Oykel Bridge to Inchnadamph

A good vehicle track along the River Oykel makes early progress easy, allowing for maximum enjoyment of this picturesque salmon fishing river. Continue into wild Benmore Forest and ascend to the narrow bealach below rugged Conival and Ben More Assynt before dropping down to the amenities of Inchnadamph on the shore of Loch Assynt.

Terrain

Excellent vehicle tracks for much of the distance, but also faint grassy footpaths and a rough, pathless section at the head of Glen Oykel

Public Transport

Macleod's Dial-a-Bus service (must be prebooked) between Oykel Bridge and Lairg (for trains/scheduled buses); Inchnadamph is served by bus.

Start

Oykel Bridge. Open start point in Google Maps for directions.

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Walk Description

Stage 1

Leave the hotel and turn left (east) along the quiet road and take the first minor road on the left after 50m. This crosses an old bridge offering excellent views along the rocky River Oykel - turn left on the far side onto a good vehicle track. Ignore the tempting footpath branching down towards the river - this ends after about 300m - and instead stick to the main track as it enters the forest. At the time of writing this was being extensively felled. The walking is easy and the views pleasant, with numerous fishing huts and picnic tables dotted along the bank.

Stage 2

This track continues for around 8km - with well-maintained bridges and no real difficulties other than the occasional belligerent member of the Caplich Estate cattle herd, before becoming a narrow footpath at Salachy and further degenerating to a grassy trod running close to the river. This section of footpath can be moist, but route-finding is relatively easy and before too long an estate track is reached just east of a bridge.

Stage 3

Turn right (east) along the hard track - the access road to Benmore Lodge - as it gently drops to run along the eastern bank of Loch Ailsh. The views from this section of the route are stunning, with Conival and Ben More coming into view alongside the lower but no less attractive Benmore Forest peaks.

Stage 4

Follow the track past a selection of buildings before passing to the left of beautifully-situated Benmore Lodge - a private hunting lodge - itself. Descend slightly to follow the river on the eastern bank, and cross a ladder stile to reach a path junction at a ford and footbridge. Cross and continue along the main track; the footpath heading right offers a remote detour to Glencoul, a potential route alternative if you don't need to visit Inchnadamph.

Stage 5

Continuing along the main track the going is easy though the good path begins to get rougher and more indistinct as the head of the glen is approached. The faint grassy footpath ascends to lochan Dubh-Loch Mòr below Ben More Assynt, but should be left at around NC314184 to contour around the head of the glen and ascend into narrow Bealach Trallgill below the western flank of Conival.

Stage 6

There are a number of fast-moving burns and waterfalls here so route-finding requires care and patience, and it's a bit of a slog over the rough ground. Rather than contouring around the head of the glen an alternative approach is to drop down to the floor of the glen and make a direct ascent to the bealach, but the valley floor can be pretty tough going in wet conditions.

Stage 7

Pick up a clear path on the western side of the bealach and follow it as it crosses onto the eastern side and descends over a few rocky sections high above the river. Drop down towards the River Traligill - in clear weather an obvious path should be visible on the far bank, so find a safe place to cross, ideally before the river drops into a steep-sided gorge. This path - the Munro-baggers' route to Conival and Ben More Assynt - is well-worn and easy to follow as it winds through Gleann Dubh.

Stage 8

Pass a path junction heading left to the Trallgil Caves (an easy and worthwhile detour) and follow the now quite wide track past Glenbain and down to a bridge and path junction heading up to a new and very prominent whitewashed house. Assuming a need to visit Inchnadamph ignore this path for now and curve left to drop down to the hostel and hotel, plus a variety of transport options running along the A837.

Next stage: Inchnadamph to Kylestrome

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