This pleasant woodland walk on the Armdale Estate leads up to moorland viewpoint providing stunnings views over Sleat and the waters of the Sound to the mountains of the mainland.
Straightforward, mostly waymarked walk on back roads, tracks and clear paths.
Regular buses from Portree, Kyleakin and Broadford.
Armadale ferry terminal car park.
Park at the ferry terminal car park at Armadale. There's a great wee cafe here, as well as some craft shops. Begin by heading back along the road, keeping right at the junction (you can cross to a walkway on the far side) to pass the stores and post office. After 400m a track goes off left, signed for Armadale Castle Lodges. Turn left up this, and when it forks turn left, signed for Armadale Hill. This road climbs steeply to a row of holiday chalets. Here keep right onto a track through a gateway; it runs along the edge of a felled area.
Follow the track as it climbs slightly and then continues into the woods, passing over a wooden bridge and to the right of a derelict cottage. The path narrows - keep straight across a rough track, and then turn left at a fork just beyond - note the marker post. From here the path climbs through the trees with views across to Knoydart. Keep left at another fork, heading up a few steps, and the path continues to climb eventually coming out of the trees into an open area of bracken and grass.
The path climbs up through the grassy meadow and then curves right slightly downhill. Another junction is now reached just before a bridge. If the weather is clear, it is worth turning left along a track to detour to Armdale Hill. The track soon reaches a large gate leading onto open moorland.
Keep straight ahead on the track, continuing until the small dome of Armadale Hill (marked by a wooden post on the summit) is next to you on your right; leave the track here to climb a very faint grassy path to the top. From here there are good views across the water to Mallaig and Knoydart, with the mountains of Ladhar Bheinn and Beinn Sgritheall prominent, as well as down onto the Armadale woods. Retrace your steps back to the last junction by the bridge. This time take the left turn and follow the path as it descends above a grazing field.
The track continues downhill, with views over to the ruins of the Castle at first. Pass to the right side of a derelict steading and becoming a path. This soon leads to a track - turn right along this, signed in both red and blue. Ignore turnings off left, following the track ahead until it reaches the Armadale Lodges track from near the start of the walk. Turn left here to head down to the road, then right to return to the ferry terminal.
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