreamhnan group of Munros above Alltbeithe, truely a sight to behold. By now everywhere I turn, my eyes ache taking in the beauty of my surroundings.
Loch Affric and the Affric Munros.jpg
Loch Affric and the Affric Munros

Snow showers over Loch Affric.jpg
Snow showers over Loch Affric

River Affric looking towards Strawberry Cottage.jpg
River Affric looking towards Strawberry Cottage

Strawberry Cottage.jpg
Strawberry Cottage

Fed and watered I pushed on. By the time I near the end of Loch Affric and the Deer Fence that challenges for a modern day Antonine Wall, my mind had well and truly been made up, I would forget about the fishing and push on to my chosen camp, originally ear marked for Day 3, Alltbeithe Youth Hostel here I come. If I'm honest I was still fighting with myself, the West end of Loch Affric really did look excellent for a fish. There were some great pitches to be had, besides the loch, the River Affric looked excellent fly water. Berating myself for having made my mind up to bin the fishing and push on, I made my way past Athnamulloch Bothy and crossed over the River Affric to bypass Strawberry Cottage, owned and Let out by An Teallach Mountaineering Club (currently closed, Summer 21). By now the light could be seen to be dropping and dusk was rapidly approaching. Having not expected to walk this distance when I set out in the morning, more psycologically than phisically I was starting to wane, the energy seemed to be seeping rapidly from my body, as fast as the light was dropping from the sky.
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Millenium Forest Project Bridge and Plaque

West to Kintail.jpg
West to Kintail

Crossing another bridge which traverses the Allt Coire Ghadhail, this one having an adjacent plaque noting it was erected as part of 'The Millenium Forest for Scotland" a Millenium Project supported by the National Lottery. As I rounded a corner I get the silhouette of several deer on the skyline, scanning around I see at least another dozen above me on the hill, I stand for a few minutes watching them before continuing the last couple of miles for the day. Eventually I pick out Alltbeithe Youth Hostel in the distance, each step becoming a prisoner. As I reach Alltbeithe I hear an engine running, the dull grunt of an ATV, there was no one around, that I could see anyway, so off I toddled to find a spot to pitch my tent. Crossing the stream I find a suitable pitch around 70 yards from the main building, tent up and fixing my sleep mat and sleeping bag I hear a voice calling from the direction of the Hostel; "The kettles just boiled, you fancy a coffee?"
If I'd had the energy to run over, I think I would have taken the British Record for the 70 yard sprint, I was totally parched, accepting gratefully on the condition I could make a tea rather than coffee, I joined what turned out to be two lads who were working on erecting those bloody deer fences. I spent about forty minutes and a couple of cups of tea blethering to the lads who were spending five nights a week in the glen, getting home at weekends. We discussed a post from April 21 that I had read on the Walkhighlands website, part of the post referred to the number of deer carcasses on the trail between Strawberry Cottage and Alltbeithe, it turns out there was extreme snowdrifts in the area and the reckon that the deer were caught and perished in them. Tea drank and not wanting to outstay my welcome, I bid my farewell and headed back to the tent, I have a confession, I reneged on telling the lad that invited me over that I had seen his flailing dive from the quad bike, he had tried a fancy dismount as he moved the bike to the front of the Hostel for the night, it didn't go to plan and he face planted. I must say however, the lads went above and beyond inviting me over for a wee while, it certainly lifted my spirits.
Camping outside Alltbeithe Youth Hostel.jpg
Camping outside Alltbeithe Youth Hostel

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Looking West from pitch at Alltbeithe.

