{"id":57488,"title":"Words from the wild: An autumn week spent in the Scottish Highlands","description":"In October 2024 the Wildlands team drove west from Edinburgh into the Scottish Highlands. Spending a week in Kintail, we explore the Isle of Skye and a hike to the Glomach Falls that we'll never stop talking about.","content":"

\"There are few places in my life that I've found more ruggedly beautiful than the Highlands of Scotland. The place is magical - it's so far north, so remote, that sometimes it feels like you've left this world and gone to another.\" \u2014 Julia London<\/em><\/p>

This was my fourth trip to Scotland and it still felt exactly like the quote suggests.<\/p>

Three of us - Nathan, Adam and Gareth - a hire car picked up from Edinburgh and a week in one of the most remote corners of the Highlands. We had a family friends cabin on the banks of Loch Duich and a very loose idea of what we wanted to do. Everything else we figured out as we went.<\/p>

What followed was one of those weeks that's genuinely difficult to do justice to in words but i\u2019m going to try anyway.<\/p>

\"krejctez928tqjkhnsgtk8nls6qtgeodccdwmskn1cdpdunv.png.png?w=1140&v=2\"Day one - The Drive West<\/strong><\/h3>

After a quick flight from London Gatwick to Edinburgh we picked up our hire car and immediately headed west. We decided to take the route via Stirling to avoid congestion around Glasgow, a decision that turned out to be the right one.<\/p>

There's a moment on the road out of Edinburgh where the city just ends and a wilder Scotland begins. It happens faster than you'd expect, within half an hour we were driving through the historic lowlands and in under two hours we were meandering through Loch Lomond and the Trossachs in grey October fog, pulling over constantly because something was worth stopping for. The autumn colours were at their peak. Burnt orange, deep red, the whole hillside turning at once. Even in the fog, maybe especially in the fog, it was beautiful.<\/p>

We were heading towards Fort William. Not for the scenery, though there's plenty of it, but for Lidl. We knew where we were going was remote enough that a full week's shop made more sense than hoping for a village store. So we loaded up the car with supplies and continued North.<\/p>

\"nnhov17bt6yxgx1qteipdnjntyjvynvk4tumaoafl66ge7fj.png.png?w=1140&v=2\"Arriving at Letterfearn, Loch Duich<\/strong><\/p>

A further two hours North West of Fort William, on the banks of Loch Duich in Kintail, there's a small settlement called Letterfearn. A handful of houses, a single road, mountains in every direction and almost no reason to know it exists unless someone tells you about it.<\/p>

We are extremely lucky. A family friend has a cabin there, right on the Loch. We arrived in blue hour, unloaded the car by torchlight and went to bed without really knowing exactly what was around us.<\/p>

We woke up to the Five Sisters of Kintail.<\/p>

Five mountains rising at the end of the loch, the sun coming up over them and spreading slowly across the water as low cloud hugged the mountains. A fishing boat came through to collect its catch and disappeared back into the mist. The deer were rutting - we'd actually been woken up by them before dawn - and the whole scene felt completely wild in a way that's hard to explain without sounding like you're overselling it.<\/p>

We weren't overselling it.<\/p>

The cabin itself has a boathouse at the bottom of the garden. Not just any boathouse - a Viking boat, turned upside down and converted into a workspace. It sounds like something you'd make up but I have photographs (pictured below)<\/p>

Looking the other way down the loch, Eilean Donan Castle sits a few hundred metres across the water. You've probably seen the photographs on instagram. Seeing it from the cabin at sunrise is a different thing entirely.<\/p>

\"0cpqlmevjlmb3fm7uxkkabig6mr3ht3yaiqkoekckaua5fxr.png.png?w=1140&v=2\"Day two - Going Nowhere in Particular<\/strong><\/h3>

For our first full day we just wanted to find our bearings and had no real plans so we took a drive. Winding our way up over the mountains, stopping when something caught our eye, going back down the other side. No agenda, no itinerary, no plan beyond turning left when left looked more interesting than right. The kind of day that only works when you let it, and for me always a nice way to start a trip when you know you have some bigger adventures ahead of you.<\/p>

