Heritage Path of the Month.
The Thieves Road (Dalwhinnie to Fort William) is our Heritage Path of the Month for November 2024, click here to view the details
More about the Thieves Road:
Starting in Dalwhinnie*, follow the road beside Loch Ericht to Ben Alder Lodge. Turn off to the left at Loch Pattack to the Culra bothy (now closed). After the bothy, continue along for about 1/2 mile before veering off from the track to cross the Uisge Labhair (near to NN469720). The path is indistinct here for a time, but follow the stream south to Corrour Shooting Lodge. It’s possible to continue onwards along either side of Loch Ossian, at the southwest end of which is the Loch Ossian Youth Hostel, and Corrour Station beyond that if you wish to break this journey. To continue onwards follow The Road To The Isles towards Loch Treig, passing under a railway bridge en route. Loch Treig can also be reached more directly from Corrour Station if starting your journey there. Either way, follow this loch’s south shore towards Creaguaineach Lodge crossing the bridge over the Abhainn Rath. The next section has multiple river crossing, so may be hazardous in very wet conditions… Follow the path besides the Rath until you are opposite the ruins of Luibeilt; ford the river here. Continue along the riverside path until you reach the Allt Coire a’Bhinnein, which will also need to be forded. After fording, again follow the Abhainn Rath for about 300 yards before heading off to the left through boggy ground to join a westward path below Tom an Eite. Follow this path to Steall, where you join the rocky track through the gorge to Fort William.
*On 28th July 2021, Network Rail unilaterally closed the level crossing south of Dalwhinnie station. ScotWays has been working with others ever since to resolve the access problem created by this action. As part of this work, Ramblers Scotland created an e-petition supported by ScotWays, British Horse Society Scotland, Cycling UK in Scotland, Mountaineering Scotland, the Munro Society and the Scottish Canoe Association; over 9000 people signed.
For the time-being, to safely access the Thieves Road from the station, it is necessary to follow Station Road east to the A889, then follow the road south for 0.5km, and then turn-off it west to access a railway underpass. Once on the other side of the railway, take a right turn and once past the Loch Ericht dam the historic route can be joined. If approaching Dalwhinnie from the west, as Network Rail have provided no advance warning of the level crossing closure from this direction, be aware that you’ll need to turn SSE either along the Loch Ericht dam or at NN663844 follow its parallel track to reach the railway underpass.
This long route was used for centuries by cattle thieves making their way south and west from the Central Highlands. It passes by two of the great mountains in Scotland, Ben Alder and Ben Nevis, and heads over the northern edge of Rannoch Moor. In the old days, cattle thieves in the relatively lawless Speyside and Badenoch regions would make their way to Lochaber to sell their prizes. This route would have been one of their primary routes to the Lochaber region, and to Fort William in particular. The Black Watch, which was created to stop cattle thieving, was based, in part, at Dalwhinnie at the beginning of this route. Presumably, this was due to the route’s popularity amongst reivers.
The first stretch of the Thieves Road from Dalwhinnie thence along Loch Ericht forms part of a route to Loch Rannoch shown on Roy’s Military Map of 1747-52. The inclusion of this section is testament to its importance and long-standing use.
More about Heritage Paths:
Learn about the history of some of the oldest transport routes in Scotland. Heritage Paths records the history of over 400 routes that criss-cross the Scottish landscape. From Roman Roads to Military Roads, find out how the route you are following came into being.
As well as historical information, you’ll find a modern-day route description along with start and finish details. Change the background mapping in our interactive viewer and time travel along your favourite Heritage Path from 1843 to today.