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Ravens
Rock Forestry Walk
The jewel in the crown, featured in the UK's top ten best forestry walks,
and it's only a two minute drive or ten minute walk from Cairncroft.
Trail distance : 0.75 miles - 45 minutes
Park at OS Grid Reference NC 497007
From the parking area, the path drops down to the Alt Mor, and then
follows the gorge up stream, climbing gradually to the first viewpoint,
before meandering through the Scots Pine woods above the gorge. A second,
more expansive viewpoint is encountered before the path returns to the
car park. Given its close proximity (no more than ten minutes walk from
the bungalow), Ravens Rock is a favourite attraction for visitors to
Cairncroft. It is great for children - the burn is usually low enough
for some successful dam building and Pooh sticks, and the beauty of
the setting brings adults back time and again.
Photo : Ravens
Rock
Rosehall
Forestry Trails
Five minute drive from Cairncroft, towards Rosehall.
Three graded walks - red (short), amber
(medium) & green (longer)
Park at OS Grid Reference NC 479018
A brand new (June 2001) facility, created by the local community in
partnership with the Forest Enterprise. Although the walks start unpromisingly
along forestry road, each soon veers off onto newly created footpaths,
which meander through the pine forest. The green walk is not circular,
but emerges on the Glencassley road, just opposite the gate leading
to the Cassley Falls, well worth
a visit. There is little that can beat the smell of a pine forest in
the rain. This local facility is warmly recommended.
There is also a seven mile mountain bike
track - the Sika Trail.
See the Rosehall website
for additional information.
Shin
Falls (Achany) Forestry Walk
Twenty minute drive from Cairncroft.
1 mile - 45 minutes
Park at OS Grid Reference NH 577992
This is a very busy walk, at one of the most populated tourist attractions
(the Falls of Shin) in the Northern Highlands. At peak periods, the
site is heaving with our European cousins, but most don't venture into
the woods, prefering to view the Falls before visiting the shop. The
forest path passes through plantations of Scots Pine, Norway spruce
and Japanese larch, planted in the 1950s. The walk is slightly longer
than Ravens Rock, but not nearly as varied or interesting. The children
can be pressganged round this one by the offer of an ice-cream at the
shop afterwards...
More details about the Shin Falls on the Highland
Escape website.
Carbisdale
Castle Forestry Walk
Thirty minute drive from Cairncroft.
Short Walk 1.5 miles - 60 minutes; Long Walk 2.5 miles - 100 minutes
Park at OS Grid Reference NH 576949
These walks pass close to Carbisdale
Castle, an imposing edifice and now a Youth Hostel, which was built
in 1909. The shorter walk in places follows a rocky burn, with a series
of mini waterfalls. The longer walk takes you up to a small loch, and
via a Battle Viewpoint, overlooking the site where the Duke of Montrose
was defeated, before fleeing to Assynt and eventual capture.
Balblair
Woods
Twenty minute drive from Cairncroft.
Short Walk 1 mile - 40 minutes; Long Walk 2.25 miles - 75 minutes
Park at OS Grid Reference NH 604929
These walks offer good views of Carbisdale Castle and the Kyle of Sutherland.
Ferry
Wood Forestry Walk
Twenty minute drive from Cairncroft.
0.5 miles - 20 minutes
Park at OS Grid Reference NC 580060,
at the Ferrycroft Countryside Centre, Lairg
The
Ord Hill Archaeology Trail
Twenty minute drive from Cairncroft.
Short Walk 0.75 miles - 30 minutes; Long Walk 1.5 miles - 60 minutes
Park at OS Grid Reference NC 580060,
at the Ferrycroft Countryside Centre, Lairg, which provides information
about the trail and the history of the local area.
The path takes you up the hill to view the remains of Bronze Age round
houses (2-3,000 years old) and neolithic burial cairns (5,000 years
old).
Inveroykel
Fountain Forestry
Ten minute drive from Cairncroft.
1.5 miles - 60 minutes
Park at OS Grid Reference NC 448007
This is not a formally maintained Forest Enterprise walk, but rather
a forestry track leading through a growing plantation to a loch, and
back. From the road there are good views of the Glen Oykel, and the
mountains beyond.
Photo : walking
in Inveroykel Forestry
Rosehall
Fountain Forestry
Ten minute drive from Cairncroft.
1 mile - 45 minutes (or as far
as you want)
Park at OS Grid Reference NC 524018
Park at the locked gate and follow the forestry track up the hill and
enjoy the increasingly impressive views of the hills and mountains around.
A good chance of seeing some wildlife (deer - who aren't supposed to
be there - and birds of prey).
Rosal
Clearance Village
Sixty minute drive from Cairncroft.
2 miles - 90 minutes
Park at OS Grid Reference NC 691427
This walk starts on the banks of the River Naver, and passes through
a plantation of Scots Pine, Lodgepole pine and larch to the clearance
village of Rossal This village was one of many locally that was forcibly
cleared of its inhabitants by avaricious landlords in order to make
way for sheep. This all happened in 1814, but the scars run deep. At
the site of the village, there is a waymarked trail, with instructional
boards, past the remains of longhouses, byres and kilns, as well as
a souterrain (an underground passage dating from prehistoric times).
To be fair, you need to have a pretty good imagination to get much from
this site.
Inchnadamph
Caves
Fifty
minute drive from Cairncroft
3.5 miles - 2-3 hours
Park at OS Grid Reference NC 251218
Follow the track from the road to the caves marked on the OS map at
277207. This is a reasonably strenuous walk into the foothills of the
Ben More Assynt range. For all but the pot-holing fraternity, the caves
themselves are not very exciting, but the views of Loch Assynt, Quinag,
and the Ben More complex are reason enough to make the trip. On the
return leg, visit the second cave at 271209, where the River Traligill
disappears underground - a bizarre and mysterious sight to keep the
children interested!
Eas
a Chual Aluinn
Fifty
minute drive from Cairncroft
3.5 miles - 2-3 hours
Park at OS Grid Reference NC 238285
(Waterfall at 280277)
Check out scotlandswoods.org
for further information on these (and other) woodland walks in the Highlands.
A number of other non-Forest Enterprise walks are listed on the Touring
Page and on the Walking Among the Hills
page.
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