Day three - Isle of Skye via the Glenelg Ferry<\/strong><\/h3>

Visiting Skye was one of the firmer plans we had, i\u2019d never been before and have hundreds of saved posts of its beautiful landscapes so I was excited to see it for myself.<\/p>

We had two options for getting to Skye. The bridge or the Glenelg Ferry. The ferry runs from April to October, four or five cars at a time and crosses in about fifteen minutes.<\/p>

When i say take the ferry, I mean it.<\/p>

The drive to Glenelg is reason enough on its own - single track roads winding through dramatic countryside, the kind of roads where you genuinely don't know what's coming around the next corner. The ferry team are brilliant, including their dogs, and birds of prey were circling overhead for most of the crossing. It's a small, charming operation and it felt like exactly the right way to arrive somewhere as special as Skye.<\/p>

[Glenelg Ferry: www.skyeferry.co.uk<\/a> \u2014 runs April to October, worth every penny]<\/p>

\"xlgmewlwm12oegi7lzjucy32v7hh4fpnzgtckpwslbrs1coj.png.png?w=1140&v=2\"Once on Skye we headed straight to the Quiraing. We arrived to thick fog which, as it turned out, was exactly the right conditions. Moody, atmospheric, almost empty of other people and as otherworldly as I\u2019d hoped. We walked up to the Needle, looked back across the Quiraing and spent a good few hours just being there before the cloud started to shift. There are places that reward patience and the Quiraing is one of them.<\/p>

The coastal road south from the Quiraing was something I hadn't been expecting. Skye's coastline is extraordinary and the drive down it took longer than it should- stopping constantly, photographing everything, it was one of the highlights of the trip.<\/p>

Our second stop was at the Old Man of Storr, making the walk up which is worth every step. The rock formations are breathtaking and even better in person than anything you see online. Although I have drone footage here<\/u><\/a> that does it more justice than words.<\/p>

\"bf3d1qzk921yzewubs7gruubff84hqgfkeuqo6zht0d9fspf.png.png?w=1140&v=2\"On the way back we stopped in the charming fishing town of Portree for fish and chips. The harbour, the colourful houses, the sun going down over the water. We sat outside with a beer for longer than was sensible for October, yet we didn't regret it.<\/p>

\"rvzzzxxahxym0wzw36c8pcver7qpq47i6aujuqam6pzdqih1.png.png?w=1140&v=2\"One honest note - the Glenelg Ferry stops running at around 5pm. We didn't make it back in time for our return trip and the bridge was congested. The journey home was long. We didn't care.<\/p>

Day four - The Hidden Gem of Letterfearn<\/strong><\/h3>

After a long day exploring Skye we decided to stay local and save our energy for the next big adventure. This turned out to be a brilliant idea, as the magic of Letterfearn was about to reveal itself to us.<\/p>

We came out of the cabin, turned right up the \u2018dead end\u2019 road and walked for about half an hour as we could see there was a footpath beyond the road.<\/p>

What we found on that footpath was a small bay that looked like it belonged somewhere else entirely. Canada, maybe. California. Perfect golden light on brilliant blue water, completely empty, birds of prey overhead and total silence apart from the loch. It was the most beautiful place I'd seen all week and it took thirty minutes on foot to reach.<\/p>

There are no signs for it. There's nothing to tell you it's there. That's exactly why I loved it.<\/p>

We sat there all afternoon, ate lunch, took photographs and talked (mostly about how beautiful it was). The kind of afternoon that you don't fully appreciate until you're back home thinking about it. If you stay anywhere near Letterfearn, walk this route. You'll understand when you get there.<\/p>

\"fcs3tyfpain4sfdw2qfecnwfaypfbfopjrf6mqrlumiwjpes.png.png?w=1140&v=2\"Day five - Falls of Glomach (the big adventure)<\/strong><\/h3>

I had pinned a few hikes in the area but after some discussion we set our sites on the Falls of Glomach. A twenty four kilometre circular route with 1066m of elevation. A full day of hiking.<\/p>

