Day 31: Ben Nevis Visitor Centre to Mallaig, Highland

Virtual Walk: Scotland 2021

4th February 2021: 101.61km walked today taking the total to 3105.30/8854km. 8% of 170 entries submitting 1270.07km.

From Fort William, we make our way to the head of Loch Shiel to see the Glenfinnan Monument and Viaduct before moving on and exploring remote areas of outstanding beauty alongside the Road of the Isles to Mallaig, from where we are heading to the Island of Skye tomorrow!

Route 9: Fort William to Mallaig

Just past the Ben Nevis Visitor Centre, we cross Glen Nevis Road and take the path into the woods on the opposite side, past a woodland pond, before reaching the Braveheart Car Park. This car park was built for film vehicles when the 1995 film, ‘Braveheart’, was partially filmed in the glen.

Near here is Samuel’s Stone (also called the Stone of Council or Wishing Stone), a natural erratic deposited by a glacier during the Ice Age but is also said to mark the spot where Samuel, the Chief of the Camerons of Glen Nevis, was victorious over a rival clan. It is traditionally believed that at certain times of the year that the stone revolves 3 times and, if asked a question at that time, it would be answered. Now, people hop round it 3 times and make a wish.

We now take the track from the car park marked ‘Town Centre’ which takes us around Cow Hill, once used by the people of Fort William for grazing cattle and cutting peat. The woodlands we walk through are of native trees like alder, willow and birch and animals such as red squirrels, roe deer and pine marten live here. On the way, we pass a small summit known as the Sugar Loaf with good views over Fort William, which is where the Jacobites fired their artillery during the failed siege of Fort William in the 1745 rebellion.

Walking back through Fort William (which we will see more of in a later walk) we go to the ferry terminal to catch the ferry across Loch Linnhe to just south of Camusnagaul on the Ardgour Peninsula. This is the start of a walk which goes all the way to Cape Wrath, but we will only be doing the part to Glenfinnan.

The walk starts on the road going south along the west shore of Loch Linnhe until we reach Inverscaddle Bay where we turn inland to follow the Cona Glen. After about 14 kilometres the path turns northwards to climb to the 'bealach' or pass, Bealach Allt na Cruaiche, between the mountains Meall nan Damh and Sgorr Craobh a' Chaorainn, neither of which are Munros but are still impressive. We continue north along the path which follows the Allt na Cruaiche burn before going through woodland above the Callop River before crossing the river on a footbridge. We then join the A830 and make our way to the Glenfinnan Monument at the head of Loch Shiel.

It is at Glenfinnan that Prince Charles Edward Stuart, Bonnie Prince Charlie, raised his father’s Standard marking the start of the Jacobite Rising in 1745 to try and regain the throne for his father. The Jacobite Rising ended with the Battle of Culloden where the Jacobites were beaten. The 18-metre-high Glenfinnan Monument was built here in 1815 as a tribute to the men who died fighting for the Jacobite cause. It is topped with a lone kilted Highlander. We can climb to the top of the tower for a fantastic view of Loch Shiel.

Also at Glenfinnan is the viaduct which takes the West Highland Line from Fort William to Mallaig, one of the most scenic train journeys in the world. Normally it is diesel trains which run on this line but in the summer the steam train, The Jacobite, also runs. This viaduct has become particularly famous recently as it featured in the Harry Potter films. Our walk takes us toward the viaduct, the longest concrete railway bridge in Scotland built in 1897 and 1898 by Sir Robert MacAlpine, before we take the path back towards Glenfinnan Station.

The next part of the walk follows the A830, also known as ‘The Road to the Isles’ which was constructed by Thomas Telford in the early 19th century. We soon pass along the north shore of Loch Eilt, a freshwater loch which has been the location of many films including ‘Local Hero’ and the Harry Potter films. One of the islands on the loch, Eilean na Moine, was used as Dumbledore's grave. After leaving Loch Eilt, and passing Lochan Dubh, we soon reach the hamlet of Lochailort which sits at the head of the sea loch, Loch Ailort.

From Lochailort you can turn off here onto the A861 for Inverailort. From the small car park there you can choose to do a horseshoe of 3 Corbetts called the Rois Bheinn Round; An Stac, Sgurr na Ba Glaise and Rois Bheinn. The path takes you past Bheinn Coire (787m), up Druim Fiachlach (869m) to the Round which includes Sgurr na Ba Glaise (874m), Rois Bheinn (882m) and An Stac (814m). The ridge of these Corbetts is known as the Lochailort Pyramids. The climbs are certainly steep at times and therefore for the more experienced hill climber but the reward of the view across Lochailort is stunning.

