Cape Wrath Trail

[weirdtravellingboy]

Bog, Glorious Bog!

Hello people crazy enough to do the Cape Wrath Trail. I just recently completed the CWT a few days ago and thought I’d share my experience, useful information and some tips to try and make this a memorable experience for you. I cut a wee part of the journey off from Fort William to Shiel Bridge due to logistics and time especially as there really isn’t anywhere to stock up on supplies and you won't find anything again until Stratchcarron (but more on that later).

Some background information on your blister-ridden author - I’m Matthew, a scuba diving instructor from Aberdeen, Scotland. I thought I was relatively fit until this walk haha. In 2021 I began my first long distance walk. The West Highland Way (6 days/5 nights) just after Nicola loosened Covid restrictions. An over-packed bag and very little experience, however I loved it so much I did the Camino de Santiago (28 days + additional 4 to Muxia) in Spain that year too. 2022 was the Great Glen Way (3 days/2 nights), followed by walking around Shetland in 2023 and last year in 2024 I did the Rob Roy Way (4 days/3 nights). All relatively easy enough walks with the majority of them being well signposted with recogniseable tracks. For everywhere I’ve been in the world, Scotland for me is the most beautiful. At times, you feel like you have it all to yourself, the walkers you meet along the way tend to always be lovely and want to stop for a chat and besides the weather at times you truly are wondering about in a magical world.

I had been planning the CWT for months. It’s not one to be taken lightly. Don’t just expect to purchase a map or buy a bus ticket to Fort William and hope for the best. You need to form a route, pack enough and the right equipment for all elements, sufficient food, when to go, where there might be shelter or somewhere to get amenities. There aren’t little seashell signs directing you in the right way. In 10 days I saw one sign for the CWT. Right at the end of the trail, there’s not even a trail. Plan carefully and you will have a better understanding of what you’re getting yourself in for.

I had always ruled the CWT out because most research suggested you needed to send packages ahead of time to hotels, shops or cafes. However on the Rob Roy trail I met an older Welsh man who told me that there’s enough wee shops to stock up along the way and he was right. Aberdonians are known for their frugal ways and I was trying to do this trip as cheap as possible so I couldn’t really offer a hotel a night of stay for them receiving my package. However I met some people along the way who sent their packages to cafes and just got some lunch there and moved on afterwards. In the end there were enough shops to get me by and occasional restaurants or food places in some places but just be prepared to maybe carry a little extra food just in case.

My first point of protocol for research was this very website (Walk HIghlands). I checked other websites but this one as always is the best for walks around Scotland including munros. I also purchased Iain Harper’s wonderful pocket sized book on the trail with extensive map coverage and great tips. I then spent an afternoon with my offline map - maps(dot)me which I’ve used all over the world (and was super useful on the trail besides the tricky part) and some people like to pay for OS maps, but if you’re lucky sometimes they do a free two week trial. In the afternoon I marked off as many reference points as possible from A to B to C all the way to Z (Cape Wrath Lighthouse) and it pretty much followed the same route as Walk HIghlands and Iain’s book give or take which were great little reference points.

Then there was the bus booking. I went from Edinburgh to Shiel Bridge with Citylink/Megabus for the great price of 32 pounds. Obviously for those starting in Fort William it will be cheaper. There is also the most beautiful train ride from Glasgow to Fort William which passes through Corrour. I then got all my supplies which I shall list further down the page (as usual I bring too much but can never seem to find something that I don’t need) and went to the best supermarket in the world, Lidl to buy enough supplies for the first 4 days. With a bag packed, bus booked and severe doubt in my mind I was ready to leave for the Cape Wrath Trail….

Night 1

Shiel Bridge to Falls of Glomach

My bus left at 10am and with an accident on the road after Glencoe I didn’t get to my stop until around 18.30. After a long day on the bus I decided I would walk until the sun was going down. The walk to Morvich was fine and flat (there is a campsite there which I heard was nice and there's a hidden away room opposite that you can get water from). Leaving Morvich there was a steep climb for most of the way with a fine enough path that led me to the Falls of Glomach around 10pm and it was an epic sight. However deciding to sleep there was not one of my smartest ideas especially as the descent is very narrow and could be quite dangerous without full attention or daylight. Up until recently my one man tent had never really been tested against rain or wetness. Straight away the base sheet was soaked through even just putting it down and I’m guessing from some spray from the waterfall even though I was far enough away made for a very wet night. It rained through the night and I had a terrible sleep and straight away the doubt was feeling strong.

