Hidden Scotland
Sign in
Green tent pitched on grass beside a loch flanked by hills
Fort William

North West Wilderness Weekend with Thistle Trekking

Welcome

The North West Wilderness Weekend gives you the chance to walk the first 4 days of the Cape Wrath Trail, from Fort William to Kinloch Hourn.

It is perhaps the most remote and wild section of the entire Cape Wrath Trail. Due to its extremely remote nature, two nights of this trek will be spent wild camping. Wild camping means sleeping out away from any camp site, in country that is hard to reach any other way.

Highlights of the North West Wilderness Weekend

  • Walking along the beautiful Cona Glen, following the Cona River.
  • Seeing The 21-arched Glenfinnan Viaduct (made famous by the Harry Potter Films).
  • Wild camping in an extremely remote part of the UK.
  • Views along Barisdale Bay and Loch Hourn.

    • The Daily

    Arrives at 5am every day.

    A free morning email to see what’s on this week, catch up on what’s happening in Scotland and find somewhere new to go.

    The Daily for 1 November, from Scotland with love. A misty lane runs past slate-roofed cottages toward a wooded hillside.
    Round the cornerThe Great Glen WayA 79-mile way from Fort William to Inverness along the Caledonian Canal and Loch Ness, walked in stages.1 min by roadSee itTall pines and mossy ground in a misty forest along the Great Glen.

    Been here? Tell others what you know, and the best go on this page with your name.

    Add your review
    Close by
    1. Jacobite Steam TrainJacobite Steam TrainA steam train from Fort William to Mallaig and back, 84 miles over the Glenfinnan Viaduct, in summer.Under a mile 1 min by road
    2. Fort WilliamFort WilliamThe town under Ben Nevis at the head of Loch Linnhe, where the West Highland Way ends and the Jacobite leaves.Under a mile 1 min by road
    3. Bare trees reflected in a still river beside a stone-lined bankEast Highland Way with Thistle TrekkingUnder a mile 1 min by road
    4. Walkers pause on a wooden bridge with twisted branch railings amid fernsThe Great Glen Way by Thistle TrekkingThe Great Glen Way is a 79 mile trek which begins in Fort William and finishes in Inverness.Under a mile 1 min by road
    5. The copper stills in the still house at Ben Nevis Distillery, a group of visitors among them.Ben Nevis DistilleryA whisky distillery at Lochy Bridge on the edge of Fort William, founded in 1825, with a visitor centre, coffee shop, tours and tastings.Under a mile 1 min by road
    Directions
    Tall pines and mossy ground in a misty forest along the Great Glen.AttractionsThe Great Glen Way0.2 miles
    Stone perimeter wall with "Historic Area, No Camping, No Fires" sign beside a gravel pathAttractionsThe Old Fort0.4 miles
    The front of the Wildcat on Fort William's High Street, its window full of the café.CafeThe Wildcat0.5 miles
    Corner building on a cobbled street housing The Highland BookshopShoppingHighland Bookshop0.6 miles
    The Lime Tree's stone house with blue windows behind its garden and a great tree, Fort William.RestaurantsLime Tree Hotel0.8 miles
    Passengers aboard a blue tour boat crossing a calm loch below green hillsRestaurantsCrannog at Garrison West1.0 miles
    The curtain wall and towers of Old Inverlochy Castle round its grassy courtyard.AttractionsOld Inverlochy Castle1.5 miles
    The Highland Soap Company's long white building with its timber gable, trees behind, a car park in front.ShoppingThe Highland Soap Company Fort William1.6 miles
    The Great Hall at Inverlochy Castle at night, with glass chandeliers, tall curtained windows, armchairs and a piano.RestaurantsSeasgair by Michel Roux Jr2.6 miles

    Recommend to a friend

    Stay nearby

    Places to stay near North West Wilderness Weekend with Thistle Trekking, and when each is next free.

    RiverBeds at Woodlands Glencoe
    • Sleeps 2
    • In Ballachulish
    • 10 miles from North West Wilderness Weekend with Thistle Trekking
    Check dates    Stormhouse South, Argyll and ButeStormhouse South
    • Sleeps 2
    • In Appin
    • 20 miles from North West Wilderness Weekend with Thistle Trekking
    Free 31 Jan – 5 Feb    Stormhouse North, Argyll and ButeStormhouse North
    • Sleeps 2
    • In Appin
    • 20 miles from North West Wilderness Weekend with Thistle Trekking
    Free 1–6 Feb    Glenhurich Lodge, white-harled with dormer windows, at the end of its track behind a beech hedge, snow on the hills beyond.Glenhurich Lodge
    • Sleeps 11
    • In Glenhurich
    • 20 miles from North West Wilderness Weekend with Thistle Trekking
    Check dates    Places to stayEvery stay in Fort WilliamAll our places to stay nearby, to search by date and by who is coming.See them all
    Hidden Scotland, the magazine

    Scotland, in print.

    We want to show you the best that Scotland has to offer. The makers and the creatives, the enduring experiences, the evocative tales, the concealed corners. The roads less travelled that take you to places that matter. The adventures that gather you up and sweep you away. The blend of the wild and the artistic that makes Scotland what it is. We’d love for you to join us.

    Get Issue 13Read it here
    Read on

    The collections it is in and more in Fort William.

    CollectionAdventures in Scotland Worth BookingCollectionStops Worth Making on the North Coast 500
    More in Fort William