To The Lighthouse—A Wild Walk to Cape Wrath
Kinlochbervie to Cape Wrath via Sandwood Bay
58°37'29.0"N 4°59'59.0"W (opens Google Maps)
In my love for wild places, it was inevitable that I would go to Cape Wrath, the most northerly point of the British mainland.
Cape Wrath is a remote, rugged headland with fierce weather and difficult terrain — regarded with awe and foreboding by many.
I first visited Cape Wrath Lighthouse by taking the boat and minibus from the car park at Keoldale. It's how most people get to Cape Wrath and it makes for a fine day out.
A more adventurous journey is to walk the 15 mile route from Kinlochbervie, which allows time to soak up the atmosphere and isolation of this dramatic landscape.
The walk starts from Kinlochbervie and follows the winding 4-mile path to Sandwood Bay– a majestic beach that can only be accessed on foot or by boat.
Sandwood Bay is shrouded in myths of mermaids, shipwrecks and hauntings. The day I was there it was covered in mist, making it easy to close the eyes and imagine Vikings landing their longboats. Indeed, Sandwood takes its name from the old Norse word Sandvatn, meaning sand-water.
A couple of miles East of Sandwood Bay, across the dunes, lies Strathchaillleach Bothy. Its rough interior walls are covered in colourful folk art depicting mermaids and Vikings, painted by the bothy's former inhabitant James McRory Smith, known as ‘The Hermit of Sandwood Bay'.
They set an air of slight foreboding for the walk ahead, over pathless moorland to Cape Wrath.
Following path brings you to a fence that marks the beginning of the army firing range which covers most of the land surrounding Cape Wrath.
If the red warning flag is not flying, it’s safe to cross.
The way ahead is over eleven miles of open moorland, keeping the sea to your left. As you walk, clouds roll in, gannets circle, and you hear the sound of the sea smashing into the cliffs below.
Walking over this terrain requires a degree of resilience, until you glimpse the lighthouse, where you can nurse a beer, enjoy a hot meal, and be thankful that wild places like this still exist in Britain.
How to go
This is an atmospheric, remote walk suitable only for experienced walkers.
I completed the route as an out-and-back, spending the night at Cape Wrath Lighthouse before returning the following day. The full distance is approximately 15 miles, forming the final section of the Cape Wrath Trail, one of Scotland’s iconic long-distance hikes.
Begin at Blairmore Car Park (overnight parking operated by the John Muir Trust). Follow the path for 4 miles to Sandwood Bay, then continue north to Cape Wrath Lighthouse (11 miles), keeping the sea to your left. The path becomes rough moorland in places and does not always follow a defined trail, so a compass, map, GPX file (I use the Gaia app), and a healthy sense of adventure are essential. Mobile phone signal is limited.
Important: Check the military firing range schedule before setting out. Entry is prohibited when the red flag is flying. For a summary of the walk to Sandwood Bay, see Walk Highlands.
Staying at Cape Wrath lighthouse
The lighthouse offers basic accommodation and a cafe, run by John Ure and his daughter Angie. I camped nearby for a small fee and received a warm welcome at the cafe. Booking ahead is recommended in summer, although I arrived without a reservation and was accommodated.
The return Journey
There are two options:
Retrace your steps on foot back to Kinlochbervie.
Combine boat and bus: take the minibus and ferry from the lighthouse to Keoldale, just outside Durness. From there, catch the #806 Far North Bus to Kinlochbervie, then walk back to Blairmore Car Park.
Full details of the boat and bus service are available on the Cape Wrath visitor website. The route can be completed as a day trip, though an overnight stay at the lighthouse offers the opportunity to experience the full remoteness of the headland.
RELATED POSTS
