Mandally to Poulary

This stage of the Scottish National Trail follows tracks through forests and regenerating pinewoods to the south of Loch Garry. At Garrygualach the tracks end, and from here to near Poulary the route follows the line of an old path - clear in some places, a quagmire in others. There is no longer a bridge over the Allt Choire a' Bhealachain necessitating a burn crossing.

Terrain

Easy walking as far as Garrygualach; next section becomes much rougher on sometimes faint, very boggy path; potentially serious burn crossing over Allt Choire a' Bhalachain.

Public Transport

Buses serve Invergarry; there is no public transport to Poulary.

Start

Mandally. Open start point in Google Maps for directions.

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Walk Description

Stage 1

The stage begins by continuing west along the quiet minor road, passing the scattered houses of Wester Mandally. The road leads into the woods; before reaching Tom a' Bhodaich turn right onto a path with a yellow waymarker post. This winds down to a footbridge over the Allt na Calliche. Cross this and turn left on the far side, soon leaving the path to join a track heading in the same direction.

Stage 2

Ignore branch tracks heading to the right (signed Gleann Laogh) and, later, the left. The track climbs gently for some distance. The walking is more pleasant than the map might suggest, with a good variety of trees rather than monotonous forestry. Felled areas permit views over the surrounding countryside.

Stage 3

Cattle would have grazed the forest here for several centuries, and recently Highland cows were reintroduced to the woods to help improve the biodiversity. When the track forks, keep right, passing over a cattle grid. The track descends through Greenfield Wood, eventually leaving the forest at a gate.

Stage 4

Continue through a second gate to reach the farmhouse and buildings at Greenfield. Keep on the main track as it bends right then left, passing between the barns and the house to continue through the woods, soon passing two more houses before crossing a bridge over the Greenfield Burn. Keep ahead on the main track on the far side. After another 180m or so, a decision must be made. The continuation up the south side of the glen described here crosses an unbridged burn and some boggy areas; if you wish you can instead leave the route by heading north to cross Loch Garry at a bridge and gain the minor road instead, following this past Tomdoun.

Stage 5

To complete the off-road route, turn left onto a track that winds through the woods for almost 3km to reach the house at Garrygualach. The bridge over the burn just beyond has now been replaced. Ignore the right fork and continue on the track before leaving it to take a very faint (at first invisible) path that runs alongside and to the left of a fence, passing above another deserted cottage.

Stage 6

The faint path continues to the left of the fence until a corner where it passes through a large gate. It now continues up the glen, with the swollen River Garry in view nearby to the right, and sometimes with a fence to the left. The path is an old and now almost forgotten routes - clear in places, lost in some very boggy patches in others.

Stage 7

After a couple of kilometres a low fence bars the way - there is an easy-to-climb wooden section just to the left, after crossing which it is best to return to the original line of the path. Further on the path reaches the tumbledown remains of old shielings. From here the path shown on OS maps cuts southwest and into the trees to a bridge - but this no longer exists (although there is a new bridge and track over the burn another 300m or so further upriver beyond the site of the old bridge if needed). Instead it is probably easier to continue across tussocky ground to cross the Allt Choire a' Bhalachain ahead; this can often be done dryshod but not in spate conditions.

Stage 8

On the far side head north over more boggy ground to where the forest reaches down to the River Garry. Pass through a gate here and follow an old grassy track into the forest. When this reaches a gate pass through and continue ahead on a grassy trod. This leads to a forest track; turn right along this, crossing a bridge over the River Garry and then continuing up the track to reach the minor road at Poulary. There are no facilities here; the hotel at Tomdoun 2.5km east is currently closed. The Scottish National Trail heads west along the road.

Next stage: Poulary to Cluanie

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