Leaving the car at Kintail Outdoor Centre<\/u><\/a> (Morvich), we set out on foot and ascended up through Dorusduain forests and into the wild. The weather changed constantly on the way up. Fine at sea level, high winds and driving rain near the top with snow forming on the peaks around us. The deer were everywhere - we lost count somewhere around the first hour. We saw one other couple on the entire hike and they turned back long before the falls.<\/p>

By the time we reached the Falls of Glomach, around 12km in, the sun had fully broken through. We had one of the most spectacular waterfalls in Scotland entirely to ourselves. The whole delta of water feeding into the falls is visible from above - you watch it gather and pour over the edge and disappear into the valley below in a way that makes you feel very small and very fortunate to be standing there.<\/p>

And then we started the descent into Glen Elchaig.<\/p>

After the drama of the falls, the path drops down into something else entirely. A vast glen framed by craggy peaks on every side, ancient woodland catching the autumn light as streams cut through the landscape. The bracken, the moss, the rocks - everything amplified by the season. It felt like Scotland at its absolute wildest. Remote, unhurried, completely untouched. If the falls were the reason we came, the glen was the thing we'll never forget.<\/p>

I've been lucky enough to see a lot of beautiful places in my time so I don\u2019t say this lightly. Glen Elchaig in October light is the most beautiful place I have ever been.<\/p>

After a freezing cold river crossing, a sharp ascent up Carnan Cruithneachd we descended back through Dorusduain forests to find our car patiently waiting for us as blue hour came in.<\/p>

We got back to the cabin at around 10pm. Exhausted, soaked, completely happy. The kind of tired that feels earned, and that only 3000 calories of squashies and pizza can fix.<\/p>

\"ghyieskhem5j10l93llz9zzb218k2sd00xzi7cc0msnojcl6.png.png?w=1140&v=2\"[Trail information: https:\/\/www.walkhighlands.co.uk\/kintail\/Glenelchaig.shtml<\/a>]<\/p>

Day Six - A drive to Corran<\/strong><\/h3>

A slower day was on the cards after yesterdays huge hike. We took a slow drive out to Corran, a tiny settlement on the North shore of Loch Hourn (not Corran near Glencoe). Just a handful of houses, empty roads and eagles overhead. We explored for the afternoon and stayed for sunset, the light was extraordinary and the roads themselves were worth the drive. If you're in the area, go. There's no real reason to be there and that's exactly why it's worth it.<\/p>

\"s4bxekqcybdtkbpwgklrwbvisj9dk4uprgguudiqcue1e6ld.png.png?w=1140&v=2\"Day Seven - Driving through the Cairngorms and back to Edinburgh<\/strong><\/h3>

We drove back to Edinburgh through the beautiful Cairngorms, stopping for photographs along the way. The Cairngorms in autumn deserves more than a drive-through and it's firmly on the list for next time but we were up against the clock as we had to drop off the hire car.<\/p>

After catching the tram in from the airport we dropped our bags and started exploring the city for a few hours, including a vist to the National Museum of Scotland, and a very tasty Mexican at El Jefes\u2019s (not very Scottish I know. We then ended the trip at the Royal Oak pub in Edinburgh, where local folk musicians were playing to a room that clearly came here every week. Warm, unpretentious and exactly the right way to end a week in the highlands. If you find yourself in Edinburgh, make sure you drop in for a listen and a tipple.<\/p>

\"x659sd8hibujajnqai5g5gbgkxzeccglksrvuse9hqvu9l5h.png.png?w=1140&v=2\"The Essentials<\/strong><\/h3>

Getting there: Fly into Edinburgh and hire a car. The drive west to Kintail takes roughly four to five hours with stops. Build in time - the roads get better the further west you go and you will pull over constantly.<\/p>

Where to stay: Letterfearn and the wider Kintail area has very limited accommodation. Book well in advance. Search Airbnb and Booking.com<\/a> for cabins and cottages on Loch Duich.<\/p>

Don't miss:<\/p>