Uath Lochans – Pinewood Pools and a Crag above the Spey
Uath Lochans are small, still pools in the pines of Inshriach, above Glen Feshie.
Forestry and Land Scotland marks two trails from one free car park: an hour's round of the water on gravel and boardwalk, and a steeper hour and a half up Farleitter Crag for the view over the Spey valley. Walk either, or both in a morning.
- Time
- About an hour for the Uath Lochans Trail, 2.4 km (1.5 miles), graded moderate. About an hour and a half for the Farleitter Crag Trail, 4 km (2.5 miles), graded strenuous. Both are Forestry and Land Scotland's figures.
- The path
- Round the lochans, a firm gravel path, often narrow, with boardwalk and a few short, moderately steep stretches. Up the crag, steeper, with uneven and loose stretches, wet and muddy after rain.
- Where to start
- The Uath Lochans car park, Forestry and Land Scotland's, a mile up a narrow no-through road off the Kincraig to Insh road by Feshiebridge. Free. No overnight parking. A satnav set to PH21 1NX goes a little past it.
- When to go
- All year in daylight. To walk both trails between November and January, set off by noon.
- Dogs
- Under close control. Check for ticks afterwards.
- Children
- The round of the lochans suits children who can manage a narrow path beside open water. The crag is a steeper climb.
- Toilets
- None here. The nearest are in Kingussie, Aviemore and Glenmore.
- Before you set out
- No overnight parking or camping in the car park.
The walk
The Uath Lochans car park is Forestry and Land Scotland's and there's no charge. It's reached from Kincraig by the Feshiebridge road and then a mile of narrow no-through road, and a satnav set to PH21 1NX will carry you a little past it. Overnight parking and camping aren't allowed. The name is said 'wah lochans', and it means the small lochs of the hawthorn. Two waymarked trails start here.
The Uath Lochans Trail is a mile and a half, or 2.4 km, graded moderate, and takes about an hour. It keeps close to the water among Scots pines, some of them more than 120 years old, on a firm gravel path that is often narrow, with boardwalk in places and a few short, moderately steep stretches. Lichens and mosses grow thick under the trees, red squirrels live in the pines, and in summer there are frogs and dragonflies by the water. The Farleitter Crag Trail is two and a half miles, or 4 km, graded strenuous, and takes about an hour and a half. It climbs among tall trees and rock outcrops to wide views of the Spey valley and the Glen Feshie hills.
Its path is mostly firm and smooth, with uneven and loose stretches, and it can be wet and muddy after rain. There are no toilets here. The nearest are in Kingussie, Aviemore and Glenmore, and the nearest places to eat are in Kincraig. Keep dogs under close control, and check for ticks afterwards. To walk both trails between November and January, set off by noon.
If it rains
The round of the lochans is mostly under trees and a shower does it no harm, though the boardwalk is slippery when wet. Keep Farleitter Crag for a dry, clear day: its path turns muddy and the view is the point of it.
Before you go
Book accommodation nearby
If you are staying over: here are ours nearest where the day starts and ends.
For further reading, before you go.