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Glen Affric Guide Reprint Sept 2009

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Glen Affric Guide Reprint Sept 2009 28 View looking down to Coire Loch Coire to down looking View and where the wild red deer roam and watch over today’s visitors. today’s over watch and roam deer red wild the where and 100025498 Published 2 008. Published 100025498 N o. Lic ence C ommission. estry For ved reser ts righ A ll t. yrigh cop own Cr © View towards Loch Beinn a’ Mheadhoin a’ Beinn Loch towards View 1/2mile 0 1/4 360m where Clan Chisholm ruled until the land was given over to stalking and shooting, shooting, and stalking to over given was land the until ruled Chisholm Clan where 1km 0 1/2 380m 400m 340m one!’ of glimpse 320m 340m 320m 300m 360m 380m Culloden, after hid Charlie Prince Bonnie where is This people. far-off of lives the lights – you might get a get might you – have given way to native Scots pine and where the pent-up power of the lochs the of power pent-up the where and pine Scots native to way given have 240m 280m 260m and red squirrels squirrels red and 300m spruce of plantings where see will You whisky. own their made and waters with pine martens pine with 260m the fished sheep, and cattle herded woodlands, the harvested have who 10.8km/6.7miles 280m alive are woods ‘The ic W alk: ic Affr er Riv To You will tread in the steps of folk who have lived here over aeons, over here lived have who folk of steps the in tread will You 240m 220m 200m 28 28 h Loc re re Coi d For Riv er Affr er ic 200m Dog Falls Dog P 220m 240m 260m 280m To To Cannich: 7k Cannich: 300m you love the glen so much.’ so glen the love you 320m m/4.4miles describing what you see when see you what describing 29 28 Map of walks 1,2 and 3 and 1,2 walks of Map ‘It’s easy to get passionate in passionate get to easy ‘It’s feed Fasnakyle power station. power Fasnakyle feed Dogs Falls Dogs noticeable, is the dam holding back the waters that waters the back holding dam the is noticeable, overnight in the damp woodland. damp the in overnight to allow young trees to grow. Below you, hardly you, Below grow. to trees young allow to Fungi like penny buns and fly agarics appear magically appear agarics fly and buns penny like Fungi and insect-eating sundews. insect-eating and pinewoods. Grazing animals have been well managed well been have animals Grazing pinewoods. the heather and look for butterworts for look and heather the greedily waiting for passing insects. passing for waiting greedily ) - and up into the into up and - ) say – hill (middle ben-a-vey-un Follow the trail as it sweeps through sweeps it as trail the Follow into a dark pool searching for eels and brown trout brown and eels for searching pool dark a into let the glen feed your soul, and your cares will fly off with the eagles. the with off fly will cares your and soul, your feed glen the let - Loch of islands the over Look Beinn a’ Mheadhoin a’ Beinn and dragonflies hover above the boggy margins. boggy the above hover dragonflies and pouring over the falls; watch for a silent otter slipping otter silent a for watch falls; the over pouring pinewoods, shimmering lochs, enchanting islands and tumbling burns. Stay longer, Stay burns. tumbling and islands enchanting lochs, shimmering pinewoods, Little grebes fish in summer among the water lilies water the among summer in fish grebes Little can reach from the car park at Chisholm Bridge. Chisholm at park car the from reach can Feel the awesome power of the whisky-coloured river whisky-coloured the of power awesome the Feel Even a fleeting visit to Glen Affric will leave an indelible memory of inviting of memory indelible an leave will Affric Glen to visit fleeting a Even ) and Toll Creagach - (rocky hole) - which you which - hole) (rocky - Creagach Toll and ) honich distance and get a first glimpse of Coire Loch. Coire of glimpse first a get and distance granny pines hanging with old man’s beard. man’s old with hanging pines granny - (hill of the moss, say say moss, the of (hill - of Tom a’ Chòinich a’ Tom tome-a- over the crowns of the great pines and the hills in the in hills the and pines great the of crowns the over take food from your hand below the rowans and rowans the below hand your from food take fàilte do’n gleann afaraig gleann do’n fàilte in the view. In the distance are the great ‘Munros’ ‘Munros’ great the are