Affric Kintail Way
About Affric Kintail Way
A trail through the Scottish Highlands from Drumnadrochit near Loch Ness to Morvich in Kintail. The route passes through ancient Caledonian pine forests, along the shores of Loch Affric, and over mountain passes with sweeping views of some of Scotland's wildest and most remote landscapes.
Affric Kintail Way map
The interactive map shows the whole route, with accommodation, water and public transport along the way.
Affric Kintail Way route planner
Build a day-by-day itinerary in the route planner, find accommodations along the route, and download the GPX file. Start from an example below or from scratch.
3-Day ItineraryShown below
This itinerary walks the Affric Kintail Way from Drumnadrochit on Loch Ness to Morvich at the head of Loch Duich in three days with a tent. The first day climbs through woodland onto forest roads above Glen Urquhart, then crosses farmland by Loch Meiklie on the way to the campsite in Cannich. The second passes Dog Falls and follows the shore of Loch Beinn a' Mheadhoin into the Caledonian pinewoods, ending with a wild camp on the beach at the west end of Loch Affric. The last day crosses remote upper Glen Affric past Alltbeithe and Camban bothy, then drops through Gleann Lichd to Kintail. Without a tent, walk on from Cannich to the Glen Affric hostel at Alltbeithe instead, a long day; the hostel opens from April to September.
Affric Kintail Way stages
3 days, 76 km and 1,489 m of ascent. These stages follow the 3-Day Itinerary. Open it in the route planner to split or merge days and choose where you sleep.
- Stage 125.5 kmâ 670 m ¡ â 654 m ¡
8â9h with stopsDrumnadrochit Cannich
A long first day that starts with a steep climb through woodland to forest roads looking back over Loch Ness, then crosses farmland and more forestry before dropping to the River Glass.
Night at Cannich Woodland Camping and Caravan Park - Stage 226.9 kmâ 552 m ¡ â 383 m ¡
8â9h with stopsCannich Loch Affric
A long day on good forest roads with one steep climb through Scots pine above Dog Falls, then the wooded shore of Loch Beinn a' Mheadhoin and a boggy last drop to the beach.
Night at Loch Affric beach wild camp - Stage 324.0 kmâ 267 m ¡ â 490 m ¡
7â8h with stopsLoch Affric Morvich
A remote day far from any road: up the empty upper glen past Camban bothy to the watershed, then a steep descent beside waterfalls into Gleann Lichd and a long walk by the river under the Five Sisters.
Best time to go
- Best time1 Apr â 31 May, 1 Sept â 30 Sept
- Good time1 Mar â 31 Mar, 1 Jun â 31 Aug, 1 Oct â 31 Oct
- Possible, with care1 Nov â 29 Feb
April, May and September are the best months, with the glen at its best and the midges away. They bite hardest from June to August, and Glen Affric is midge country in still weather. From November to February the daylight is short and the Camban stretch runs a long way from a road, which matters more in the dark half of the year.