This very short walk heads down through some beautiful remnants of the Atlantic oakwoods to a bay that was once an important harbour.
Easy paths through woodland.
Very infrequent bus service.
Signposted car park on A861.
Park at the Sailean nan Cuileag car park on the south side of the A861 about two kilometres east of Salen. There are information boards here giving some background details on the walk. Begin by following the path that begins next to the board. This soon reaches a picnic table.
The path then heads downhill through birchwoods to reach a t-junction. Turn left here and the path continues downhill, now passing bigger oak trees heavy with moss and lichens. The path descends towards a muddy bay, where it swings right.
The bay here was used for many centuries. The Vikings, who valued the Oakwoods for their strong timbers, wintered their boats here, whilst for hundreds of years the bay was used to export charcoal for iron smelting, oak bark for tanning leathers, birch for making besoms and oak for making barrels and fishboxes. Only today is the bay deserted. The path passes some carved wooden mushrooms as it passes behind the bay; the boggy shore can be reached by diverting on a faint grassy path.
Back on the main path, it swings right and begins to climb once more. Cross stepping stones across a small stream before the path forks again; turn left here (right would take you to the other fork reached earlier). Continue the ascent back up to the road and the starting car park.
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