Leaving Lochailort on the Road to the Isles past Loch Ailort and Loch Dubh, we turn off to join a wild hiking trail through the small and uninhabited Ardnish Peninsula. This wasn’t always the case; there is evidence of Viking and Roman activity here, but also crofting villages more recent in nature. Our walk is an 11-kilometre round trip of rugged terrain passing an old quarry, then through birch woodland which is boggy underfoot in places. We cross a bridge over the railway, and if we time it right, we may see the Jacobite steam train passing en route to Mallaig.

We follow the path leading us uphill with views over the coast before continuing up to a ridge above Loch Beag. As we climb the hilltops, we get fantastic views of Loch nan Uamh. Continuing through moorland we have great views of Eigg and Rhum as we pass Loch Doire a’Ghearrain, with views of Rois Bheinn to its back. We use the stepping stones to cross a burn before beginning our gentle descent, once more passing through ancient woodlands to arrive on coastal moorland with an obvious path leading to Peanmeanach Bay, on Loch Ailort.

Before us lies a ruined fishing village near a sandy beach, blackhouses and an out-of-use bothy (once the village Post Office). You might think the village was a victim to the Highland clearances, but it was not the case. Eking out a living here became just too difficult following a series of blows to their food supplies and livelihoods; the last resident left during World War 2. The area is quite popular with wild campers and walkers today so we may not be as alone as we think! We enjoy meandering the ruins, before retracing our steps back onto the Road of Isles, leaving only our footsteps behind.

We head northwards for nearly 3 kilometres to reach The Prince's Cairn on Loch nan Uamh’s shore, where Bonnie Prince Charlie left Scotland for France in September 1746 permanently. We continue along this road for about 10 kilometres arriving at the Land, Sea and Islands Centre, in Arisaig; a heritage, wildlife and exhibition hub. Arisaig means ‘the safe bay’ and there is a little bit of Viking history here if you want to read more about it online. We pass through the small coastal settlements of Back of Keppoch, Bunacaimb and Portnaluchaig, to arrive at an area with several beautiful Arisaig beaches, known as the Silver Sands of Morar, of which Camusdarach Beach is the best, often referred to as the best in the UK. Here we get spectacular views of Skye as well as Rum, Eigg, Muck and Canna known as the ‘Small Isles’. Despite their remoteness, these beaches are popular with swimmers, walkers and for rock pooling, with its glistening white sands and clear waters. Camusdarach Beach is also famous for its appearance in the film ‘Local Hero’ (1983) and is therefore on the film tour routes.

We continue north over the River Morar following it alongside the edge of Loch Morar for a time. It was here, after the Battle of Culloden, that Simon Fraser, Lord Lovat (The Old Fox), fled for his life. He hid in a tree hollow on Loch Morar’s largest island. It was here that he was caught, taken to London, and imprisoned in the Tower of London for a year before his execution.

We follow the road passing through the hilly Kingie area, the largest hill being Beoriadbeg (124m). There are lots of hill walking routes to be enjoyed here, but we have a ferry to catch in Mallaig so continue our route through Morar village, then along the coast past Glasnacardoch Bay.

Reaching Mallaig, we take a small walk around the village and some of us pop into the Mallaig Heritage Centre at the Railway Station to learn about the history of the area. The walk is worth doing as it gives us lovely views of the harbour, as well as of Loch Nevis and across the water to the Knoydart Peninsula.

Mallaig sits in an area called the Rough Bounds, ‘An Garbh Chriochan’ in Gaelic, a remote area between Loch Sunart and Loch Hourn on the west coast. Mallaig itself is a small fishing village which began life in 1841 when Lord Lovat, owner of the North Morar Estate, divided a farmstead which stood here called Mallaigvaig, into plots to encourage his tenants being cleared from his land to resettle on the coast and make fishing their livelihoods. The village has had good times and bad but benefitted from the arrival of the railway line from Glasgow in 1901, seeing it increasingly transformed into a steamer destination for tourists and its fishing fleet expanded.

Today, Mallaig is still a tourist hotspot with so many beautiful walks and scenery in the area, as well as being the destination of the Jacobite Steam Train trips and port for the ferries to Rum, Eigg, Muck and Skye. We board one of those ferries now for a 45-minute sail. Destination? Skye!