Strathfarrar to Strathglass Drove Road Show path on map
Start location: Inchvuilt ( NH 230 387 )
End location: unclassified road, Glen Cannich ( NH 326 317 )
Geographical area: Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey
Path type: Drove Road
Path distance: 20km
Accessibility info: Suitable for pedestrians
Route Description
This is part of the old route from Poolewe and Wester Ross to the Corrieyairack and the south, but our route description goes in the opposite direction. Take the unclassified road 10km up Glen Cannich from Cannich village to Liatrie. Go north up the Liatrie Burn by a narrow path, at first on the west side of the burn and then, crossing at NH252345, on the east side to the ruins of a shieling. This point can now be reached more easily by a track starting just east of the Liatrie Burn and going directly uphill through two deer fences with gates. Climb north from the shieling up open moorland to reach the saddle between An Soutar and Meallan Odhar. The right of way takes a sharp left turn at NH260378 to continue on the S side of the River Farrar to Inchvuilt. All river crossings in this area are potentially dangerous in flood conditions and due to sudden dischages from the Monar dam. Alternatively continue down the east side of the Allt Innis na Larach to a footbridge at NH263383 over the River Farrar to reach the private road along Strathfarrar.
OS Landranger 25 (Glen Carron & surrounding area) and 26 (Inverness & Strathglass area)
Heritage Information
This route from Strathfarrar via Glen Cannich to Strathglass is known to be part of the long distance drove route from Poolewe and Wester Ross to the Corrieyairack Pass and beyond. From Glen Cannich, at Tom Buidhe northwest of Cannich village, the drove road crossed low on the east shoulder of Beinn a' Chairein and thence to Fasnakyle Bridge, but this line is lost to forestry. The route south can be picked up again in Tomich. It is known that cattle were driven from Cannich across the hill to Glen Strathfarrar as recently as 1928.
The crest of the ridge between An Soutar and Meallan Odhar was the furthest north point on the mainland reached by Prince Charlie in his wanderings after Culloden, and it was there that he received the unwelcome news that the boat that he hoped would take him to France had sailed without him.
