On Sundays throughout the season, the first ferry leaves at 1100, with the last return sailings in the late afternoon. At the time of writing, the adult single fare from the Cape Wrath lighthouse to Keodale was £9.50 inclusive of ferry and minibus (for the latest information see www.capewrathferry.co.uk).
Outside of the main season, there is no real alternative but to retreat to Kinlochbervie. If you are desperate to reach Durness, you can follow the 4x4 track to the ferry crossing (about 11 miles, perhaps using Kearvaig bothy as a stopping point) before heading inland around the Kyle of Durness, but this is very rough ground. A bus service leaves Durness at 0805 (Monday–Saturday), calls in at the Post Office in Kinlochbervie at around 0855 and then goes onwards to meet the Inverness train at Lairg. More information is available at www.thedurnessbus.com. It is also advisable to check this service locally as the time and location of departures can vary. In summer months, direct coach services to Inverness may be available. For more information about reaching Durness see www.travelinescotland.com and www.visitcapewrath.com. The land and buildings at Cape Wrath were put up for sale by the Northern Lighthouse Board, their current owner. The land is subject to a community right to buy notice, and concerns that the Ministry of Defence might acquire the land and restrict access seem to have subsided. For the latest information check www.capewrathtrailguide.org.
When to go
Blizzard hits, Glen Oykel (Stage 10)
April, May and June can be ideal months to walk the trail as the days are long, the midges less prevalent and there can be spells of fine weather (although this being Scotland you should go prepared for anything). September and October are also good, but there may be diversions due to deer stalking and military operations at the cape. In July and August the days are superbly long and the weather can be glorious, but the midges will be in full flight. The limited accommodation along the trail may also be fully booked at this time of year. An attempt outside these months is possible but will require a good deal of skill, experience and expertise in the mountains. You may need specialist equipment (crampons, ice axe) and you’re likely to encounter heavy storms, very cold conditions and as little as six hours of daylight, making a daily distance of 20km around the practical limit. Be prepared to abandon your journey and be fully aware of foul weather route alternatives.
Accommodation
Benmore Lodge (Stage 10)
There is generally not a great deal of choice in this part of the world and availability is very much dependent on the time of year. While it’s technically possible to walk the route without carrying a tent, using a combination of bothies and other accommodation, it’s not prudent to do so. Bothies can occasionally be full to bursting, and you’ll lack the flexibility to vary your days if you’re feeling tired. Given that some stages are pretty remote, a tent is also an important part of mountain safety should one of your party get injured.
Accommodation listings are usually the first thing to go out of date in any printed guidebook. A current list is offered here as Appendix B, but you should also consult the constantly updated accommodation listings maintained at www.capewrathtrailguide.org/accommodation. In many places along the route accommodation options are very limited, if they exist at all, so it’s a good idea to book in advance, especially in summer months. Many of the more remote establishments close during the off season (typically October to March). Accommodation lists can also be obtained from VisitScotland (0845 2255121, www.visitscotland.com). Good, inexpensive accommodation is also available from the Scottish Youth Hostel Association (www.syha.org.uk) or the many independent hostels and bunkhouses (www.hostel-scotland.co.uk).
Bothies and the Mountain Bothy Association
The mission of the Mountain Bothy Association is ‘to maintain simple shelters in remote country for the benefit of all who love wild and lonely places.’ Even if you are planning to camp or use hotel/hostel accommodation along the trail, it’s a good idea to have an awareness of bothy locations in case of emergencies or foul weather. In times gone by, bothy locations were not shared widely and only available with MBA membership. These days the MBA displays bothy locations on its website, however all the charity’s maintenance work is carried out by volunteers and it relies on membership to continue its work. A full membership subscription costs around £20 per year, available at www.mountainbothies.org.uk.
Bothies work on a system of trust and respect which breaks down when people don’t abide by a few simple rules:
Leave the bothy clean and tidy with dry kindling for the next visitors
Make all visitors welcome
Don’t leave graffiti or vandalise the bothy
Take out all rubbish which you can’t burn
Don’t leave perishable food
Bury human waste well away from the bothy and any water sources
Make sure the doors and windows are properly closed when you leave.
Not all bothies are operated by the MBA, although their bothies tend to be the best cared for. Some estates also have bothies (for example Glenfinnan), offering varying levels of comfort. Some even have flushing toilets, although this is a rare luxury. Bothies are a unique part of walking in the Scottish Highlands and a rite of passage well worth experiencing. There are few better things than arriving at a remote bothy dripping wet from a howling storm to find a glowing fire ablaze in the hearth and a few fellow mountain lovers with whom to swap far-fetched mountain escapades. That said, bothies can sometimes be cold, rather spooky places if you’re on your own or don’t have fuel for a fire (most areas around bothies are stripped bare of usable wood) so you may prefer the warm solitude of your tent. Bothies that are on or close to the route or route variants are listed in the relevant route sections, and in Appendix B, with their grid refs.
Safety
Finiskaig River (Stage 3)
The Cape Wrath Trail crosses some of the remotest country in Britain, so you must be largely self-sufficient. At times you may be a day or more away from the nearest road, let alone help. For each day plan an escape route in case something goes wrong, or you cannot continue as planned (for example an uncrossable river).
Dangers you may encounter include:
Sudden weather changes – mists, gales, rain and snow may move in more quickly or be more severe than forecast (always have a refuge and escape route planned)
Impassable rivers due to heavy rain (have an escape route or the ability to camp and wait for the water levels to subside)
Ice on the path – a distinct possibility early or late in the year (carry and know how to use an ice-axe and lightweight walking crampons if these
