I walked the Cape Wrath Trail in the summer of 2017. It's available for £6.99 from Gumroad. The Cape Wrath Trail (Walkhighlands) The Cape Wrath Trail is an unofficial, unmarked and magnificently wild long distance route from Fort William to Cape Wrath in Scotland. Cape Wrath Trail photo album. using a map and compass. The CWT is one of those routes that become part of a bucket list or a "one day" kind of adventure - don't let this happen. The Cape Wrath Trail is a long distance walk (approx. The CWT is, mostly, a non-technical walking route that includes no high peaks and only has short and simple trackless sections that require navigational skills. Walkhighlands features a comprehensive guide to the route. Which route variation to take? Should you just make your own route? If you're planning to make the trek, here's what you have to look forward to. Gilad Nachmani has advice for anyone planning on taking on the last British wilderness. The Cape Wrath Trail (CWT) has a deceiving name: it is actually not a trail, but a route, running the length of the Scottish Highlands between Fort William in the south and Cape Wrath in the north. The Cape Wrath Trail does not offer hikers the luxury of certainty: flexibility is a critical part of the trailblazer’s mountain kit. Information is provided free of charge; it is each walker's responsibility to check it and navigate Most sections have at least one climb over a bealach that can be very challenging, especially if there is snow present. OS GetOutside Champion Cat Webster takes us on a two-day bothy adventure, taking in two Munros along the way. I kept a daily log on the walk and in the months that followed I expanded this into a … The idea was to hike up from Glenfinnan to Morvich and then take a bus to Portree through Kyle of Lochalsh. Since 1984 CNDO Scotland has been providing walkers the best in Guided Tours across Scotland offering thousands of walkers from all over the world the chance to experience the Highlands and Islands including Skye, the Outer Hebrides, Shetland and The Cape Wrath Trail. Gilad Nachmani is the creator of the Outdoor Father blog, a guide for people who want to make the most of their limited time with some epic adventures. The Cape Wrath Trail It came to prominence in the mid-1990s due to various publications, but there is no one recognised path, and it certainly isn’t waymarked like, for example, the Pennine Way. Don’t forget the Harvey CWT map set for route planning. I read a few guidebooks about the Cape Wrath Trail that present different route options and poured over OS maps (the UK equivalent of USGS maps), both When it comes to awe-inspiring long-distance walks across the British Isles, there are only a handful with the sort of Odyssean pull as the Cape Wrath Trail in Scotland. hard (!!) Many describe the CWT as the hardest (or toughest) route in the UK, but I think it is not the route that makes it hard - it is the setting it is in. It is approximately 200 miles in length and is considered to be one of the most challenging long distance walks in the UK. Walkhighlands features a comprehensive guide to the route. see more about how he took it on twice - in 2015 and 2016 on his blog. © Ordnance Survey document.write(new Date().getFullYear()); / Privacy Policy. The route can be walked in groups or solo, though it is most commonly done in pairs. A guidebook to the Cape Wrath Trail, a long-distance trek through the Scottish Highlands from Fort William to Cape Wrath. To what extent will you allow the weather to decide your activity level? 390km) from Fort William to the northwesternmost point of mainland Britain, Cape Wrath. Find out how the big day went and how you go about preparing for such an event in the British outdoors! The route leads you across most of the north west coast of Scotland via Morar, Knoydart, Torridon and Assynt, winding through its most beautiful glens and mountains. It takes place annually in Our Cape Wrath Trail is the most demanding and remote trek we offer! Sign up to receive the very best of OS and its group of companies, straight to you by email. Join us on a fun and friendly trek on Scotland's most challenging long distance trail. The Cape Wrath Trail is often referred to as Britain’s toughest long distance trail, and is an unofficial route through some of the most spectacularly wild parts of Scotland. This trail should only be undertaken by experienced walkers who have honed their walking, navigation and outdoors skills by now and are very comfortable with being outdoors in harsh conditions. Some sections of the trail are very demanding and a good level of fitness is needed, especially when a heavy pack is added to the equation. The CWT offers some of the most magnificent landscapes and views I have found in the British Isles, but to gain access to them you must endure wet and demanding underfoot conditions, rapidly changing weather, exposure to the elements and a vast emptiness that is rare to find the UK anymore. It is a long distance trail that covers 200-250 miles (320-400 km) and can be walked in one go over 10-30 days (or run in 8 days...), but it can also be a great section hike, being done in stages over long weekends, coming back to meet the trail at various times. The Cape Wrath Trail is one of the world's finest long distance walks. Cape Wrath Trail is a hiking route that runs through the Scottish Highlands and along the west coast of Scotland.. He has recently written an e-book to help others plan and complete this challenge. Discovering bluebell woods with the Isle of Wight Walking Festival, Discovering bluebell woods with the Isle of Wight Walking Festival - an ideal spring walking route. Our Cape Wrath Trail is the most demanding and remote trek we offer! The route is unmarked and there is no official line. WalkHighlands has excellent information, forums, gpx data, and mapping tools for all of Scotland. The route is roughly 230 miles, and it took me 15 days to walk it north to south. Walking | Cape Wrath Trail: A'Chuil to Barrisdale Bay | Summary:This stage crosses the appropriately named 'Rough Bounds of Knoydart'. Guidebooks: Cicerone Press North to the Cape, by Phil Hinchcliffe. The CWT can still be walked in any way you would like, but has, in general, roughly followed the route suggested by Denis