Follow an old coffin road as it climbs high through native birchwoods on the north side of Loch Ness, with superb views.
Bog Factor
Woodland paths, fairly steep, muddy in places.
Clansman Hotel car park, Loch Ness.
Bus from Inverness/Drumnadrochit.
NH562330
Start at the Clansman Hotel on the A82 on the north side of Loch Ness; there is further parking in laybys on the other side of the A82 in both directions. The start of the walk is from the north end of the hotel car park. Follow the wide path - waymarked in red and green - as it climbs across the slope. It soon passes a Woodlands Trust sign welcoming you to Abriachan Woods. Soon good views begin to open up over Loch Ness through the birches; at a fork in the path keep on the main, left hand route (green waymarker).
The path keeps remarkably straight and the gradient remains the same for just over a kilometre, passing a couple of benches, until a dog-leg is reached by another bench, where the path turns hard left. Soon after this is reaches a junction; turn right here to resume the original direction (the other path is used on the return). Ignore the red waymarked route which heads off right - but do visit the seat which gives a chance to soak up the views over the loch. Continue on the path - which can be muddy in places on this stretch.
The path passes above one big house, then below another house at Balchraggan. At the far corner of the garden turn left to head up to a track beside the house. Turn left here onto the track, ignoring a first track off to the right but then turning up a second, signed for Peat Path and Càrn na Letire. This climbs back into the woods. Ignore a path off to the right (that enables a link with the Abriachan Forest trails). Eventually a picnic table and signpost is reached at a junction of paths. Turn left here, signed for the Loch Ness Clansman (the path ahead eventually links with the Great Glen Way).
The path descends to reach a bench above a particularly steep section of the hillside above Loch Ness, giving wonderfully airy open views. From here the path turns left to continue the descent, which is a little rough in places. The outward route is rejoined at the junction mentioned earlier; continue ahead downhill here and then round the sharp bend to the right to return back down to the Clansman Hotel.
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