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Scottish National Trail - Cluanie to Morvich

Scottish National Trail - Cluanie to Morvich


Postby andrewl7642 » Fri Jan 12, 2018 1:42 am

Route description: Cluanie to Morvich

Date walked: 20/09/2017

Time taken: 9 hours

Distance: 26 km

Ascent: 365m

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The Scottish National Trail is a 536 mile/864 km-long long distance walking route running the length of Scotland from Kirk Yetholm to Cape Wrath.

The Trail offers very varied walking, following long-established footpaths for much of the distance but becoming progressively more difficult as it heads north, finishing with a tough stretch of backpacking - with some pathless and demanding terrain - on the final stretch of the Cape Wrath Trail.



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In Summer 2017 I spent several weeks completing sections of the Scottish National Trail.
My original plan for 2017 was to backpack the whole of the trail but due to lack of funding I could only manage sections where wild camping was an option.

I ventured out on three separate occasions and completed the route over the course of 15 days, as follows:

Trip 1 - Blair Atholl to Fort Augustus (6 days, 5 nights)
Trip 2 - Milngavie to Pitlochry (6 days, 5 nights)
Trip 3 - Fort Augustus to Morvich (5 days, 5 nights)

Along the way I made a video diary/vblog which you can view here on my blog page.
I aim to complete the remaining sections in Summer 2018.


I leave Cluanie along the A87 (passing Loch Cluanie) and then head North into the An Caorann Mor, back into the hills, following the Allt a'Chaorainn Mhor for some miles.

The rain becomes heavy and the path extremely boggy as I reach Glen Affric Youth Hostel and turn South West into Fionnglean to reach Camban bothy. The plan was to keep going to Morvich on the same day to be on time for the bus the following morning but I was soaked through and cold. I decided the sensible thing would be to stay at the bothy and try to leave at first light.


So I never managed to get up at first light as planned, I slept in and missed the bus that I had intended to get, which would connect with another bus that I had booked from Inverness.
I left the bothy around 8am, and enjoyed a soggy descent through Gleann Lichd, finally reaching Morvich at about quarter to 12. I didn't have too long to wait for the next bus to Inverness, hopping on at the Jac-o-bite restaurant at Ault a' Chruinn.

I'll continue the trail from Morvich in Summer 2018.

Poulary to Cluanie (Previous)
https://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/Forum/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=77803
andrewl7642
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Re: Scottish National Trail - Cluanie to Morvich

Postby revalation » Sat Sep 22, 2018 8:22 pm

Enjoyed your story so far. I'm about a year behind you (did Pitlochry to Fort Augustus in May and hoped to get to Morvich this month, but weather forecast wasn't good). Looks like you had rough weather from Cluanie. I'm a bit of a fair weather walker so will wait for a good weather window next year in late May or July/August.
Best wishes
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