distance the In view. the in lined with blaeberries and mossy boulders. Look out Look boulders. mossy and blaeberries with lined , cheeky chaffinches will chaffinches cheeky , Along the meandering trail meandering the Along above Dog Falls car park and drink and park car Falls Dog above affric glen Climb up the path the up Climb shield a carpet of seedlings, and along the steep trail steep the along and seedlings, of carpet a shield , which , Climb past ancient Scots pine and birch and pine Scots ancient past Climb at certain times of the year the of times certain at up to the viewpoibt the to up natural features and can be muddy be can and features natural A steady climb from the bridge the from climb steady A The Path surface is made up of up made is surface Path The Natural path surface, steep in places in steep surface, path Natural 1.6 km/1 mile. Allow 50 mins 50 Allow mile. km/1 1.6 3.2 km/2 miles. Allow 1 hour 1 Allow miles. km/2 3.2 5.2 km/3.25 mile. Allow 1.5 hours 1.5 Allow mile. km/3.25 5.2 welcome to welcome Dog Falls Dog Walk Viewpoint Coire Loch Coire 2. 2. 1. 3. 3. ‘Autumn in Glen Affric is breathtaking with its golds 4. River Affric 5. Plodda Falls 6. Tweedmouth Walk and greens and blues.’ 1.6 km/1 mile. Allow 50 mins Contact 1 Forestry Commission Scotland 0.6 km/0.4 mile. Allow 15 mins 1.6 km/1 mile. Allow 30 mins Take care on the rocky sections Explore The Forest walks of Inverness, Ross & Skye Forest District, A short loop situated alongside the river, which can be slippery when wet 29 A long decent down to the river Enjoy Tower Road, Smithton, Inverness, IV2 7NL Guisach an on a gentle hillside House Tor na Muic and Tel: 01463 791575 River Affric 0.5 km/0.3 mile. Allow 20 mins 260m Wester Lord Tweedmouth bought Glen Affric E-mail: invernessross&[email protected] A gradual climb on a short loop Knockfin Discover 240m 120m The first tumbling 220m estate from Clan Chisholm in the mid- Glen Affric Web: www.forestry.gov.uk/scotland torrents you come to 25 25 1800s and built Guisachan House Public enquiry line 0845 FORESTS (367 3787) Take care of your pinewoods! Stand on the rock, which resembles a whale’s back, as National Nature Reserve 200m When you camp; gas stoves are better, quicker and safer the peaty waters surge into the loch. Watch for dippers are just a magnificent among the trees and cottages for his For Ford taster for what’s to To Tomich workers. The house (Giùsachean – say than fires. If you must light a fire, make sure it’s properly searching for larvae below the foaming waters. Make 10km/6.2miles information 180m sited; put it out when you leave. come! Take care on 140m gi-oosuchun – is gaelic for pine sure you’re wearing proper footwear as the river in spate 160m on what’s Plodda Cottage 160m the rising path as you 140m Plodda forests) has gone, but you can still see If you’re walking in the hills, take a map, compass, can rage past before settling into deep dark eddies. Lodge available Hilton protective clothing and food. There is no mobile phone pass the rocks covered Lodge the magnificent larch, which are a from Forestry 120m Ford When the wind changes direction, you may see Hilton reception in the glen. in mosses and ferns. Cottage legacy for us all to enjoy today. Commission a heron, with his unmistakable lazy wingbeat, heading Scotland in The weather can change very quickly; always In this mix of native Ford Much of the estate was used for carry warm, wet-weather gear and wear for quieter fishing grounds. In winter, whooper swans the rest of woodland, Victorian shooting, but Lord Tweedmouth the West strong footwear even on low-level walks. hold icy vigils on the lochs. planting and planted many exotic trees including Highlands The car park half way down Loch Beinn a’ Mheadhoin is commercial forest, 24 24 towering and Trail Grades good for picnicking and wildlife watching. Or walk down 140m surrounding look out for cross-bills redwoods Forestry Commission Scotland trails and walks are the road a little and up the path alongside the ‘burn of area and crested tits high Plodda Falls Allt and majestic na B graded according to the degree of difficulty, gradients Torr a' Ghobail oda the flitting’, Allt na h-Imrich. It’s quite steep but you get cha please n and type of conditions visitors can expect. in the branches and P Douglas firs, memorable views from the moorland.
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