Please consider setting up a direct debit donation to help support the continued maintenance and updates to Walkhighlands. Our hiking shoes got a lot of use in Scotland. We wear Merrell hiking shoes and love them. Its ascent via the Forcan Ridge is a difficult but classic scramble; the scrambling can be avoided if needed and the walk still has fantastic views. The Saddle is the finest of the Kintail peaks and one of the most magnificent mountains in the Highlands. Got something to say? A climb over the fence and a short walk to our car and our journey was over. Mark Greenwood. Skye is often portrayed as very busy, but when you have a closer look, you’ll find that it is only busy in certain spots, and the mountains are very quiet and The far north west of Scotland and the … The sky was overcast with a threat of rain, but conditions actually improved during our hike. On our last morning on the Isle of Skye, we drove out to and hiked the Kintail Saddle, spent the night in Dornie, and the next day drove through Glencoe to Glasgow. Boat trips. It was beginning to sound like this would be one of the most challenging hikes we have ever attempted! And to be honest, at this point, Kara was running out of steam. Its ascent via the Forcan Ridge is a difficult but classic scramble; the scrambling can be avoided if needed and the walk still has fantastic views. At the top of this hill, you can see down Faochag, the ridge heading towards A87. The Saddle is described as one of the most magnificent mountains in the Highlands of Scotland. Ascending via the Forcan Ridge is a hard and exposed scramble; this part of the walk can be avoided as indicated in the text (reducing the walk to Grade 4). Like many other "sisters" around the world, these five are very photogenic and identical. The Harvey British Mountain Map for Knoydart, Kintail and Glen Affric shows a hillwalkers paradise with 43 Munros, 21 Corbetts and the 113m high Falls of Glomach on one sheet. They do offer a little water resistance, although, our older pairs have lost this “super power” through age and multiple washes. The hike starts just south of Shiel Bridge. This is a challenging hike. 27 déc. The Saddle (An Diollaid in Gaelic) is the finest mountain in Kintail. There are rusted metal poles sticking up from the ground here. Views into the vast remoteness of Knoydart give you a real feeling of adventure. Please let us know by clicking here. Wear waterproof hiking shoes. 2020 - Louez auprès d'habitants à Kintail, Royaume-Uni à partir de 16€ par nuit. What we thought was Sgurr na Sgine was really Faochag. Some sections are a real knife-edge, but there is a worn scrambling path which avoids the rocks by keeping just to the right at several points. I had also made the assumption that we would be able to use Google Maps to help identify landmarks. clock. Even though we had a hard time following the trail, we always knew that we could back track and follow the trail to our car. We walked across a rocky hillside, ending at another col. And this is where staying on the trail got a little tricky. This small B&B has only four rooms and has a beautiful setting overlooking Loch Duich. We were in no danger. Thank you so much for the great information. The first climb during a week staying in Shiel Bridge. The trig point is slightly further along the ridge. Closer inspection reveals that - although unremittingly steep - there is a rough, often wet path that aids the tiring descent the whole way down to the glen, with views of the great wall of the Five Sisters opposite. It winds clearly and steeply at first before petering out in the boulder fields further down. Just make sure you make a reservation in advance. This was a tough one but one we will not soon forget. Otherwise, continue on the main path directly up to the Forcan Ridge. After reading your experience, we are planning on doing this hike in early September. Hiking with kids. Sunday, August 30, 2020 at 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM UTC+01. Even with Kara’s rock climbing experience we did not think it was safe for her to attempt the Forcan Ridge. These are joined by the magnificent Saddle, one of the finest mountains in all Scotland. This peak has a dramatic outline when seen from higher up Glen Shiel. Dec 3, 2018 - Hiking the Kintail Saddle in Scotland: The Saddle, Forcan Ridge, and Sgurr na Sgine. Again, we had a difficult time following the Walk Highlands instructions. Thinking we