It occupies a privileged position at the head of the 20km-long loch but is quite small and can quickly fill up. [5][57] A minibus service operates along the road during the summer period linking the ferry slipway with the lighthouse. The Cape Wrath Trail is an unofficial, unmarked and magnificently wild long distance route … [25][48], The cape is visited by between 2,000 and 6,000 tourists a year, attracted by the lack of settlements, plants, animals, cliffs, mountain backdrop and lighthouse. : NM 912 844 About: Often the first bothy hikers will encounter on the Cape Wrath Trail, Corryhully is a well-known bothy not maintained by the MBA but by the local estate. [30] An area of 1,019.2 hectares (2,518 1⁄2 acres) is designated as a Special Protection Area (SPA) and a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). It takes 10 minutes but there will be several crossings depending on the amount of passengers (it can only take 10 at a time). There are longer UK trails, but none avoid civilisation to the same extent. [33] The light, which is 122 metres (400 ft) above sea level, is visible for 22 nautical miles (41 kilometres). [34][25][36][37] Training is allowed on up to 120 days a year,[38] usually taking place in the spring and autumn, although times can be unpredictable. In 2020 I also walked a major part of it south to north on my Dover to Cape Wrath walk.. It is approximately 234 miles in length. Huge cost to economy if access to Cape Wrath is denied, Scottish National Trail aims to link landscape and history, Kyle of Durness storehouse to Cape Wrath lighthouse, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Cape_Wrath&oldid=982876978, Sites of Special Scientific Interest in North West Sutherland, Articles with dead external links from November 2016, Articles with permanently dead external links, Articles containing Scottish Gaelic-language text, Articles containing Old Norse-language text, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, Source 2: Royal Dutch Meteorological Institute/KNMI, This page was last edited on 10 October 2020, at 22:33. [10][11], Much of the area has been used for sheep grazing, a use which continues today, and shielings, shelters built for shepherds, can be found across the Cape. [18], The cliff-top vegetation at sites such as Clò Mòr includes common scurvygrass Cochlearia officinalis and a wide range of habitats are present. [5][21][22][23] The land originally formed part of the Sutherland estates owned by the Duke of Sutherland. Corryhully Bothy on a gloomy morning. As with the rest of the British Isles, Cape Wrath has an Oceanic (Köppen Cfb) climate. [16][17], Numbers of seabirds in the area saw significant declines in the early 21st century with puffin numbers falling by 50%. [39] It is the only place in the Northern Hemisphere where NATO forces combine land, air and sea capabilities in assault mode for training manoeuvres, deploying ordnance up to 1,000-pound (450 kg) bombs. The trail is often very far from any tryp eof services, so it is only recommended for experienced hikers and backpackers with knowledge of the route. [2] The road, ferry and minibus service are suspended during military training operations on the cape. To the east lies Garvie Island (An Garbh-eilean), one of the main targets for live firing by the military. Nonetheless, my trip was amazing! [10] The Cape has few archaeological remains which can be dated to earlier than this, although a promontory fort at Eilean nan Caorach to the east of the headland may date to the late prehistoric age. This basic shelter maintained by volunteers from the Mountain Bothy Association; please help by carrying out any rubbish you find here, and always follow the bothy code when visiting. These may see the number of visitors rise to 10,000 and facilities at the Cape developed.[12]. The trail has evolved from use and is not an officially recognised National Trail. The Cape Wrath Trail is a challenging route from Fort William to Cape Wrath. The Cape Wrath Trail is a challenging route from Fort William to Cape Wrath. [40][41] Firing on the range is controlled from Faraid Head close to Balnakeil. [19] Just offshore is Stac Clò Kearvaig, also known as "The Cathedral" due to the appearance of two spires and a natural window created by erosion. Stretching approximately 230 miles (370 km) from the Highland hub of Fort William to the remote lighthouse of Cape Wrath, it is an unmarked and sometimes trailless route that passes through the wild and spectacular landscapes of northwestern Scotland. Cape Wrath is also the turning point for the