The narrow road that runs through the heart of Coigach is signposted from the main road at Drumrunie. It is a single track road that for a large part runs along the north side of three lochs, Loch Lurgainn, Loch Bad a' Ghaill and Loch Osgaig, before reaching the west coast. The road dips to cross the river and almost immediately passes under the steep crag of Creag Dubh - an outlier to Cul Beag on the north side - and starts a long descent between the mountains. For walkers that wish to climb the southern mountains of Ben Mor Coigach and Sgurr an Fhidhleir (The Fiddler) a path leaves the road at the highest point and picks its way across the wet valley floor to the hills on the far side. This approach saves the long return drive to the far end of the road at Culnacraig however as we are usually camped at the far end of the road anyway we have always used to ascents on the far side. The central double topped mountain of Beinn an Eoin can be climbed from the same point.
The main
attraction for visitors on this road is Stac Pollaidh (Stack Polly), a very distinctive mountain that
has a short ridge some 600m high covered in dramatic sandstone pinnacles which
is very easily tackled from a car park half way along the first loch. However
this covers only a quarter of the the full road length which continues West to
Achnahaird Bay before turning South along the coastline to
Achiltibuie and the road end at Culnacraig.
Just beyond the second loch, Loch Bad a' Ghaill a single track road climbs the northern shoulder to weave its way through the north-west section of the region to Inverkirkaig and Lochinver in Assynt district. This route makes a scenic circular tour through both these districts - although the road is narrow and twisting and unsuitable for caravans.
The road reaches the inland extremity of Achnahaird Bay, a sandy bay that is sheltered from the westerly gales by the headland that alsohosts a camping site. The road divides, with a northern loop giving access to the beach before swinging across the headland to take in Altandu and Polbain before rejoining the original road that takes the direct route south across the headland to the extended village of Achiltibuie. The western coast is reached but even though the road has covered some 20km from the main road at Drumrunie, there is still another 8km along the western coastline, now heading south east, before the road end is reached at Culnacraig.
 North to Inverkirkaing
and Assynt. |