were unstoppable, we decided to give the Forcan Ridge a try. You are now only about half a kilometre from the layby and the start. It’s a gradual climb and not very strenuous. How to take an alternate route. We took a break here to enjoy the views, have a snack, and fly our drone. From the lay-by, continue to walk southeast down A87 (away from Shiel Bridge). When driving southeast from Glen Shiel, the lay-by is about a ¼ mile past the Achnagart Farm. Written by: Caitlin. It is located near Shiel Bridge and Invershiel and is just a short drive from the Isle of Skye. Once at the bottom, the last step is to cross the stream (Allt Mhalagain). Read all of our articles in our Scotland Destination Guide. Our Facebook feedsLike us Facebook Sure, I am a wee bit disappointed, but we were about to be rewarded with some phenomenal views. The Saddle: Kintail: 1010m: Toll Creagach: Loch Ness: 1054m: Tolmount: Cairngorms: 958m: Tom a’Choinich: Loch Ness: 1112m: Tom Buidhe: Cairngorms: 957m: Tom na Gruagaich (Beinn Alligin) Torridon: 922m: About the author. Beyond the boulder fields a boggy traverse eastwards leads to the Bealach. Most people hike up the Kintail Saddle (Munro #1 for the day) then cross over to Sgurr na Sgine (Munro #2 for the day) before descending back down to Glen Shiel. The four of us trudged through boggy, wet ground to A87. Have fun in Scotland! A tough mountain walk with steep and rugged terrain. The Saddle. The path down from the summit of The Saddle and the alternate, safer path both connect here. Enjoy the view, retrace your steps, and then begin the walk out onto Faochag. It gets steep rather quickly, so it would not take us long to find out if we could handle it. However, the cloud cover obscuring the knifelike ridge was changing our minds. Do not underestimate the danger of this ridge. I was thinking of doing this on my own in May 2018,. Julie Last updated: December 9, 2020 Scotland 6 Comments. Le Kintail, en gaélique écossais Cinn Tàile, est un massif montagneux des Highlands en Écosse, dans le Nord du Royaume-Uni. Whether you love hiking or cycling, Kintail is a region where 17 hidden gems are waiting to be explored and visited. More Information for Your Trip to Scotland: Planning a trip to Scotland? Once at the col, turn left and begin the climb up Meallan Odhar. The Kintail Saddle ticked all of the boxes on our list. It’s a half an hour away from Kintail but the food is awesome here. Maybe the most difficult part of the day (unless you did the Forcan Ridge). The path rapidly descends, and yes, at times, it looks as though you will slide right off the side of the mountain. It took us 10 minutes of hiking upstream to find a narrower, safer place to cross. Cheers, Julie, Your email address will not be published. Another awesome view awaits. Open start point in Google Maps for directions. For more details on the hike, visit the Walk Highlands website. They are placed in the ground every 15 to 20 feet. It’s one thing planning to do the hike. A Munro is any mountain in Scotland over 3,000 ft. Hide Map. Truly an area for the Munro Bagger if ever there was one. The water is much too high for the bridge of stones to be sufficient. Show Map. I noticed you said there aren’t markers or anything as well which worries me a bit. The Five Sisters and the South Glen Shiel Ridge are particular favourites of Munro baggers, whilst The Saddle is one of the most magnificent mountains in all Scotland. Too challenging for Kara and Tyler. Print out this post as a PDF so you can reference it while hiking. From here, the ridge becomes very rocky on the continuation to the main summit which is perched above a steep face at 946 metres; the second Munro of the day. If you have reached here by the drystone dyke, avoiding the Forcan Ridge, use the descent route just described to reach the summit of the Saddle. Scotland is under national lockdown. Cross the road and enter the trailhead. Over 8 miles in length with 1300 meters of climbing, this hike involves summiting two Munros. We wanted adventure but we did not want to endanger our kids. Truly an area for the Munro Bagger if ever there was one. Where to Eat: The Glenelg Inn. Closer to Skye is the Lochalsh peninsula between the shores of Loch Duich and Loch Carron. However, if it has recently rained, which it had in our case, the stream becomes a river. Glenshiel is also on the challenging Barrisdale to Shiel Bridge leg of the Cape Wrath trail. Buy Now . Planning