Brook and Phil Hinchliffe since they proposed it in 1999. The Cape Wrath Trail (CWT) has a deceiving name: it is actually not a trail, but a route, running the length of the Scottish Highlands between Fort William in the south and Cape Wrath in the north. If you have no past experience hiking in Scotland it is recommended to try a couple of easier trails such as the West Highland Way or the Affric Kintail Way; both are easier to walk, less demanding and are well marked. Description: A 15/16-stage unmarked (!!!) This is my Cape Wrath Trail, which I walked alone and unsupported in 2004. Luke Waterson specialises in writing about outdoor … I'd read tons of trail descriptions and copied multiple ones to my kindle. The Cape Wrath Trail is an unofficial, unmarked and magnificently wild long distance route from Fort William to Cape Wrath in Scotland. We offer you the luxury of having your accommodation arranged for you, your bags moved, walking in a group with a qualified guide and support van at all times, so you can skip parts of the trail if you get tired. So, like many long-distance hikers – and my heart breaks for those who’ve had to cancel their TGO Challenge, Appalachian Trail or Pacific Crest Trail plans – I have had to wrestle with my trek’s viability. For that reason I would call it the most challenging and demanding route in the UK, one that very few people see to completion. Cam Honan’s Cape Wrath Trail backpacking guide. The real challenge with the CWT is that it crosses the Scottish Highlands: one of the last wild areas in the British Isles. The CWT is not a trail on which to learn those much needed outdoors skills and it is not a trail to take friends or relatives who would like to get a taste of the outdoors on - they might never try again. walk from Fort William all the way to Cape Wrath.There are very long pathless sections where you need skillful navigation (An absolute requirement!) One of the toughest (and also most spectacular) long distance walks is the Cape Wrath Trail in the Scottish Highlands. They will also help prepare you for the CWT, and your ability to handle the first and last of the three big challenges. Walkhighlands features a comprehensive guide to the route. On the web, it’s hard to beat this excellent online guide from our friends at WalkHighlands. When planning to walk the Cape Wrath Trail you will quickly learn that information is scarce and a lot of pre-trip research is needed. In 2020 I also walked a major part of it south to north on my Dover to Cape Wrath walk.. The Cape Wrath Trail (Walkhighlands) The Cape Wrath Trail is an unofficial, unmarked and magnificently wild long distance route from Fort William to Cape Wrath in Scotland. Outdoors Father’s Cape Wrath Trail guide is worth a look too. At the end of a long and (truthfully) somewhat boring walk along Loch Eil’s southern shore, I finally reached a point where I could leave the asphalted road behind and start heading north along a … I was planning on completing the West Highland Way, which I did, and then hoped to do parts of the extremely difficult Cape Wrath Trail. The paths are fainter (if they exist at all) and the terrain unforgiving. Nonetheless, the scenery is beautiful and there are plenty of options for breaking up the journey, including a night at the idyllically-located Sourlies bothy. You might find WalkHighlands, the Cape Wrath Trail Guide and Trail Journals useful resources. I got lost once, for an hour or so in Gleann Dubh on the way to Inchnadamph, but that was because I was in a hurry and had neglected to study the map in Harper’s book carefully enough. Pack light. With the right planning, training and a huge amount of commitment, it is also doable and enjoyable as a trip of a lifetime. Crossing such empty country, it is for the experienced backpacker only. As much as the CWT is a long distance walk, it is not a trail you take to with a few maps and a guide book; it requires careful planning - from the walking route to food carrying to missing gear. A comprehensive guide to the Cape Wrath Trail, one of the most challenging long distance walks in the UK, published by Cicerone and now in a fully updated Second Edition. And if not, you can simply salivate over all the wonderful, wild, completely free places to rest your head in Scotland. The book. Please consider subscribing to my channel it's free and really helps me out, thank you! The Glenfinnan Viaduct, the first landmark along the Cape Wrath Trail. The general idea is to make your way from Fort William to Cape Wrath at the farthest NW corner of the UK. The Cape Wrath Ultra® is Scotland’s finest multi-stage ultra running event. Join us on a fun and friendly trek on Scotland's most challenging long distance trail. The Cape Wrath Trail is a 230 mile, 3-week challenge through wild and magnificent landscapes, such as Morar, Knoydart, Torridon and Assynt. Personally, with the GPX waypoints from WalkHighlands imported into OsmAnd on my phone and Iain Harper’s excellent guidebook Walking the Cape Wrath Trail I found navigation straightforward. Cicerone Press Walking the Cape Wrath Trail, by Iain Harper. The Great North Trail links the Pennine Bridleway with the northern tips of mainland Scotland, through some of Britain’s most stunning upland areas and four National Parks. The CWT is an incredible route – beautiful, tough and truly unique. Lastly, the Cape Wrath Trail crosses the Scottish Highlands and as such has three major challenges: the weather, the fact that it is so remote and rarely travelled, and the critters (midges and ticks). The Cape Wrath Trail is the expedition of a lifetime, traversing 200 miles of Scotland's wildest and most beautiful country. You should be comfortable with long days on the hills, exposed to the elements and with very little shelter. The WalkHighlands website also has GPX files of different Cape Wrath routes and side trips that I’ve uploaded to ViewRanger. It’s a good step up from waymarked trails such as the West Highland Way and Pennine Way – although both routes make good initial training for the CWT. The Cape Wrath Trail is often referred to as Britain’s toughest long distance walk. Will you be camping or will you plan on using a mix of bothies and commercial accommodation? 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