The full route is 200 miles, but most hikers need two and a half to three weeks to walk the whole thing. Some of the river crossings on the Cape Wrath Trail can be potentially difficult and dangerous. Here’s how to make the most of it. The trail from Stack Lodge follows a proper road briefly and then turns up and up past some lovely lakes. © Ordnance Survey document.write(new Date().getFullYear()); / Privacy Policy. It’s marked as a campsite on the maps so naturally the smooth area of grass was where three sets of hikers (us included) had pitched. This is the terrain through which the Cape Wrath Trail runs. So plan your gear accordingly. But we can tell you it worked for us, and their were no cliffs in the way. We got hopelessly lost after leaving the Schoolhouse. View fullsize. best eats, Cape Wrath Trail, bothies, bothies Cape Wrath Trail, Accommodation Cape Wrath trail, best bothies on the Cape Wrath Trail, where to stay on the Cape Wrath Trail, Cape Wrath bothy list, Scottish bothies, budget accommodation Cape Wrath trail, Scotland, Bothy, Bothies, Wilderness huts, Free wilderness huts, Scottish bothies, what is a bothy, are bothies free, wild camping, wild camping Scotland, Mountain Bothy Association, MBA, cheap Scotland, Budget backpacking Scotland, backpacking Scotland, Scotland on a budget, is scotland expensive, is Scotland cheap, where to stay in Scotland, Bothy trip, Hiking, Camp for Free in Scotland with the Outdoor Access Code, Our Top Tips to Hike the Cape Wrath Trail Fast and Cheap. The Cape Wrath Trail travels up the west coast of Scotland, beginning in Fort William, and ending at Cape Wrath which is the northernmost point of Britain. The CWT is, mostly, a non-technical walking route that includes no high peaks and only has short and simple trackless sections that require navigational skills. The area after Glencoul bothy was mostly pathless, but gorgeous. The CWT can still be walked in any way you would like, but has, in general, roughly followed the route suggested by Denis Brook and Phil Hinchliffe since they proposed it in 1999. This 6 day walk starts at the remote Kinloch Horn and takes you through some of the most spectacular scenery that the Scottish Highlands have to offer, finishing where the trail passes near Ullapool. The Cape Wrath Trail is one of the UK’s toughest long-distance trails, covering roughly 240 challenging (and often pathless) miles from Fort William to Cape Wrath. On the 81 mile route you'll find historic Jacobite battle grounds in Kintail, beautiful Caledonian Pine forest near Kinlochewe, and traverse the Fisherfields known as the last great wilderness of the UK. It courteously takes just an arm as payment, rather than both an arm and a leg. The Cape Wrath Trail is a remote and challenging 200-mile hike through the Scottish Highlands. Other resources online make it sound incredibly hard, but I think it is manageable for any prepared hiker. The Cape Wrath Trail is a real gem; the diamond in the rough. You can find Gilad on his website, on Twitter as @OutdoorsFather or on Facebook. Still, we think it's worth it for the challenge. We would highly recommend this, as much of the track is along the road - no fun at all to walk. It leads through the harshest and barren areas. Proceed at your own risk and try to glance at a topo first. It's hard to believe that this website is now nearly five years old. Morar, Knoydart, Assynt … the nation’s most grueling trail passes places so remote, many are known simply as wildernesses—because there are … It would have been a lovely walk if not for the sideways rain. Find out how the big day went and how you go about preparing for such an event in the British outdoors! As much as the CWT is a long distance walk, it is not a trail you take to with a few maps and a guide book; it requires careful planning - from the walking route to food carrying to missing gear. But it can get congested with day hikers (unlike anywhere else). Today was the first day that we started to have joint issues. It was very easy, starting at the bridge in Kinlochewe; we snagged two quick rides from there. It still took a couple hours to get there. The trail then drops gently, through a forest, down to Morvich. Let us know below. The Cape Wrath Trail is an unofficial long distance trail and as such it is very remote and rarely walked. It was the first night of rain for us, but it was still cozy in the tent. We took a train to Sterling, then another to Lairg. Resources. The Cape Wrath Trail is a non-trivial expedition through the wildest country remaining in the British Isles and it does need to be approached with a modicum of respect. Gilad Nachmani is the creator of the Outdoor Father blog, a guide for people who want to make the most of their limited time with some epic adventures. D The CWT is not a new concept, but it was first named and suggested by David Paterson in a 1996 book about the route. Britain’s wildest weather, which can leave you hiking for days without dry gear, is one thing that slows you down. There are grassy banks next to the lochs and the sheep are cute and curious. This is because the difficulty of the terrain and the lack of way marking (or even defined paths in many places). The first day of this trek really let us know what we were in for. Then another hour making our way through trackless moorland up to the top of Ben Stack, which has fabulous views. We climbed past some sheep farms and walked a clear path through pretty, if high, terrain. We camped on a green piece of lawn in front of an abandoned building and got a bit of flac from the