Day 1

Falls of Glomach to Bendronaig Lodge

I woke up annoyed and everything soaked and packed away in a hurry to begin my first proper day. Now be careful with the path downwards. I could see the waterfall from the top and it was incredible but there’s one path that branches away to a viewpoint which I didn’t want and wanted the path out of there (go further left for exit route). I went down the former by accident then tried to find the other one which was very tricky at times. Take your time here as a bad fall could be lethal. It does go off at points so just take your time and maybe use offline maps here. Once down you follow a good track over a bridge and past a loch and there’s a great derelict bothy (Iron lodge). Not a place to stay the night as it hasn’t been maintained but I stopped here for lunch and a chance to dry everything from sleeping bag to tent to socks and everything else. Once you leave it’s uphill for a while until you hit the first real bothy Maol-bhuidhe, a lovely white painted well kept building where I had a short break and met my first other walker Jakob. Once leaving there’s a river crossing. I took my shoes off for this but Jakob gave me a good tip to always keep shoes on. Balance and not falling with all your gear is better than having wet feet. After that it’s an hour of bog, a walk along a loch and there you’ll reach a nice wee bothy Bendronaig. If I had arrived 20 minutes earlier I could have gotten the room with a leather sofa in it, but old Robbie from Stirling beat me to it and I was on some nice hard wood in one of the tiny rooms. Fire was lit, socks were dried and sleep was had until Robbie’s snoring started and then the lovely morning cuckoo bird.

Day 2

Bendronaig to Kinlochewe

Big walk. Once leaving the bothy there's a nice track then it leads onto the wonderful bog. Bog would be mine and everyone else’s Kryptonite on this expedition. After the bog you find a track again and may bump into daily walkers walking towards you to do the munros. Nice chats were had and they told me of the wire bridge that I was soon coming to and how to cross it. You feel like you’re in Gladiators as you cross it (it’s not a deep river but you still don’t want to fall in). Just lean as far forward as possible and within 2/3 minutes you’ll be across. Further along is a great path that will lead you all the way to Craig (hostel here if you’re tired). It was my plan for such a long day to have a nice long afternoon stop in Craig by the rail track, however my cheap Aberdonian self had decided to buy the cheapest bug spray from Savers (Xpel - DO NOT BUY THIS RUBBISH) and when you spend little, you get little in return. Just as I sat down to my sandwich I was turned on by man-eating midgies that were out for vengeance. The spray wouldn’t hold them off so I got everything together and hobbled down the main road and back on the track to Kinlochewe. The walk up from the main road wasn’t fun. Tiny path, not trimmed, super narrow and very boggy. I was in a hurry to get to Kinlochewe to find a shop open that would sell bug spray (Remember - Scottish village shops don’t tend to stay open later than 7pm). It was a power walk of anger and another tip - there are two options for the final hurdle to Kinlochewe. You can either go through a forest path or follow the road - FOLLOW THE ROAD! The last 1.5 hours was just a quagmyre of bog and me swearing and realising I would never make it to the shops before they closed. Fortunately there was a hotel/bar (The Stag) that sold Smidge and cider and across the street there are great toilet facilities including a shower. I wild camped by the parish and got somewhat of an okay sleep until deers started screeching outside my tent at 2am.

Day 3

Kinlochewe to Shenavall

In the morning I visited the wee shop that opens at 8am (also in town is a campsite and a petrol station for supplies). Nice range of things to keep you going until Ullapool and I found an Aberdonian delicacy - Rowies or Butteries and I knew today was gonna be a good day. That day I was also celebrating 20 years to the day of when I first left home and went travelling at 18 and haven’t looked back since. This was by far my favourite day. The weather was glorious and the track was great for the first half up until Loch an Fada where I stopped for a long lunch and read. Afterwards there’s a steep incline and the path becomes worn but if you’re lucky enough there’s a river crossing with a plunge pool so I stripped butt naked and got in and pretended it was my own personal hot tub. After a while you’re back on track and the scenery is epic, I didn’t bump into a soul. Had another nice break at Loch an Nid and made it to Shenavall for early evening. This bothy is very popular as the gigantic Fisherfield munros are here so expect them to be quite busy. The guy who had arrived before me had stunk the place out with his socks so I decided to sleep outside. Guess who woke up with a wet tent again?!