Cape Wrath Marathon. An area of around 137 hectares (340 acres) was affected. The range is usually open for public access during the summer period and there is rarely firing on Sundays. [16], The lighthouse at Cape Wrath was built in 1828 by Robert Stevenson and was manned until 1998, when it was converted to automatic operation by the Northern Lighthouse Board. Cape Wrath Trail: Fort William to Na Socachan, Cape Wrath Trail: Fort William to Stratchcarron, Ben Nevis Mountain Path and North Face Path Circular, River Nevis and Ben Nevis Mountain Path Loop, Stob Ban (Mamores) and Mullach nan Coirean, The Great Glen Way: Fort William to Gairlochy. Despite not being an officially recognised National Trail it has grown to be one of the most highly regarded backpacking routes, attracting hikers from around the world. [12], The Ministry of Defence (MoD) owns a 59 km2 (23 sq mi) area of the cape, known as the Cape Wrath Training Centre. One of the few bothies to have a working power grid! Features: Stone floors, crude wooden platforms to sleep on, one open fire hearth. This is especially pronounced due to its western coastal location. Access is restricted at times by military operations on the Cape. Approximately 230 miles in length, most people take 2-3 weeks to backpack the trip. The Cape Wrath Trail is often referred to as Britain’s toughest long distance walk. There is no single definitive route. 4.5 out of 5 stars 27. Don’t get bombed by the RAF. The sea cliffs around the cape are composed of Torridonian sandstone and Lewisian gneiss. [34] It is used for naval gunfire practice and for army artillery and mortar range firing. The trail offers a number of activity options. [16][17] These rise to 281 metres (922 ft) above sea level and include the highest sea cliffs on the British mainland at Clò Mòr around 4 miles (6 km) to the east of the headland. A guidebook to the Cape Wrath Trail, a long-distance trek through the Scottish Highlands from Fort William to Cape Wrath. The Route. [40], Highlands and Islands Social Enterprise Zone, Cape Wrath locals accuse MoD of land grab, My travels: Mike Carter in Cape Wrath, Scotland, Cafe at the end of the universe ... where a cup of tea is guaranteed, Divers explore WW1 wreck of HMS Caribbean, http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/around-yorkshire/local-stories/yorkshire-diver-first-to-see-wreck-for-nearly-90-years-1-2545421, Coasts and seas of the United Kingdom, Region 3 North-east Scotland: Cape Wrath to St. Cyrus, Assessment of Highland Special Landscape Areas, Fears over future as MoD buy-out of Cape Wrath land looms, £22.5k for Cape Wrath community land buyout, "Cape Wrath Lighthouse and Keepers' Cottages  (Category A Listed Building) (LB488)", 'Don't bomb' idea for Cape Wrath firing range, NW will play part in largest military exercise in Europe, Cape Wrath will not be closed to public, MP says, Military activities undertaken at Cape Wrath. The Cape Wrath Trail from Fort William to Durness (Glenfinnan / Knoydart route variant) Depending on what time of year you go you may be able to avoid the bugs and poor weather. Areas of it are also designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest, a Special Protection Area, a Special Area of Conservation and a Special Landscape Area. Crossing such empty country, it is for the experienced backpacker only. An amazing adventure and happy to answer any question regarding the trail! [10] The area declined in population in the mid-20th century and is now almost entirely unpopulated, although military and tourism use continues. [39], The MoD owns a number of the surviving buildings in the area and operates observation posts and sentry posts during training. There is no single definitive route. Cape Wrath Trail - CapeWrathTrailGuide.org. The sole inhabitants of the Cape are the Ure family, renting the main building. [36] The RAF uses An Garbh-eilean (Garvie Island) as a target for a range of training operations. This is because the difficulty of the terrain and the lack of way marking (or even defined paths in many places). It is approximately 200 miles in length and is considered to be one of the most challenging long distance walks in the UK. [2] The Cape Wrath Lighthouse was built in 1828 and the access road from the Kyle of Durness dates from the same period. 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 takes place annually in [13] An inquiry later blamed the ship's carpenter for being insufficiently familiar with the ship and for failing to shut all the scuttles. 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