Back in the tent I made dinner. Cous cous hadn't tasted so good for a long time, as in ever! So good in fact, I smashed a second portion, then and it was time to settle down. It didn't take long to fall over, on the other hand it didn't take long to wake up either, it was cold, and seemed to be getting colder each passing minute, I pulled on my spare clothes and put my hat on. I fell over, again not sleeping for any length of time. Last night was nothing compared to this, I could feel myself starting to shiver, I had no more layers to pull on unless I opted to pull on my walking trousers and top, it was decision time. There were a few options, Alltbeithe has an Emergency Room/Building behind the Youth Hostel, this would have been warmer than the tent, I could, in absolute emergency chap the door of the Youth Hostel to get access from the lads I'd spent some time with earlier. However, these are the kind of things that can happen when remote walking and you need to have a means of protecting yourself in various circumstances, so my throw of the dice was to get into my backpack, find my Survival Bag and slip into it, sleeping bag and all. This was a trade off however, Survival Bags are designed to reflect heat and they are made of a form of Mylar, a reflective polyester material. So what is the trade off, well Mylar doesn't breath, therefore body heat inside the Survival bag causes any material to be susceptible to condensation, and it really doesn't take long for the condensation to build. Within a half hour I could feel beads of condensation on the inside of the Survival Bag, it would take to five in the morning though for me to start feeling the dampness on the inside of the sleeping bag itself.
20210506_062749.jpg
After a cold night, psyching myself up to face the elements.

I reckon I had about three hours sleep, at a push, maybe closer to four. Even so, for the lack of sleep I felt well rested, so I slipped out of the sleeping bag, washed myself down and got into my walking garb. I still didn't dare open the tent though, I could hear the inclemency patter on the tent. Okay, the truth I was going nowhere, the rain and sleet were not pattering the tent, they were battering it. Lying on top of my Survival Bag with my sleeping bag still inside it and all atop my sleep mat, I was well enough insulated from the ground, it was really just a waiting game to see if the weather would break long enough for me to drop the tent and get my bits 'n' bobs packed away. After a while, things eased a little and I unzipped the tent, opening onto a murky dank morning, the sleet lying around the tent and the snowline not much higher than my current altitude. I popped some water on the stove and made myself a brew. Sipping the tea and nibbling at a flapjack I looked over the map wondering what today had in store, it was not a particularly long day, I did however think it might be challenging due to the forecast which transpired to be correct, for now anyway. It was the back of eight that I decided to break camp, I had already packed the majority of my kit, it was really just a case of dropping the tent and hitting the trail. As I began the process of dropping the tent, the lads from Alltbeithe were heading out on their ATV and quad bike, the start of another shift, I shout over my thanks and wish them well. This is not your average work environment, these lads really work for their keep, mentally as well as physically they must be hell of a strong. That said. the hospitality from the previous evening cannot be understated, after a long day it's little the things like that which make all the difference to your outlook and mood, both for that evening and the day(s) ahead.
Waymarker showing the way on last day.jpg
Waymarker showing the way on last day

The rain and sleet had subsided as I dropped and packed the tent away, I had no longer slung my pack on my shoulders and the heavens opened, and when I say opened, I mean opened, at times it felt biblical. Leaving Alltbeithe the path takes me on a south west approach heading for Camban Bothy, for a time following the river before crossing the Allt Gleann Gniomhaidh, a fair sized tributary of this section of the River Affric. The path now pulls away from the river and gently climbs before levelling out somewhat and guides you to the bothy. This is another example of the excellent work the Mountain Bothy Association do, this well appointed shelter stands towards the head of Fionngleann on the South Eastern slopes of Beinn Fhada, my nose gets the better of me and I go up to the window for a wee peek in. To my surprise I see gear spread out and a lass ploughing her way through bits of kit. With the conditions still pretty miserable, sorry atmospheric, I thought I'd pop my head in and see if everything was okay.
Camben Bothy.jpg
Camben Bothy

Camben Bothy interior design picture.jpg
Camben Bothy interior design picture

Introducing myself to my fellow walker, I am met with a smile and a return introduction and some general pleasantries from Nicole. As we blether it doesn't take long to realise that not only is everything okay with Nicole, she actually has a hill walking resume that makes me look like a newbie in comparison. The conversation is the usual sort of stuff, the weather, given the current stuff that we were having, where we had walked from, camped etc, I happened to mention that I had planned on completing the AKW in the standard 4 days but due to the weather had pushed days two and three into the one day, at this Nicole asked if I was on the Walkhighlands Forum and referred to my pseudonym. I thought this was hilarious, it's the first time outside reply's at the other end of a computer that anyone has mentioned this pseudonym, it was a little weird and the last thing I was expecting that morning. It so happens I had commented on a well written User Report two days before I started my walk, obviously Nicole had read my comment on the report by Drexciya who had completed the AKW a few weeks before our attempt.
Nearing Kintail looking West.jpg
Nearing Kintail looking West

