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Ardnamurchan Sunart
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Morvern Mull
The diversity of Lochaber’s landscape is Sunart to the strip of shops and cafés in perfectly illustrated when you leave the Tobermory on the Isle of Mull. mountainous scenery of Glencoe and It’s an island feel that only adds to the Glen Nevis for the lonely and dramatic attraction – there are few places in Britain quarter of Ardgour, Moidart and the more alluring than here and the range of Ardnamurchan Peninsula. wildlife is almost without compare. The Stretching west from Loch Linnhe to oakwoods near Strontian are one of the Ardnamurchan Point, the most westerly best places to spot wildlife, as is the tip of the British mainland, this part of stunning coastline and white sandy Lochaber is sparsely populated with its beaches between Portuairk at the south villages linked by a string of mostly end of Sanna Bay and the lighthouse at single-track roads, meaning getting Ardnamurchan Point. anywhere can take a while. The craggy slopes of Ben Hiant offer Being surrounded on three sides by breathtaking views across much of this water gives this region a distinctly island region as well as over to the islands of quality – the most popular way onto the Mull, Rum and Eigg, while a lower but peninsula is by the Corran Ferry over Loch equally impressive vantage point can be Linnhe to Ardgour where five minutes on taken in from the Crofter’s Wood above the water transports you to the much Camusnagaul, a short ferry journey across more peaceful, laid-back pace of the Loch Linnhe from Fort William. In Moidart, west shore. From the far west of the stark beauty of the landscape can be Ardnamurchan, the nearest bright lights observed on a walk from Castle Tioram on are another ferry ride away, over Loch Loch Moidart towards Acharacle. 30 Sanna Bay from Portuairk 6
Ardgour
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Ardgour, Moidart and Ardnamurchan 1 Corran and Clovullin round 32 4 To Ardnamurchan Lighthouse 38 Stroll along the Corran Narrows and Go west from Portuairk to discover the through pleasant woodland magical Bay MacNeil with an outlook to the Small Isles and marine life to spy 2 Ariundle Oakwood 34 Explore the native trees of this ancient 5 River Shiel from Castle Tioram 40 Atlantic woodland on a walk up the View a haunting historic ruin on an Strontian River easy circuit from Loch Moidart
3 Ben Hiant 36 6 Crofter’s Wood over Camusnagaul 42 Don’t visit Ardnamurchan without Hop across Loch Linnhe from Fort heading up this characterful hill with William to take in one of the finest volcanic origins and a mighty big view vistas in Lochaber
31 1 ARDGOUR, MOIDART AND ARDNAMURCHAN
Corran and Clovullin round Distance 3.5km Time 1 hour 30 point for centuries and is one of the Terrain minor roads, tracks, roadside oldest trade routes in the Highlands. verge Map OS Explorer 391 Access regular It is only a few hundred yards wide, buses from Glasgow and Fort William to but its fast-flowing waters would have Nether Lochaber; regular daily sailings provided an anxious journey for drovers from Nether Lochaber to Corran who swam their cattle across the Narrows on their journeys south to market. The village of Ardgour sits within the A rowing boat was the original means district of the same name and is the first of transportation and the ferry slipway settlement you come to when arriving via opened in 1815, having been designed by the short but scenic ferry route across the Scottish engineer Thomas Telford. The Corran Narrows. Ardgour is divided first car ferry came into service in 1935 with between the ferry community at Corran room for two cars. Today there are two and the traditional croft village of ferries, carrying around 250,000 vehicles Clovullin, which are linked by a delightful each year. walk of woodland and shore. The last Follow the quiet road through Corran, 500m are along the verge of the A861. passing several cottages, with views to From the ferry slipway, turn right onto Sgurr na h-Eanchainne ahead and Loch the A861 and pass the Inn at Ardgour, Linnhe stretching away to your right. It is which has served travellers since the early thought that the name Ardgour may mean 19th century. The Corran Narrows (Ceolas a ‘Promontory of the Goat’ or ‘Crooked Chorrain) has been an important crossing Promontory’, which would certainly
32 CORRAN AND CLOVULLIN ROUND
correspond to its rough, rocky topography. out for traffic); there are views south to After 750m, just beyond Ardgour Parish the angular slopes of Beinn a’Bheithir Church, turn left and go through a gate above Ballachulish. beside a cottage onto a woodland track. Carry on to reach another junction at This proceeds southwest through broadleaf the little settlement of Clovullin. Turn woodland which puts on a vibrant show of left onto a minor road and continue past colour in autumn. The track runs to the a few houses, Ardgour Memorial Hall and right of the lovely Lochan na h-Eaglais (‘the Ardgour Primary School. Small Loch of the Church’) and, soon after This road travels east through open this, the larger Lochan Eoin Mhic Alastair. countryside towards Loch Linnhe and, At the loch’s western edge, a path leads left after 500m, culminates beside the A861. to the shore with views across Loch Linnhe Carefully cross the road (which may be to Beinn an Aonaich Mhor and, further busy when cars have alighted from the south, Creag Ghorm. ferry), turn left and follow the roadside Continue southwest and go straight on verge back towards Ardgour. as a track comes in from the right. Cross an Shortly before you reach the ferry old stone bridge over a burn that feeds the crossing, you pass Corran Lighthouse, second loch and then, at a junction, turn which was built in 1860 by David and left onto a quiet, narrow road (keep an eye Thomas Stevenson. Sgurr na h-Eanchainne from Ardgour 33