owner. This was the only day it rained on our entire trek. The route can be walked in groups or solo, though it is most commonly done in pairs. We know, surprising. For the experienced backpacker it offers an irresistible challenge: over two hundred miles of continuously superb hiking through the most beautiful landscapes in Scotland. When planning my Cape Wrath Trail trip this year I expected to walk it ultrapacking-style, going for long days with no stops at a steady 5km/h pace. Aug 06, 2014; Harvey Cape Wrath Trail Maps. It seemed like the end when we finally reached a 4x4 and indeed we did pass Bendronaig Lodge. Instead of taking yet another bus all the way to Cape Wrath, we walked about 8km along a dirt road through MOD territory to Kearvaig bothy, which is an absolutely lovely place to start your journey and is located about 3km before the official start of the Cape Wrath Trail. With a very painful knee and an altered itinerary, it didn't really feel like the end of a mighty trek. The CWT offers some of the most magnificent landscapes and views I have found in the British Isles, but to gain access to them you must endure wet and demanding underfoot conditions, rapidly changing weather, exposure to the elements and a vast emptiness that is rare to find the UK anymore. Camping in Fort William was somewhat sketchy, so we'd recommend moving on if you can. The trail follows a good path downhill past Maol Bhuide. Should you just make your own route? Fortuitously, it was closed, so we could camp in their pristinely manicured lawn. Its warm fire and friendly Scots saved us from what would have otherwise been a miserable night. We had no trouble crossing, although the water level was low. There's a bit of flat ground after the gate, but it's not ideal. One of the toughest (and also most spectacular) long distance walks is the Cape Wrath Trail in the Scottish Highlands. The Cape Wrath Trail (CWT) has a deceiving name: it is actually not a trail, but a route, running the length of the Scottish Highlands between Fort William in the south and Cape Wrath in the north. No one seemed to care, and it meant that we had a toilet and running water at our disposal. For more information on planning your CWT hike, please see this article. Finally, we passed Shiel Bridge, where there's a perfect river to swim in, and began climbing. Unlike some other, better known and organised trails, the CWT is best enjoyed when you are actually out there, coming to terms with the weather and seeing the landscape. They will also help prepare you for the CWT, and your ability to handle the first and last of the three big challenges. The southern section of the trail has a few possible routes available for hikers, as their is no official route. It is a long distance trail that covers 200-250 miles (320-400 km) and can be walked in one go over 10-30 days (or run in 8 days...), but it can also be a great section hike, being done in stages over long weekends, coming back to meet the trail at various times. Stefan also managed to lose his one and only shirt at the bottom, so he got to hike it once and run it a second time. Why would I want to do the Cape Wrath Trail alone at all? We made the rather bold decision, after walking down the other side of Ben Stack on a gravel road, to abandon the trail. The CWT is an incredible route – beautiful, tough and truly unique. The route is roughly 230 miles, and it took me 15 days to walk it north to south. But it was a good ride. Cape Wrath lighthouse. And boy were we jealous. You’ll find a feature on Alex Roddie’s journey along the trail in the May 2019 issue of our magazine , and in this section of our website we’ve published additional content. The route leads you across most of the north west coast of Scotland via Morar, Knoydart, Torridon and Assynt, winding through its most beautiful glens and mountains. It took almost all day to get to Cape Wrath from Edinburgh. In bad weather, it can be unforgiving. Use the offer code 'os' to save 25%. To complement the "How hard can it be?Could you run an 8-day epic through wild Scotland" article featuring the Cape Wrath Ultra™ in the latest issue of Trail Running Magazine, we've got some extra content for you to savour featuring Hazel Robertson, née Clyne, (joint 58th with Luke) and Iain Prentice (20th).Thanks to Claire Maxted for the questions! Which is basically my plan. If you're not so lucky, continue along the trail for another 20 minutes or so and you'll find a cute little beach by the next lake you reach. It’s not actually a trail though, but a route. But, it was worth it for an easy day. We camped next to a lovely rope swing and fire pit, a good four kilometers before it. The Cape Wrath Trail, besides being Britain’s most remote long-distance trail, is also a noticeably unmarked trail. There are a million different variations, directions, and ideas when it comes to this route. After leaving camp, we wandered through Inverlael, where a few hikers were catching the bus to Ullapool for food. So for those of you interested in walking to Cape Wrath, it’s time to dust off those map-and-compass skills! We spent an extra hour or so waffling about this. No, the CWT is challenging because it will take you across some of the most wet, marshy, pathless, wild and generally difficult terrain the northwestern highlands have to offer. The CWT is one of those routes that become part of a bucket list or a "one day" kind of adventure - don't let this happen. Ultrapacking on the Cape Wrath Trail When I finally reached the lighthouse, I was met with a friendly hello from a lady laying out in the sun. What’s the difference? Over the years since, several guides have been written and a number of suggested variations of the walk itself have been introduced. We also wrote our best tips for the trek in another article, here. The Cape Wrath Trail (let’s call it the CWT from now on) is known as Scotland’s most challenging long-distance trail. After the bothy, the path is clear, or at least easy, past some big lochs. This trail should only be undertaken by experienced walkers who have honed their walking, navigation and outdoors skills by now and are very comfortable with being outdoors in harsh conditions. 