Day 4

Shenavall to Inverlael/Ullapool

Shorter day which was nice. Once you leave the bothy it’s a steepish climb for just over an hour before you’re descending again then onto a road to Dundonnell House but easy enough then after that it’s onto another climb which is not too detailed at first but you’ll find your way. Here, there’s another plunge pool to strip and get yourself cooled down or even just feeling a little less dirty (fill your water bottles first). The walk to Inverlael was quite anti-climatic after the previous day and a super steep decline on the way down to Inverlael. Thankfully Jakob the guy I met on day one had a friend picking him up and taking him to Ullapool so I jumped in too and managed to stink the poor guy’s car out within 10 minutes with my dirty, stinky, wet feet. Ullapool is a top recommendation for resupplying and treating yourself. We got pizza then coffee and I did another shop for 4 days at the local Tesco which stocks pretty much whatever you need. There is also a camping shop in town to get meals or gas or any other equipment you may need. My first shower in 5 days was taken (public shower for 2 pounds) and then off to one of the many pubs to enjoy a few cold beers. Mr Cheapskate could have stayed at the big campsite that night where I heard later there were no midges but I decided to hike out of town at 10pm, jump a fence and camp by some trees during the Solstice. WIthin seconds the Night of the Living Midges were upon me, ruining my night with my bottle of wine, taking clandestine sips from under my mosquito hat. There was heavy rain that night and the tent was soaked again and I was a little hungover and an angry Scotsman and to make matters worse, when nature was calling and I needed an outside number 2, those evil little demon insects were biting my poor behind and not giving me a moment's rest.

Day 5

Ullapool to Schoolhouse Bothy (just outside of Oykel Bridge)

Covered in bites, scratching, foggy head and everything damp, I trudged along on a bleak Sunday morning with on and off rain. Fortunately I knew today was an easy day as there weren’t many ascents and it was near enough flat and all with a track. After about 2 hours I found a boat house where I went in, dried some stuff and had breakfast and tended to my blisters. With blisters I’m a big believer in popping them to alleviate the pain. I normally heat up a needle then gently puncture the blister to release the liquid and that makes my walking so much better. Afterwards I walked a few more hours to Loch an Daimh and stopped at a bothy called Knockdamph for a few hours. I had a nice lunch and dried all my gear as I read my book. It was brought to my attention that there was another bothy 7 km along the path so I decided that would be my end point for the night. I arrived at Schoolhouse bothy around 7pm and again took equipment and clothes out to dry them. Really cute bothy as it was an old school. There are books and even a tiny private room if you get there first. Later on I was joined by Pete, an ex soldier who gave me some military ready meals and a can of cider and we spoke about the true evilness of midges.

Day 6

Schoolhouse Bothy to Inchnadamph

This day started great then descended into madness. I had a bit more mileage to make up as I had stopped before Oykel Bridge so it was going to be about a 38 km day. The path to Oykel was fine (small hotel there that serves lunch and dinner) and the 4x4 track along the river Oykel was fine although a bit boring (a wee fishing hut to stop in to have a break or snack) and gets a bit boggy before you get to Loch Ailsh. After a quick lunch I turned the corner at Benmore Lodge and that’s where everything went wrong. The usual bog was there whilst ascending towards Breabag Tarsainn just as a wonderful storm came through and completely drenched me. The rain was cutting into my face and I was finding it hard to fight the wind. This is an area you should really have marked as it’s easy to get lost. I diverted off as the path kept fading and at one point I really thought I might have needed assistance (ironic as I had messaged my family earlier to let them know I was okay which is quite a rare thing for me to do). Then to make matters worse with being lost and in a storm, somehow my phone had fallen out of my pocket. I don’t know if you've ever lost a phone up a mountain whilst being lost in a storm but it’s not that easy to backtrack. I was mainly worried about my Duolingo streak. After 30 frantic minutes of running up and down and praying I finally came to my senses and went to a higher vantage point and scanned the area I believed I had been in and thankfully I found it. I was freezing, very manic and just wanted some soup and a warm place. As I found my way and got downhill I got phone service and knew that I needed accommodation that night as I would maybe get hypothermia. How I had missed it from the book but there was a hostel at Inchnadamph. The walk down was also very boggy and the trail could be confusing. I couldn’t have been happier to see the Explorers Lodge Hostel after a long stressful day. Beautiful clean building with a dry room that could rival a Scandinavian sauna. A little shop as well that sold pizzas, beer and a small option of food options to keep you going for a few days on the trail (they only accept card). Beers were consumed, duolingo was completed and somewhat of a sleep (had a nice full room of old men trekkers who are pretty synonymous with snoring).

