Wester Ross is a big area, and travelling between walks can take a good part of the day, so a team descended on the area covered by Walks Wester Ross Southern Area to check the routes for the new edition.  Covid restrictions also played their part in this rewalk, so the work was spread out over a few months.

For those who haven’t visited the area before, it is characterised in the north, around Torridon, by huge mountains rearing up from inland and coastal sea lochs.  The south of the area, around Kyle of Lochalsh and stretching down to Loch Hourn in the far south, is gentler in nature.  In addition, the remote Applecross peninsula, accessed by two dramatic roads (including the famous Bealach na Ba from Kishorn), provides excellent walking.

All the settlements in the area are small, but the largest – Kyle of Lochalsh and Lochcarron – are good service centres, and there are excellent shops and petrol stations in smaller villages, such as Plockton, Sheildaig and Glenelg.  There is also a number of good small cafés and restaurants throughout the area, so visitors will not struggle to get supplies locally.   The roads, even the major ones, are for the most part single-track, so plenty of time should be allowed for travelling around.

We have made little more than the usual small changes to most of the routes in the book, but two walks had more significant problems and have been removed.  The hill pass from Glasnock to Lochcarron has become difficult to follow in places, and has been replaced by a there-and-back walk to a fine hill loch, Loch Gaineamhach, in the hills above Kishorn.  Difficulties with parking have led to the route through Gleann Beag, near Glenelg, being dropped and replaced by a fine circuit; starting from from Galltair, near Glenelg, leading out to remote Ardintoul then returning along the coast.  There has also been a lot of new signposting in the National Trust woodlands around Balmacara Square, so we have improved our coverage of the available walks here and included a new circuit from Balmacara.

There really is something for everyone in this area as far as walking is concerned.  While we avoid the mountain tops in this guide (many are simply beyond the scope of this series) there are plenty of opportunities to get into the foothills in the walks featured, or to enjoy a fine woodland or coastal walk.

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Photo: Bothy in Glenlicht (centre left); setting off from Balmacara (bottom left)