Affric Kintail Way
Highland 44 miles
‘prettieSt gLen in Scotland’ has to be a tough category to win, but glen Affric in the roadless highlands west of Loch ness is a top contender. See for yourself on the Affric Kintail Way which tracks from Drumnadrochit on the edge of the famous monster-infested loch, through the length of glen Affric and out to morvich on Loch Duich in the west.
the first day is the least fun, with forest tracks through glen Urquhart and a section on the skinny verges of the A831 (the trail is being diverted through the forest so it will improve) to Cannich. But things get better and better as you head along the southern shore of Loch Beinn a’ mheadhoin and then Loch Affric, its water fringed by some of the finest Caledonian woodland in the nation. Beyond, the river Affric meanders with you along the glen – thought to be the setting for Landseer’s iconic stag painting, Monarch of the Glen – to a hut in the wilds at Alltbeithe. At six miles from the nearest road this is the remotest hostel in Scotland (hostelling scotland.org.uk) and you might want to book extra nights to explore the bevvy of surrounding munros, before the final stretch through gleann Lichd beneath the Five Sisters of Kintail.
Although it walks through glens on clear paths it’s a proper challenge with 6000 feet of ascent and a 20-mile middle day, and it’s remote enough you’ll want map and compass handy. getting back to the start is surprisingly easy, though. the 917 Scottish Citylink (citylink.co.uk) bus runs direct from Allt na Chruinn on the A87, which is a short walk down the lane from morvich, to Drumnadrochit at least twice daily, so in just over an hour you can return the distance it took you three wonderful days to walk.