Leitir Fura – A Drove Road above the Sound of Sleat
About 4.5 miles on foot.
Leitir Fura is an abandoned township on the wooded slope above the Sound of Sleat, with the mountains of Knoydart across the water.
Forestry and Land Scotland's trail to it follows the old drove road along which the people of Sleat took their cattle to Kylerhea, where the beasts swam the narrows to the mainland. The trail is 7.2 km and takes about three hours.
- Time
- Three hours: 4½ miles (7.2 km), graded strenuous, with long steep slopes and about 170 m of climbing. A forest walk on an old drove road.
- The path
- Uneven gravel with long steep slopes, grassy and muddy stretches, two bridges and shallow fords.
- Where to start
- Forestry and Land Scotland's Kinloch Forest car park, free, on the A851 4¾ miles south of the A87 at Skulamus; the nearest postcode is IV43 8QY.
- Set off
- From November to January, set off by noon to be back in daylight.
- When to go
- All year in daylight. From November to January set off by noon.
- Dogs
- Under close control.
- Children
- Long, steep slopes: one for older children.
- Toilets
- None at the forest; the nearest are in Broadford, about 7 miles away.
- Before you set out
- Largely firm but uneven gravel, with grassy and muddy stretches, two bridges, shallow fords and low branches.
The walk
Park in Forestry and Land Scotland's Kinloch Forest car park, which is free. Its entrance is on the A851, the road to Armadale, 4¾ miles south of the junction with the A87 at Skulamus. The nearest toilets and cafés are in Broadford, about 7 miles away, so stop there first. The Leitir Fura Trail is 4½ miles, or 7.2 km. Forestry and Land Scotland allows three hours and grades it strenuous, and Walkhighlands gives the climb as about 170 metres.
Underfoot it's mostly firm but uneven gravel, with grassy stretches that can be muddy, two bridges, shallow fords and some low branches, and there are long, steep slopes of up to 600 metres. Wear boots. The trail keeps to an old drove road through the forest. The people of Sleat drove their cattle this way to the narrows of Kylerhea, where the animals swam the short distance to the mainland. The township of Leitir Fura stands empty beside it, low walls among the bracken, with the Sound of Sleat below and the hills of Knoydart across the water.
There's no shelter and nothing to buy on the trail, so bring food and a flask. Keep dogs under close control. From November to January, set off by noon.
If it rains
The forest gives a little shelter and the gravel stays firm, but the fords rise and the grassy stretches turn to mud after heavy rain. In low cloud Knoydart disappears, and with it half the walk.
Before you go
Book accommodation nearby
If you are staying over: here are ours nearest where the day starts and ends.
The nearest of ours is Kinloch Lodge.
Then Eilean Sionnach Lighthouse Cottage, 3 miles away. Sleeps 8.
For further reading, before you go.
Photograph by Elmar Nolden via Google