Day 7

Inchnadamph to Glencoul

This was my least walked day because of the pain in my feet and other guys I met along the way said this was the most annoying part. After leaving the hostel, be careful you don’t miss the left hand turn to get you back onto the trail. It’s a steep 600 metre climb to Glas Bheinn and a horrible one at that too. Path fades all the time, horribly boggy but the worst is yet to come. The weather was just as bad as the day before and I was hobbling along at 2 km per hour. Like the previous day, make sure you have your offline map prepared to get you to the summit. Once you’re over it’s the getting down that’s so tiring and tricky. Because it was wet, I kept slipping and really going over on my ankle. Lots of profanities again that day and screaming at Mother Nature. The blister on my left foot was filled with blood and not ready to pop yet and every step was agony (I sometimes wish I wasn’t that stubborn and had quit as most people I met who saw the state of my feet said they would have retired early. I always get blisters, most people do but I believe the main cause was probably over walking and the fact that your feet are never dry. Bring a lot of socks with you. I also think compeed is a waste of money especially with damp feet). Getting down the mountain was sheer pain and for once I listened to music hiking just to distract the pain but somehow it was a romantic playlist that I couldn’t change and it didn’t help at all. The plan had been to get to Glendhu bothy to spend the night but that further 7 km/2.5 hours would have destroyed me. I ended up alone in Glencoul bothy (which I do sometimes get spooked out by), started a fire to dry my shoes and socks and had another broken sleep thinking about ghosts and how bad my feet might look in the morning. Really nice bothy though with lots of books and fresh flowing water 200m from the building.

Day 8

Glencoul to Kinlochbervie

I woke up with severe pain on my left foot from the blisters. I was actually worried to look at it. Fortunately it was ready to burst otherwise I would not have been walking. Blood and puss came pouring out but I knew that I would be able to somewhat walk on it. I hit the road early as I had A LOT of ground to cover that day but I noticed I could cheat one part as this route had what people called the worst bog after Stack Lodge. I walked along a fine enough path to Glendhu bothy where I stopped for breakfast. Big double storey bothy but nothing too special about it. You then follow the path for another 1.15 hours to a track that turns right and for another 2/3 hours this great track should take you to the tiny hamlet of Achfary. Now this is where I slightly cheated. Further from here and all the way to Rhiconich is all bog and everyone I met who was heading southbound said it was a horrible nightmare. If you look at the map you can just head along the A838 road (single track with very little traffic) and take that all the way to Rhiconich or head a little further to KInlochbervie (Spar shop there for supplies and 2 small cafes). After a week of bogs I didn’t feel bad about skipping this part. My feet were a painful mess and if I wanted to finish then going along a nice paved road was what I needed.

Day 9

Kinlochbervie to Cape Wrath

I camped overnight at Oldshoremore as there was a public toilet and some good areas to pitch my terrible tent. I left around 8am towards Sandwood Bay. You head along the one track road then turn right at the signpost and follow a track all the way until you reach the lovely and peaceful beach. This was the easy part. Once you depart there you’ve got 13 km to get to Cape Wrath but it still took 4/5 hours because there is not a track at all and so much bloody bog. There are also a lot of river crossings and two tricky ones that I recommend just getting your feet wet rather than being a hero. My route involved a lot of ups and downs and sometimes you feel like you’re getting nowhere but just remember, this is the last hurdle and you’re homeward bound. I would use offline maps for this part. Thirty minutes before completion you’ll hit the old stoney “main” road and from there turn left and in 30 minutes you can celebrate, cry, cut your feet off, drink beer or eat some food from the Ozone cafe which is owned by the lovely John and Angie.

