Craig to Kinlochewe

Summary

The stage of the route begins by crossing the Coulin Pass, the classic crossing Strathcarron and Torridon, and has a good track underfoot for much of the route. The views - especially of Beinn Eighe and Liathach - are superb for much of the way. The final stretch into Kinlochewe is very boggy in a few places, but has been waymarked in recent years.

Grade

Bog Factor

3.5/5

Rating

Terrain

Narrow footpath through the trees, then good tracks. The final 2km is on a very rough and boggy (but waymarked) path.

Getting there

Start

Craig.

Public Transport

There is a rail station 4km from Craig at Achnashellach (from where a track climbs to join the route before the Coulin Pass). Kinlochewe is served by buses from Inverness.

Start Grid Ref

NH038492

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Services

There is a basic campsite 3km W from Craig at along the A890 and a rail station a further 1km further on - the hostel at Craig has permanently closed. Kinlochewe has a hotel, bed and breakfast, hostel and a shop.

Walk Statistics

Distance: 16km / 10 miles
Time: 4 - 5 hours
Ascent: 472m (Profile)

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Walk Description

User reports (2)

Stage 1

The stage starts from Craig and begins by heading west along the verge of the A890 road. After around 900m a green signpost just before a layby indicates where to turn right off the road - the path has a rather inelegant start up the bank. The path then climbs up through the trees. It's narrow and boggy in places but fairly easy to follow with a few infrequent markers. The path follows the line of the Old Pony Track, a historic drove road used by great novelist James Hogg, the Ettrick Shepherd, in 1803. The ascent gives views down the glen towards Loch Carron and Skye.

Stage 2

Eventually the path reaches a forestry track here. Turn right and continue the ascent at a more gradual rate to reach the Coulin Pass, a classic drove route between Glen Carron and Glen Torridon.

Stage 3

The top of the pass is almost imperceptible, and the descent is very gradual, and the track gives easy walking underfoot. After crossing a bridge, ignore a track coming in from the left. Excellent views begin to really open up ahead, especially of the white quartzite of the Beinn Eighe massif, and the route leads past some fine old Caledonian pines.

Stage 4

Ignore a track off right, and continue towards the whitewashed lodge at Coulin. Turn right here and follow the track, crossing a cattle grid and later a bridge, towards Torran-cuilinn. The track keeps well to the right of the house. Ignore the path off left and instead follow the large track up into the felled area, passing through a gate. When the forks keep right on the main track, which then swings leftto continue the climb.

Stage 5

After another gate the route passes through an area recently planted with native pines and birches. The track is rather wide and intrustive, but there are superb views of Beinn Eighe and Liathach. After another gate there is a section of open moorland, before the track starts to descend and passes through another gate into another felled area.

Stage 6

Ignore an unhelpful waymarker indicating a path off right (this just leads to the old line of the track) and continue down the main track - now into spectacular native woodland - until a junction. Here the main track swings left, but our route turns right along a much narrower track. Follow this when it passes through a gate and continue until it ends at a grassy area. Here take the path slightly right, that climbs to a pedestrian gate in the fence.

Stage 7

Once through the gate turn left, following the fenceline downhill. The first section is rather overgrown with bog myrtle and is boggy underfoot, but there are waymarkers, one of which indicates where to bear right away from the fence towards a burn. The path then heads down the near side of this burn, soon passing through another pedestrian gate. Bear right through the gate to reach a confluence, where you ford the burn by a ruin. On the far side keep left of the ruin, then follow a grassy path until a marker indicates where to bear right up onto the heather moorland. The going is soggy underfoot but well marked as the path crosses the heather and the ravines cut by each of three burns flowing across the route. Finally the route drops to a fence and passes through a gate, then another gate to keep left of the polytunnels. Join a grassy track and then a hard track to pass left of a house and emerge on the road in Kinlochewe. All facilities are to your left, whereas the Cape Wrath Trail continues to your right.

Next stage: Kinlochewe to Shenavall

Route Profile

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