This superb and varied walk takes in both woodland and open moors using trails laid out by the Abriachan Forest Community Trust. There are excellent views and a great many things to see along the way.
Good paths and tracks throughout, including a fair amount of ascent and descent.
None to start.
Abriachan Forest car park, west of Loch Laide.
Abriachan Forest Community Trust purchased the forest and moorland traversed by this walk in 1998, and have set about increasing the native woodland and constructing recreational paths to enhance the environment and create local employment. Take the steep road up to Abriachan from the A82 near Abriachan Nursery; if approaching from the Fort William direction you'll need to use the turning circle on the opposite site of the road as the turning is so sharp. Take the left fork after passing through the scattered houses of Abriachan, and after passing Loch Laide turn left up the forest track (signed) to find the car park on the left. There are picnic tables and toilets here, as well as information boards about the forest and numerous possible walks. Start along the trail that begins between the thatched toilets and the adventure playground, signed for the 'wee tree house' and Loch Laide.
Keep right at a fork and continue until the path reaches a junction with a seat and wooden boardwalks heading both left and right. To see the treehouse, turn left here, before returning to the junction and heading right. At the end of the boardwalk you'll reach another T junction; turn left this time. Keep straight on at the next junction where another path goes off right. The path bends left and leads to an excellent wildlife hide with a view over Loch Laide. Look out for whooper swans and other birdlife.
Return back along the path; you can detour to the left at the first junction to visit a seat at some dragonfly pools; otherwise continue straight ahead, and again keep ahead this time at the junction where you arrived from the right earlier. Turn left at the next opportunity, passing a children's play fort. Keep left along the path, which soon leads to a reconstruction of a bronze age hut.
Beyond the hut, turn left, and at the next fork, keep left again (the path heading right here is for mountain-bikers). You've now explored the easy access area close to the car park (with its many junctions!) and are heading uphill. The path passes a bench; as you gain height, the view back stretches away across farmland and forestry to Ben Wyvis in the north. Higher up, there's a signed junction. Take the left hand path, marked for Càrn na Leitire.
Continue across the moorland on the excellent path; at a fork the two options rejoin but the main route is the right hand option. Eventually the path bears right just below the cairn marking the 434m summit of Càrn na Leitire, but do detour to the cairn as its a wonderful viewpoint. Continue on the path which is now heading slightly downhill, to another signed junction. Take the left turning once more, signed 'Peat path, Balchraggan'. Keep left again at the next junction, signed for Balchraggan and the Shieling (the Great Glen Way goes off to the right here). Pine trees are beginning to appear as the barren moorland is left behind.
Soon you'll reach the reconstructed shieling - a high level hut traditionally used by shepherd's and crofters in the summer months. Its low stone wall base is built up with peat turfs and crowned with a turf-covered roof; inside is an excellent place for lunch on a windy day. From the shieling, continue along the path which soon reaches a forest track. Turn right along the track. Further along, ignore the path off to the right (the Great Glen Way coming back in); instead continue on the track.
Soon you'll reach a signpost indicating a left turn for the 'whisky still'. The route continues straight on (signed for Great Glen Way), but you can visit the reconstruction of a whisky still first by detouring down the hill to the left for a little over 300m. The still is well hidden as you approach (you could be an excise officer!) as it is mostly underground, but there is a door and you can explore inside. Return back uphill to the forestry track.
Turn left to continue along the track. After about half a kilometre another larger track joins in from the left; keep right onto this track, which is the low level option for Great Glen Way. You'll soon pass a marker for the highest point on the GGW, and further on a signpost indicates Abriachan Forest Walks off to the right; keep straight ahead on the track here, signed Abriachan Forest Paths P (parking). After a gate bear right to pass a barn. The track now runs very straight towards the car park - continue along it to reach the start.
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