It's not too long before the conversation turns to the final leg of our journey, this for the both of us would be our third day. Nicole had started from Cannich as she had previously walked the Drumnadrochit to Cannich section and didn't fancy a repeat. We decided to walk the last day together, Nicole saying that if she was slowing me down too much I should just push on. The thing being, I was in no rush, I had no bus to catch or schedule to meet, so off we set. Leaving Camben Bothy the rain was relentless, there was no wind to worry about as such, but boy, was it it cold. At one point I had taken my glove off, for what reason I can't mind, but it was instant numbness in the fingers which actually caught me off guard as I was bodily warm. Anything I had read said, from the bothy it was downhill all the way to Morvich and the end of the AKW, it wasn't, there was a bit of yo-yoing of the track before any significant decent. We headed south west with the burn that is Allt Cam-ban to our left, no sooner though the burn swings to the South, it's head waters high in clouds, tumbling from the Northern slopes of Aonach Meadhoin, one of the mountains of Kintails Brothers Ridge. Still no views of any of the mountain tops surrounding us, I just keep thinking back to yesterday's views and can only imagine what todays outlook would be on a clear day.
Glen Lichd and the Northern slopes of the 5 Sisters of Kintail.jpg
Glen Lichd and the Northern slopes of the 5 Sisters of Kintail

Waterfall on Allt Grannda (2).jpg
Waterfall on Allt Grannda

Dropping reasonably sharply now, Allt Cam-ban a kilometre or so at our backs, Nicole and I have picked up the Allt Grannda, it's waters tumble over dramatic falls before tucking into a tree lined gorge. The path staying on the North of the gorge we head towards the footbridge shortly before the meeting of the waters, the Allt Grannda and the Allt na Lapain that now become the River Croe. Crossing the footbridge we're a short distance from Glen Lichd House, a locked bothy run by the Edinburgh University Mountaineering Club. The EUMC have leased the bothy from the National Trust since the mid 1950's and renamed it The Hatten-Woodburn Memorial Hut in remembrance to two souls lost on Ben Nevis. Although the main bothy is locked, there is a small shelter to the Eastern side of the building that was unlocked, Nicole and I took the opportunity to rest long enough to enjoy a snack and let the remaining clouds throw their last droplet for the remainder of our walk.
River Croe.jpg
River Croe

Our last push takes us along the South bank of the River Croe, which we shadow for the final four miles until 'The End' of the Affric Kintail Way. Bheinn Fhada (Ben Attow) towers to the North, the Five Sisters of Kintail cast their shadow from the South, ahead is Sgùrr an Airgid. As we walk towards the trail end, the views are, to say the least pleasant on the eye, the cloud has lifted, the sun warming us and if there is one regret, it is that the morning weather was not equal to the afternoons.
Rounding the corner, we approach the Morvich Caravan Club Site where Nicole had booked a pitch for the night, however due to Kintail Lodge being closed for refurbishment and the Jac-o-Bite tearoom being closed she wasn't that keen on staying over. It turns out her car was left in Drumnadrochit, the bus timetable was not favourable for her to make it back to her car, so the offer was made to take Nicole to Invergarry where she could catch a connecting bus to pick up her car. The Caravan Site kindly cancelled Nicole's booking without any penalty, and we walked the last 100 yards to the end of the trail, home to the Kintail Rangers Office and The Kintail Mountain Rescue.

So that was it, another of Scotland's multi day trails completed.

On reflection I would recommend this trail for anyone happy to carry a full kit, the Affric Kintail Way is not like the West Highland Way or Great Glen Way, where baggage transfer and lodgings are easily available. In saying that, it could be completed in three days, as I did, however lodgings in Cannich and the Glen Affric Youth Hostel at Alltbeithe could be utilised, these would require pre booking though, and Day Two would be a long day. Day One is a section that I would have passed on if doing the walk again, however much the remaining road section has been rerouted onto new walkers paths/tracks and therefore should be a far more pleasant experience.

