Wild Knoydart

pdfmore information on this course (2mb)

Grade 2, Grade 3

The remote and rugged Knoydart peninsular is a very special place. For many, it epitomises west highland beauty; mountain after mountain plunging to deep dark serpentine lochs. Accessible only by boat (our mode) or long walk-ins, its one of the most isolated parts of mainland Britain. Its reputation is thoroughly deserved.

Arrive: Rendezvous at Mallaig Harbour for 6 pm ferry departure for Inverie on day before activities begin. Due to the travel time involved in traveling on public transport between Glasgow & Mallaig we are also offering pick up from Aviemore station by no later than 2 pm and at Inverness airport at 3 pm.

Day 1: As you round the headland of Inverie Bay, Sgurr Coire Choinnichean dominates the view. The traverse of this mountain gives a wonderful ridge walk amongst Knoydart splendor. A great introduction.

Day 2: The craggy hill of Beinn na Caillich sees us venturing into the totally uninhabited NW corner of the peninsular. This is Knoydart at its wildest - seaward views all around.

Day 3: Labhar Bheinn, the most westerly mainland munro, is to may the most beautiful mountain in Britain. To do justice to it's souring ridges, dramatic corries and stunning panoramic views, in so few words, is nigh impossible.

Day 4: From breakfast onwards this is a day off for us all. It's a chance to explore Inverie a little more, hire a boat maybe, or go for a gentle walk along the shore. The day is rounded of with us all going out to dinner at The Old Forge pub, fabled for its fine wild food both from the sea and the land.

Day 5: The summit of Meall Buidhe rises from extremely rough and rocky corries. Carving & dividing its north & east flanks they create fine mountain of unending interest - a great ridge walk in the remotest of situations.

Day 6: The southernmost part of Knoydart is occupied by one massive mountain, Beinn Bhuidhe. Its delightful 8 km long ridge gives unexcelled views of Loch Nevis to the south and a fine series of corries to the north.

Depart: day after activities finish - Mallaig at 9:45 am with drop off at Inverness Airport at 12:45pm and Aviemore Station for 2pm

Price: as above
fully inclusive of: all guiding or instruction, accommodation at Glaschoile House or similar cottage (see below), full board, ferry to/from Inverie and transfers to Aviemore Station or Inverness airport* if required.

Inverie Accommodation: Creag Eiridh dates from the 1870s, and is located midway between Inverie village (about 15 minutes walk) and Glaschoille on the northern shore of the splendid Loch Nevis, enjoying spectacular views shared only with the wildlife. It has recently been beautifully refurbished, and is comfortably furnished through out. It is also fully centrally heated, with all the mod cons you will need for your stay. http://www.creageiridh.co.uk/house.html

Trip Review: Wild Knoydart
Again Knoydart was a great success and again the weather great. We only had one inclement day which ended up being the “day off”. We did all the hills as planned with a handy use of a Landrover as usual to avoid some long walk-in’s. The air temperature was pretty cool (holds less water vapour) at the start of the week but it did mean we got some exceptionally clear views. Again we got visibility of 65+ miles across to South Uist and 90 + miles to Lewis of the Western Isles. The views were again exceptional, mountain range after mountain range and then to the west seaward views out across Skye, Rhum, Eigg and Canna. The low air temperatures were made up by the strong sun, all-in-all creating ideal walking conditions. On the last day we were treated to the site of a Golden Eagle at close quarters and a group of recently arrived Dotterel
 
This year we stayed at the wonderful property of Creag Eiridh which was much closer to the village of Inverie and the Old Forge Inn! Which by the way, has started to brew it’s own beer: “The Seven Men of Knoydart”. Again it was an older property which had been very sympathetically enlarged, renovated and partially upgraded. The dining room was furnished with a huge (teak I think) table but the big boon for us was internet access which meant we didn’t have to abandon the business whilst we were away. The meal at the Doune Dining Restaurant was again “out of this world”. It really is no surprise that they won the “taste of Scotland” award last year.

Mountain Innovations Ltd will pick up from Inverness airport at approx. 5pm, if required.

Mountain Innovations advises all clients to take out suitable insurance cover. We can offer you the names of some insurance companies clients have mentioned to us, but we can in no way endorse any particular company. Please feel free to check all available options.

Final choice of route on the day is at the discretion of Mountain Innovations Ltd and may depend on prevailing weather conditions &/or the fitness of the group.

We've added a FAQ section to the website for your information. Please feel free to have a look through - click here to go the FAQs. Some of your questions may well also be answered in the course info pdf above. If you can't find the answer to your query on the site please give us a call.