Inverarnie Esker Trail, Littlemill near Daviot

Summary

Walk along ridges and look at pools left behind by glaciers which moved across this landscape thousands of years ago. This is a good short walk to brush up on your geography and enjoy the wildlife of the pines and pools at Littlemill.

Grade

Bog Factor

3.5/5

Rating

Terrain

Clear waymarked paths for most of the route, some short steep sections, paths rough in places. Short (optional) section without waymarking.

Getting there

Start

Littlemill Forestry car park.

Public Transport

None to start.

Start Grid Ref

NH700365

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Walk Statistics

Distance: 4.75km / 3 miles
Time: 1.5 hours
Ascent: 51m (Profile)

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Explorer 417 - Monadhliath North

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Walk Description

User reports (4)

Stage 1

Start from the small forestry parking area (signed Littlemill) on the B851 a few km west of the A9 heading towards Farr. Take the path past the information board with a map. This route takes in most of the two waymarked routes and can be shortened by 0.75km on the way back. Start by heading uphill on the path - suprisingly steeply - then turn short left at the top of the climb, following the blue waymarkers. There is a good view over Strath Nairn.

Stage 2

The path soon follows the top of a clear ridge. Known as an esker ridge, this is a mound of debris left behind by a river running underneath a huge glacier which once filled the Great Glen. The eskers here are between 13,000 and 20,000 years old.

Stage 3

Soon another feature of geography textbooks can be seen looking back to the right, a water-filled kettle hole. This would have been formed when a large block of ice, left behind by a retreating glacier, was buried under rocks and sand. When eventually the ice block melts, the rock and sand would fall into the hole and the remainder would fill with water to leave the kettle hole seen today. Continue along the ridge for 500m until the path turns right downhill.

Stage 4

Follow the blue markers down the short hill and follow the path through pine trees. Where the path forks keep right. At a waymarked junction turn left following red waymakers along the edge of the plantation and onto the next esker which has a good view over a larger lochan with a fishing hut.

Stage 5

Keep following the ridge which heads into the trees. After descending, the path climbs diagonally to the left (ignoring a steeper path straight ahead) to reach the top of another ridge with a view down to a stream straight ahead. Turn right here to head along a clearer path on the top of the ridge. Once on open ground the formation of the esker ridge is easy to make out and gives good views over the trees. Ignore the red waymarked path down to the right (this is the short cut route back) and continue along the ridge. Eventually the path meets a vehicle track - turn right along this. As the track nears a gate turn right again, then continue along a track passing a large erratic boulder. At the next junction turn left to rejoin the red waymarkers. Follow the path past another lochan on the right and soon along the top of another ridge before rejoining the outward path where you turn left to head downhill back to the car park.

Route Profile

Where to stay

Fort Augustus cottages

Foyers, Dores cottages

Loch Ness hostels

Glamping and Camping

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