a trip to Scotland? Thanks for the help! Add to this the stunning scenery on the drive into the area on the Road to the Isles and you have a recipe for a spectacular weekend in a magical area. Have you found an error or is any information wrong or missing? With two tired kids, the last thing we wanted to do at this point was to walk farther than necessary. Que ce soit pour la vue ou pour le défi, escalader les sommets montagneux dans Kintail est le meilleur moyen de découvrir davantage cette belle région. But we wanted to get as high as possible, bag at least one Munro, and be rewarded with awesome views over Scotland. The exposure is however considerable. Wester Ross and North Coast 500. Who has travelled "Over the sea to Skye"? Mark Greenwood . Leave a comment. It is located near Shiel Bridge and Invershiel and is just a short drive from the Isle of Skye. The view of these five prism-shaped pyramids overlooking the bay of Loch Duich is one of the most common objects Scottish postcards. This is the most common path to The Saddle. A knot … voir plus Avis par In this photo, the darker green ridge in the background is Faochag, the final ridge you will walk before descending back down to A87: A steady climb winds its way up the hillside, taking you to the col (a ridge or saddle between two peaks, acting as a bridge between the peaks) between Biod an Fhithich and Meallan Odhar. Layby on A87 (T). Turn south along the ridge, easily reaching the northwest top of Sgurr na Sgine. Prior to the hike, numerous people warned us not to take Tyler and Kara on the Forcan Ridge, a knifelike ridge leading up to the summit. Even so, we love them and I am now on my fourth pair. Jun 2, 2020 - Hiking the Kintail Saddle in the Highlands of Scotland #Hiking The path is very easy to follow and it does not take long until you are high above the valley. For us, the three days prior to the Kintail Saddle hike was spent in the rain on the Isle of Skye. Or did you break down your northern route return journey to bag this munro? At the heart of Kintail is the dramatic Glen Shiel, encircled by steep mountains. Fortunately, mother nature cooperated today. Walking can be dangerous and is done entirely at your own risk. We love lots of changes in scenery, some rock scrambling, and sections just challenging enough to keep things interesting. If you are in doubt, climb a short distance up and if it seems too challenging, turn around and take the alternate path along the hillside. The Saddle is described as one of the most magnificent mountains in the Highlands of Scotland. Beyond this the ridge leads over a minor top to ridge the summit of the Saddle, at 1010 metres. The Forcan Ridge ... Kintail and The Isle of Skye. Take your pick from 50 of the world's best travel adventures. We stayed in Dornie, which is near Eilean Donan Castle. So nope, we never climbed the official peak of Sgurr na Sgine, which means we never officially bagged a Munro today. Even during the peak summer month of August, we had this trail almost to ourselves. But the most memorable hike, the one that had our legs trembling with fatigue and our eyes wide open with amazement, was the Kintail Saddle. If your child is 14 years or older with lots of hiking experience, the Forcan Ridge might be possible. Location: The Saddle/an diollaid, Kintail. The Five Sisters of Kintail is (or are, it depends...) one of the most famous massifs in Scotland. Rain is almost ever-present, especially during the summer months. Soyez chez vous, ailleurs, avec Airbnb. I wear the Halle pant and Tim wears the Stretch Zion pants. The peak looming over you to your right is Sgurr na Sgine. The scrambling is simple at first, but the ridge becomes progressively more exposed. Sgurr Nan Gillean by Mark Greenwood. There are plenty of places to see and visit in Kintail. Where to Stay: We stayed at the Grianan Guest House, located in Inverinate of Kintail, just a 10 minute drive from The Saddle hike. On the Walk Highlands website there are various maps you can print or use for the hike. Click for details, Hear pronunciation Press to hear pronunciation. Mais avec 10 au choix, il peut être difficile de savoir par où commencer. Cheers, Julie. 