Carnan Mòr and Hynish

Summary

This pathless and rough moorland walk ascends to the highest point on Tiree, by the 'golf ball' radar station on Carnan Mòr, the summit of Ben Hynish. It then returns keeping closer to the coastline. The route starts and ends from Hynish - a fascinating complex of buildings which acted as the signal station for Skerryvore Lighthouse and which now includes an exhibition and cafe.

Grade (key)

Bog Factor (key)

3.5/5

Rating

Terrain

Largely pathless walking; wet heathery hillside and rough pastures above the coastline, with some tarmac stretches.

Public Transport

Tiree has a Ring-n-Ride bus service operating on request; it can be booked between 1 week and 1 hour in advance of your journey, when available.

Start

Parking area behind the Skerryvore exhibition, Hynish. Open in Google Maps.

Hillwalking in Winter

Please note that hillwalking when there is snow lying requires an ice-axe, crampons and the knowledge, experience and skill to use them correctly. All route descriptions and difficulties given here are for summer conditions. See our Winter Skills page for basic information on the essential skills, techniques and knowledge needed for winter hillwalking.

Walk Statistics

Distance: 8.25km / 5.25 miles
Time (summer conditions): 3 hours
Ascent: 200m (Profile)
Start Grid Ref: NL985393

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Accommodation

Walk Description

User reports (1)

Stage 1

Fork left as you reach Hynish and use the parking area behind the Skerryvore exhibition building. The whole complex of beautifully built stone buildings here is well worth seeing, as well as the actual exhibition. Restored by the Hebridean Trust, Hynish was the site of the signal station for the isolated Skerryvore Lighthouse. Begin by visiting the exhibition which tells the amazing story of the lighthouse's construction. To start the walk, head along the coast to the beautifully-constructed pier. Continue past the front of the Old Pier Store rooms (now Alan Stevenson house, housing a cafe).

Stage 2

Go through the gate and then turn right across the grass to visit the obvious stone-built signal tower. From here Skerryvore - the tallest, most isolated and elegant of Scottish lighthouses - can be seen out to the southwest in clear weather. The lighthouse keepers' cottages beyond the signal tower were built in an unusual Egyptian style which was fashionable at the time. Head to the right of the cottages to rejoin the road, then turn left along it.

Stage 3

After a gate the tarred road becomes a track. Continue straight along it until another gate; through this it becomes a grassy track leading to another gate in front of the last whitewashed house. Go through this gate and bear left to pass the house and reach another gate with a stile alongside. Cross this and follow a faint track leading along the shore. The going can be pretty wet in places on this section.

Stage 4

Pass to the right of a rockier headland and on up perfect short-cropped grass, reaching the head of a green valley which leads down to the sea - locally known as the 'Happy Valley'. This is visited on the return walk; for now, simply head NNW over pathless ground towards Carnan Mòr, which is out of sight at first. The grass soon gives way to rougher going over moorland, though the golf-ball like radar station on the Carnan Mòr summit appears to aid direction Continue across the moorland, passing a couple of once-cultivated grassier areas. Before reaching the golf-ball, a faint, rough track leads NW through a gap in a drystone wall to reach a tarmac service road.

Stage 5

Turn right along the road to detour up to the summit - luckily the trig point marking the highest point is to the left, before the radar station enclosure (which is used by air traffic control) is reached. Apart from the ugly summit buildings, the rest of the summit view is excellent, with the Ceann a' Mara headland to the west, and the great flatness of Tiree stretching away to the north, all fringed by perfect beaches. Return along the service road, continuing the descent on tarmac all the way down to a junction near West Hynish.

Stage 6

At the road junction turn left, passing several houses. Fork right to avoid the garden in front of the last cottage before continuing along the track to a coastal gravel quarry. Go left around the quarry and then continue across the grass, passing left of a concrete sheep fank. Continue to a pebbly bay. From here the route back to Hynish makes its away above the rough coastline, keeping to the pathless but grassier higher ground to avoid the rocky bays and headlands below.

Stage 7

After some rougher walking it is possible to descend into the Happy Valley seen earlier in the walk. Head up this to rejoin the outward route, continuing round the coast and then through the gates, passing the first house, to rejoin the track and finally the road back to the complex of buildings at Hynish.

Route Profile

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