Coigach Tour - North to South

Knockan to Ullapool

From Elphin the road climbs steeply to pass under the cliffs at Knockan where there is a visitor centre run by the Nature Conservancy Council. A few yards before the centre a stalkers path sets off north then west onto the lower slopes of the double topped mountain of Cul Mor, the highest and most northerly of the Coigach hills.

The road continues south skirting the long slopes of Cul Beag, the mountain unfortunately shielding the other Coigach Mountains. If you do want to view the area then you must be prepared to stop as the best lines of sight are to the right and rear, or explore the district by taking the narrow side road that runs through the centre of Coigach district to Achiltibuie. The turning is met at Drumrunie and in addition to access to the hills a second minor road winds its way back up the coast to Inverkirkaig and Lochinver. This road makes a convenient circular tour if you are based at Lochinver or Kylesku.

As you pass the long slopes to Ben Mor you leave the hills and landscape that is so unique to Coigach and Assynt. The road crosses the wide valley of Strath Kanaird, home to a small hydro electric station and an obvious track that winds it way westwards into the wide expanse of hills south of the Cromalt Hills. By the river bridge a minor road covers the short distance to Blughasary - it has a small car park located a few yards beyond the houses. This is the start of a path to Culnacraig and the thence Achiltibuie along the northern shores of Loch Broom. It is only 8km along the path, a fraction of that taken by the road, but by all accounts and our own exploration this is a very rough path indeed - often difficult to find on the ground. You need to allow at least 3 hours. A new track (not shown on the OS map) also runs out to Lochan Eadar dha Bheinn, providing an access to Speicin Coinnich at the eastern end of the Ben Mor Coigach ridge.

The road reaches the coast again at Ardmair - on the short peninsula is a camping site and a row of static caravans but what draws the eye are the long cliffs of Ben Mor Coigach forming an impressive backdrop to the bay, a ridge that looks imposing and offering a splendid high level route. This is bourne out in practise although the easiest approach from the west end. This is the last view of the Coigach mountains and it provides a fitting finale, but if you want to see what the bay looked like before the tourist developments were added turn to The Best of Poucher's Scotland.

The main road again cuts across a headland to reach the northern shores of Loch Broom before dropping down the hillside to Ullapool. Note the radio mast - the directional beacon points inland yet the radio waves are bounced off a large hoarding that has been erected higher up the hillside.

South into Ullapool.