It seems I’m a sucker for punishment - getting back to civilization can be tricky here. There is a bus that runs from outside Durness (including a boat) that takes people to the lighthouse. The bus goes back towards Durness at 11.30am and 2.30pm from outside the lighthouse. The only problem is, this bus might be already full with passengers and the bus driver/owner was useless with information. However you can walk it. It’s 5 hours or you can do what I did - after 3 hours at the cafe I walked 2 hours with some beers down to the absolutely breathtaking bothy Kearvaig. Two floors and super cute. I spent the night there and left early (another 3 hours of walking to ferry) and then caught the boat back to the “mainland” and got a lift up to Durness. The ferry guy Malcolm was super responsive. His last sailing is around 4pm but also check wind as they wont sail the boat in winds over 25 mph however if worst comes to worst you can still walk around the loch and cross back to the main road but that’s another 2 hours and after so much walking all you want is to rest. Malcolm’s number - 07719544207. In Durness there’s all you need. Campsite, hostel (where I stayed), a Spar, another wee shop, food and most importantly a bar next to the campsite. And on a final note there is transport back to Inverness from here. There’s one bus that leaves at 8am Monday to Saturday for 20 pounds but I highly advise booking as it’s a small bus. Here is the number - 07782110007

General Overview

I completely underestimated this walk. Out of the 9/10 days I maybe enjoyed 2 or 3. The ascents were fine enough and not completely challenging but it was the fact that the weather was bad at the second stage and at the stage that is most difficult (but it’s the west coast of Scotland so weather will always be unpredictable) and the bloody bog and marsh. It seems like those areas are boggy all year round and never dry. I definitely think I got some mild trench foot from that walk as my feet were never dry. Even taking my boots and socks off at intervals they were still wet and damp. It’s also hard to find ways to have less in your bag but I couldn’t find a thing to ditch especially food as shops can be 2 days apart from one another and hopefully still open once you arrive there. I was definitely broken by the time I reached my final destination. Wetness meant a lot of slipping and really going over my ankle. I can not express more about taking walking sticks. I used to make fun of these when I was younger cos I was immature but my god, they’re almost like companions. Don’t take this walk lightly, it’s not called Britain’s toughest walk for no reason. Plan hard, prepare for extreme weather and don’t underestimate what other writers have said about the bog. On the plus side it was quite the feat to achieve. I maybe didn’t start at Fort William but I still covered a lot of ground. Sometimes I felt like I had the place to myself and for whole days at a time when I was all alone. The bothys were such a godsend and I’m eternally grateful to the MBA for maintaining them. I met some super sweet people who were happy to share food and medical ointments and blether away to you about their experiences. I personally found more people were doing the route southbound so I’m unsure of that reason. Maybe For William is an easier end route and I’d love to say it would be harder going southbound because the sun would be in your eyes but then I remembered that we don't have sun in Scotland.

What my bag included:

Tent
Sleeping bag
Waterproofs and poncho and bag cover
Change of clothes (1 t shirt, 1 trousers)
Hoody
Pyjama bottoms
5 socks
2 boxer shorts
Travel towel
Wooly hat
Gloves
Gaiters (that I didn't use once)
Mosquito head net
Toiletries (toothbrush/paste, small body wash, electrolytes, bug spray, baby wipes and poo bags)
First aid kit including compeed and needle to help blisters
Battery pack
Penknife
Plastic fork/spoon/knife combo
Head torch
Travel Coffee presser
Water Bottle
Food

(Average weight 18 - 20 kg - Way too much)

Food

I don’t carry a stove but I bloody love/need my daily sandwich. I take dried goods and to start with I took enough for 3/4 days and would top up. I normally take:

Bread (made my own - nice strong baguettes)
Mayonnaise
Cheese slices
Ham
Crackers
Peanuts
Peanut butter
Chocolate bars (normally snickers but mars were a delight)
Raisins
Dried fruit like apricots
Smoked sausage
Granola

This could fuel me and I would normally have 3 meals a day. Always the same meal but I’m a simple man when it comes to food.

Folks, I hope you have enjoyed this information. You can find me on insta weirdtravellingboy if you ever need further information. I’m still recovering 3 days later with multiple salt water baths for my feet and a hell of a lot of Savlon. Again, don't underestimate this walk and the power of mother nature. Be safe, take your time and enjoy one of the toughest things I’ve ever done.

[Anne C]

Great read and fascinating, brutally honest account of a top notch achievement.

[Essan]

Something you may like to try in future: Gehwol foot cream. I find it's excellent at preventing blisters, even when walking with wet feet every day. Apply morning and night for a week before the walk and again throughout the walk.