Until the next adventure.......
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Re: The Affric Kintail Way, a long time coming!

Postby Mal Grey » Thu Mar 17, 2022 9:46 pm

An excellent detailed account that really described your experience well. Thanks for sharing, looks like a great trip.
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Re: The Affric Kintail Way, a long time coming!

Postby kiltedmidgie » Thu Mar 17, 2022 10:08 pm

Thanks Mal, appreciated.
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Re: The Affric Kintail Way, a long time coming!

Postby haylster66 » Mon Mar 21, 2022 2:22 am

we did the cannich to drumnadrochit section and i have to say from shenval to balnain is a problem as it was blocked by cows and bulls...the path is a cow marsh also..we went up higher to avoid the bull but that was an assault course..a muddy one at that...i wouldnt want to do that section again thats for sure.
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Re: The Affric Kintail Way, a long time coming!

Postby kiltedmidgie » Mon Mar 21, 2022 9:55 pm

haylster66 wrote:we did the cannich to drumnadrochit section and i have to say from shenval to balnain is a problem as it was blocked by cows and bulls...the path is a cow marsh also..we went up higher to avoid the bull but that was an assault course..a muddy one at that...i wouldnt want to do that section again thats for sure.


Oh no, that sounds like a nightmare. To be honest though I didn't overly mind the full path from Drumnadrochit through to Shenval, granted some of the track was a bit of a quagmire but that was due to Forestry Commission lorries of felling works.
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Joined: Jul 23, 2013

Re: The Affric Kintail Way, a long time coming!

Postby OurBootprints » Tue Aug 23, 2022 9:47 am

haylster66 wrote:we did the cannich to drumnadrochit section and i have to say from shenval to balnain is a problem as it was blocked by cows and bulls...the path is a cow marsh also..we went up higher to avoid the bull but that was an assault course..a muddy one at that...i wouldnt want to do that section again thats for sure.


Thanks God, I read your response. We were due to do the trail next week, but due this cow alert, I am back to the drawing board and we will decide something different.
Hiking with the hound we need to be careful about cows around. Last weekend we needed to play "rambo" and do some proper off trail detour due massive amount of cattle at the entrance of the Glen, sitting on the gate.
Is it only me or more and more field are filled with cows these days?
OurBootprints
Backpacker
 
Posts: 10
Munros:35   Corbetts:13
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Re: The Affric Kintail Way, a long time coming!

Postby OurBootprints » Tue Aug 23, 2022 9:49 am

kiltedmidgie wrote: Oh no, that sounds like a nightmare. To be honest though I didn't overly mind the full path from Drumnadrochit through to Shenval, granted some of the track was a bit of a quagmire but that was due to Forestry Commission lorries of felling works.


After reading your report, I was supper excited. Sounds like an excellent trail to introduce multi day long distance for the hound. Maybe we will give a try end of winter when live stock is still not out.
OurBootprints
Backpacker
 
Posts: 10
Munros:35   Corbetts:13
Fionas:17   
Sub 2000:22   
Islands:17
Joined: Mar 21, 2022
Location: Inverness

Re: The Affric Kintail Way, a long time coming!

Postby kiltedmidgie » Tue Aug 23, 2022 12:49 pm

OurBootprints wrote:
Thanks God, I read your response. We were due to do the trail next week, but due this cow alert, I am back to the drawing board and we will decide something different.
Hiking with the hound we need to be careful about cows around. Last weekend we needed to play "rambo" and do some proper off trail detour due massive amount of cattle at the entrance of the Glen, sitting on the gate.
Is it only me or more and more field are filled with cows these days?


Hi Bootprints,
😂 Playing Rambo...
Seriously though, I would have no concern walking the AKW with a dog, like any other walk, staying sensible is all that is expected of people who walk, pet or not. If you are overly concerned, start at Cannich, you are then still getting the best of the trail. If your feeling guilty, stop and buy a cuppa and a roll in Drumnadrochit, at least then your still contributing to the community ('The Village Store and Tea Room" do a mean roll 'n' bacon). It really is spectacular as you walk through Glen Affric.

Enjoy your Travels.
kiltedmidgie
 
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Joined: Jul 23, 2013

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