Cape Wrath Trail hiking guide: route map, stages & where to stay

The Cape Wrath Trail is a long-distance walk through the north-west Highlands of Scotland, from Fort William to Cape Wrath, the north-west tip of mainland Britain. It is about 370 km (230 miles) long and is often called the hardest long walk in Britain. It is not an official trail: there are no waymarks, no fixed line and long sections have no path, so you must navigate with map and compass. Most walkers go south to north and take 16 to 22 days. This guide follows the main line used by the Cicerone guidebook and Walkhighlands, through Glenfinnan and Knoydart.

The route

The walk starts with a ten-minute passenger ferry across Loch Linnhe from Fort William to Camusnagaul. A quiet road and the Cona Glen track lead to Glenfinnan, then glens and passes take you through Glen Dessarry to Sourlies bothy on Loch Nevis and over to Barrisdale in Knoydart. After Kinloch Hourn the route crosses the Bealach Coire Mhalagain below The Saddle, at about 730 m the highest point of the trail, and drops to Shiel Bridge and Morvich in Kintail.

North of Kintail you pass the Falls of Glomach, cross the empty country around Maol Bhuidhe and Bendronaig to Strathcarron, then walk through the Coulin hills to Kinlochewe below Beinn Eighe. The next days reach Shenavall bothy under An Teallach, Inverlael near Ullapool, Oykel Bridge and the limestone country of Inchnadamph. In Assynt the route passes below Eas a' Chual Aluinn, Britain's highest waterfall, to Glencoul and Glendhu, then crosses rocky moorland to Rhiconich. The last two days follow the coast past Kinlochbervie to Sandwood Bay, one of Scotland's finest beaches, and over boggy moor to the lighthouse at Cape Wrath.

This guide splits the line from the Camusnagaul ferry landing into 15 stages, about 25.3 km each. The stage ends are where walkers sleep: bothies, campsites, hotels or a good place to pitch a tent. Many walkers add rest days, for example at Kinlochewe or Ullapool.

Highlights

• Knoydart: Sourlies bothy on Loch Nevis and the bay at Barrisdale
• Falls of Glomach: a 113 m waterfall with a steep, exposed path beside it
• Fisherfield: the wilderness around Shenavall bothy below An Teallach
• Assynt: Eas a' Chual Aluinn and the bothies on Loch Glencoul and Loch Glendhu
• Sandwood Bay and Cape Wrath: a remote beach, sea stacks and the lighthouse at the end of the land

When to walk the Cape Wrath Trail

The usual season is April to early October. May and June are often the driest months and have very long days, and midges are fewer than in July and August. September is good too, but it is the start of the stag-stalking season. Winter walking is only for experienced, well-equipped parties. Expect rain, strong wind and low cloud in any month, and check the Mountain Weather Information Service forecast.

Deer stalking and bothy closures

Red deer stags are shot on many estates from about July to 20 October; the busiest period is mid-September to 20 October, and the hind cull runs from 21 October to 15 February. Stalking rarely happens on Sundays. Check Heading for the Scottish Hills, read estate notices and keep to paths and tracks. Several bothies close or ask you to phone first in the stalking season: Maol Bhuidhe, Shenavall, Coire Fionnaraich and Knockdamph are closed for some or all of September and October, and Reay Forest Estate asks you to phone before using Glencoul and Glendhu. Always carry a tent.

Difficulty

This is a hard, committing walk. Days are long (often 25 to 34 km, 15 to 21 miles), on rough, wet and pathless ground with a heavy pack, and the bog is relentless. Walkhighlands grades most stages four boots out of five. There are many river crossings without bridges; after heavy rain some, such as the ford before Maol Bhuidhe and the Strath Chailleach near Sandwood Bay, can be impossible. Wait for the water to drop or take a known alternative, and never cross a river in spate. Large parts of the route are a day or more from a road, so you must be self-sufficient.

Getting there and away

Fort William has trains from Glasgow and the overnight Caledonian Sleeper from London, plus Citylink buses. The Camusnagaul passenger ferry (Highland Ferries) leaves from the town pier Monday to Saturday, at 08:00, 10:30, 12:20 and 16:15, with a 17:30 sailing on request; the adult fare is £2. There is no ferry on Sunday except by special arrangement for £100, so plan your start day around it.

At the end there is no road. A seasonal minibus runs from the lighthouse to the Kyle of Durness, and a small foot-passenger ferry crosses to Keoldale, 4 km from Durness. They usually run from May to September, depend on tides, weather and military firing, and need booking a day ahead: walkers pay £15 for the bus and the ferry separately (about £10 single in 2026). Outside the season you must walk back to Sandwood Bay and Blairmore. From Durness, bus 805 runs to Inverness on weekdays.

Along the way, Glenfinnan and Strathcarron have railway stations, and Shiel Bridge and Inverlael are on bus routes.

Accommodation and resupply

Most nights are spent in a tent or in a bothy. Bothies are free, unlocked shelters, most of them looked after by the Mountain Bothies Association; you cannot book them, groups of six or more should not use them, and there is no rubbish collection. Wild camping is legal under the Scottish Outdoor Access Code if you camp lightly and leave no trace. There are hotels, B&Bs, hostels or campsites at Glenfinnan, Shiel Bridge and Morvich, Strathcarron, Kinlochewe, Oykel Bridge, Inchnadamph, Kylesku and Rhiconich, but each has only a few rooms, so book ahead.

Shops are few. Buy four to five days of food in Fort William: the next shop is at Shiel Bridge. After that you can buy food at Kinlochewe, in Ullapool (a full resupply by bus from Inverlael), at Kinlochbervie and Badcall, and in Durness at the end. Many walkers post food parcels ahead; Glenshiel Campsite advertises this, and others may accept parcels if you ask first.

Money and phone signal

Carry cash as well as a card: some small B&Bs and honesty boxes take only cash. There are cash machines in Fort William and Ullapool. Mobile signal is absent for long stretches, including Barrisdale and most of Knoydart. Carry a personal locator beacon or a satellite messenger, and leave your route and dates with someone at home.

What to pack

A light, storm-proof tent, a warm sleeping bag, a stove, full waterproofs, footwear that copes with constant wet, map and compass plus a GPS with offline maps, a water filter, a head torch, a midge net and repellent, a tick remover, and a first-aid and blister kit.

Safety

In an emergency call 999 or 112 and ask for the Police, then Mountain Rescue. If you are deaf or cannot speak, register for emergencySMS before you go. Before the last two stages check the Ministry of Defence firing times for the Cape Wrath range: when red flags fly, access is forbidden.