| Knoydart - the last wilderness
30 August-6 September
Leaders - Paul Heppleston (01629 540969) and Cate Macfarlane
"You can walk here, you can jump on a boat, or some people
even turn up by helicopter. But you can't drive here, which helps make
Knoydart a very special place - it would be impossible to take a
conventional vehicle over the hills.” (http://www.knoydart-foundation.com/home/).
 Knoydart is a block of land jutting out from mainland Inverness-shire just to the SE of Skye. It is bounded to the north by Glenelg and to the south and east by Mallaig and Lochaber; this is some of the wildest land in Britain, now owned and managed by the Knoydart Foundation. There are many superlative adjectives applied to Knoydart, but the best ones are those you find for yourself.
Barrisdale from the hills © Copyright AlastairG and
licensed
for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence
This true away-from-it-all time is a first for Journeying and its predecessor Pilgrim Adventure; even just reaching Knoydart is an adventure, for there are particular challenges getting to this most remote part of Britain’s mainland - its seven miles of tarred road.are not connected to the UK road system.
Other places are further from big cities, but Knoydart can only be reached in 3 ways:
---a scheduled ferry from Mallaig across Loch Nevis to Inverie, the only village.
---walking in with all your gear from Kinlochhourn, via an 8-mile path alongside the southern shore of L.Hourn.
---arranging private boat transport from Kinlochhourn along the northern edge of Knoydart; this is our means of accessing what has been described as ‘Britain’s last wilderness’.
Our journey takes us to Barisdale, surrounded by wild mountain scenery which includes Knoydart’s highest Munro (Ladhar Bheinn,1020 m).
Accommodation - a night’s B&B nr Invergarry at beginning and end of the holiday; in Barisdale we’ll stay for five nights in the only house. We’ll need to take all our provisions - and sleeping bags - in one go (no shop, phone, or roads) and keep our own luggage to a minimum; but we shall get some transport help in moving us, our gear and food from the landing place to the house (1½
miles). Sleeping will hopefully be arranged in a 2-to-a-room basis.
There is a limit on numbers (max. 6-7) so early booking is essential.
Photo - © Copyright Donald Thomas and
licensed
for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence
Walks and activities - it’s all just there, waiting to be explored - silence is waiting to be felt - and Ladhar Bheinn waiting to be climbed (if you really want to). We’ll also go by boat to
Sandaig on the northern (Glenelg) side of L. Hourn to spend some hours
in and around the site of Camusfearna, Gavin Maxwell’s home where he
wrote ‘Ring of Bright Water’.
Getting there
- meet in Glasgow at about midday on 30th August. Travel in two cars to
Kinlochhourn where cars will be left; then boat to Barisdale. Return to
Glasgow by noon-ish on 6th Sept.
Cost : £460
This holiday is particularly unique, so get in touch with Paul H. to go over details before you book.
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