14 mai 2020 - Louez auprès d'habitants à Kintail, Royaume-Uni à partir de 18€ par nuit. In and around Glencoe. Meanwhile, we kept looking over at the next stage of the hike, the Forcan Ridge. Buy Now . For us, the perfect hike involves summiting a mountain and being rewarded by spectacular views. So, to climb Sgurr na Sgine, turn right on the ridge (walking away from A87) and head up the summit. Kintail itself is famed for its classic mountain ridge walks. … The descent is difficult. During bad weather, for those with limited hiking experience, or for those hiking with kids, there is an alternate, safer path. We saw just two other hikers during the entire hike. The Saddle is the finest of the Kintail peaks and one of the most magnificent mountains in the Highlands. Kintail 1012m 5-6 hrs. Check the top places to visit in the region and plan your next adventure today. Plus, it is just 15 minutes away from Eilean Donan Castle. Before flying to Scotland, I did a lot of research looking for that perfect Scottish hike. Another view of the Forcan Ridge (and the alternate path), Tim and Tyler flying the drone as Kara and I walk along the ridge. There are 282 Munros in Scotland. Hiking the Kintail Saddle. As well as reading our description of each walking route, you can read about the experiences of others users on this walk and others.There are 47 user reports for this walk - click to read them. Soyez chez vous, ailleurs, avec Airbnb. This was our first time here and we had no idea what we were looking at. Trouvez des hébergements uniques auprès d'hôtes locaux dans 191 pays. Hiking with Kids: Tyler was 13 and Kara was 11 when we did this hike. I recommend taking the easier trail rather than hiking along the Forcan Ridge (like we did) since it can be dangerous. People are asked to stay at home except for essential purposes. Terrain: A tough mountain walk with steep and rugged terrain. Of course, this is Scotland. Comments on this post. The Forcan Ridge is a knifelike ridge leading up to the summit of The Saddle. Citilink buses between Glasgow, Inverness, Portree the A87 (request stop at drivers discretion). Photo Walker Search: "forcan" 61 photos matching '"forcan"' (showing 25-48): average rating 3.8 votes 647Click on the thumbnails to view the full size images. How to take an alternate route. Return over the northwest top and continue along the ridge to its elegant termination at the minor summit of Faochag. The path traverses to the right hand side of the summit of Meallan Odhar, reaching the ridge once more between that peak and the foot of the Forcan ridge. Cross the Allt Mhalagain at the foot of the ridge (or continue on the west bank if this is impossible) and walk up to the road. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. This area offers varied walking with villages such as Plockton as well as the region's main … Its ascent via the Forcan Ridge is a difficult but classic scramble; the scrambling can be avoided if needed and the walk still has fantastic views. Earth Trekkers is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn advertising fees by advertising & linking to Amazon.com. The thought of climbing even higher sounded like torture to her. We were using printed directions from the Walk Highlands website. Their instructions were good, but the landmarks they listed used Gaelic names for the mountains. Print out a copy of the map on the Walk Highlands website for reference. Just before the Forcan Ridge the path splits. This excellent path winds two and fro up the hillside before making a long traverse to reach the col. From the col, turn left. Trouvez des hébergements uniques auprès d'hôtes locaux dans 191 pays. ), in whole or in part, is strictly prohibited. A few years from now…sure, they’d be able to handle it. These include the famous Five Sisters of Kintail, the Saddle (the highest point on Glenshiel Estate) and Forkans Ridge which provides challenging ridge line walking/climbing. Its fine … Tim and I were left deciphering written words from a Scottish website that assumed you already knew the names of the mountain peaks towering around you. We turned around, deciding to continue on with the safer option. Any quality rain jacket will work well, we wear North Face. Continue along Faochag. All rights reserved © Earth Trekkers. Hiking with kids. about 4 months ago. For full details of surrounding walks please see: www.walkhighlands.co.uk. The north side of the glen is formed by the famous Five Sisters range and its easterly continuation; a true classic amongst ridgewalks. In most places, the trail itself is easy to follow. Name (required) Email (required) Comments (required) Submit Comment. 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