1. Still, this section is a bit tricky technically. There weren't any trains that day, because it was a bank holiday. The trail was gentle, and we saw a fair few day hikers. Then, we entered the lovely Glen Douchary. Cape Wrath trail route The Cape Wrath Trail is one of the world's finest long distance walks. This really did it for Tori's (by this point) weak joints and it took us ages to reach the bothy at Sourlies. His primary interest is ultrapacking - long distance, fast multi-day self supported trips, including the Cape Wrath Trail - you can see more about how he took it on twice - in 2015 and 2016 on his blog. You should be comfortable with long days on the hills, exposed to the elements and with very little shelter. This is the southern section of our Cape Wrath Trail. Plus there's a little store in town. Climbing 250 metres when you’re pushing through waist deep bogs is … The route is unmarked and there is no official line. I was looking into all possible directions, checking buses, ferries and trains. You can find the exact distances on Walk Highlands and the Harvey maps. Know what you’re taking on. Then, down again on a whole lotta bog. It took us about 5 minutes, 2 minutes longer than it had in Rinconich. It is widely regarded as the toughest and most remote of the UK's long distance trails. The bridge is technically out at the river before the bothy. We stuck close to the ocean after being told it was less boggy there. After walking the final stretch into Inchnadamph on a gravel road, we decided to hitch the next section (all the way to Oykel Bridge) to save both time and ourselves. The Cape Wrath Trail is challenging and frustrating, mostly because the "Cape Wrath Trail" is something that someone (probably on the internet) made up. There are no signs or posts to show you the way; navigating this trail is one of the things you’ll have to take care of yourself. Despite some wet and wild weather, I was never uncomfortable during the hike and felt prepared for any meteorological scenario that may have occurred. It was quite pretty - some of the greenest area you'll see in Scotland. We met our ride on the ferry, so it was quite easy and enjoyable. The landscape is stunning. There are also many decision to be made before even leaving that are beyond the standard long trail decisions, such as: All of these are very important decisions that are taken long before travel planning or gear updates begin; these are decisions that should be taken in the idea stage. Which route variation to take? We could see the tracks of an impressive machine that we later learned had made the journey earlier that day. The usual seasonal window for hiking the Cape Wrath Trail in summer-like conditions (i.e. The bottom of the valley is a great place for a picnic. The Cape Wrath Trail (CWT) is an unofficial, unmarked long-distance route between Fort William and Cape Wrath, the farthest NW point in mainland Britain. There's nothing else in Britain like it. Approximately 230 miles in length, most people take 2-3 weeks to backpack the trip. Cape Wrath Trail Gear List. The Cape Wrath Trail is often referred to as Britain’s toughest long distance trail, and is an unofficial route through some of the most spectacularly wild parts of Scotland. It runs along the west coast until the terminus at the Cape Wrath lighthouse at the northwestern tip of the mainland. We chose to take the western route instead of the easier Great Glen variant. Hitch hiking may have been possible, but the roads got quite large a few hours south of Fort William. The ever changing route crosses Lochaber, Knoydart, Applecross, Torridon, vast parts of Wester Ross, Assynt and Sutherland - all areas of great beauty and majestic peaks. The Cape Wrath Trail is the UK’s best long-distance hike. The Cape Wrath Trail is among the UK’s toughest but also most rewarding long-distance routes – where better to find solitude and a break from the noise of switched-on modern living? You have to go up another stack, in what is essentially a slowly running river, and back down to Glencoul bothy on the other side. There are no signs to follow, no nightly stays in B&Bs with a pub dinner. This was a godsend - the end of the day was easy walking to Stack Lodge. If you've decided to hike it, or are considering your own trip to Scotland, here's our itinerary to help you complete the journey in a fairly reasonable two weeks. Pack light. The Cape Wrath Trail (CWT) has a deceiving name: it is actually not a trail, but a route, running the length of the Scottish Highlands between Fort William in the south and Cape Wrath in the north. Will you be camping or will you plan on using a mix of bothies and commercial accommodation? The Cape Wrath Trail (CWT) has a deceiving name: it is actually not a trail, but a route, running the length of the Scottish Highlands between Fort William in the south and Cape Wrath in the north. 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