Càrn Salachaidh from Strath Rusdale

In Strath Rusdale by the bins for 'Keeper's Cottage'

From the northern side of the Cromarty Firth, take the A9 heading north from near Dingwall towards Alness. Just before reaching Alness, turn off onto the B9176, which cuts across moorland heading north. Around 6km from the A9 junction, you'll reach the small school by Easter Ardross. Here, take the minor road heading west.

Follow this single-track road for roughly 10km. Travelling up Strath Rusdale, it winds past Ardross Castle and gradually narrows, eventually ending near the entrance to the Kildermorie Estate. Just before the estate gates, there's space to park a car or two by the bins for 'Keeper's Cottage'.

Kildermorie Lodge junction

From the keeper's cottage, the public road ends nearby at a turning circle with two gates and a hut. Beyond the right-hand gate, marked for Kildermorie Estate, a cattle grid is crossed to give access through forestry where the route continues for around 1km to a junction .

Although estate traffic runs left and downhill, the old drove road trends right on a quieter forestry line to reach a gate with a 'Road Closed' sign. Beyond this, a mound has been built across the track, then a rather overgrown section leads out of the forestry to a temporary bridge over a burn – likely the reason for the closure.

Shortly after the bridge, the track meets a forestry track merging from the left . It is then followed through recently felled ground for roughly 2km to a gate beneath the rocky knoll of Garbhan Mòr.

Through the gate, then negotiating a minor rockfall, the surface improves and settles into a long straight section beside a fence for almost 2km.

Lochan a' Chairn and Sron na Saobhaidhe

Lochan a' Chairn and Sron na Saobhaidhe

Above Lochan a' Chairn, Càrn Salachaidh at last comes into view

From the northern margin of the pinewood, the slope rises in deep heather with no paths to assist. Higher up, reaching the top of a flat dome , the vegetation eases, revealing Càrn Salachaidh still around 2km away across undulating and peat-hagged moorland where a direct line is rarely possible.

Nearing the foot of Càrn Salachaidh, heather thickens again for the final climb.

A trig point stands on a flat slab on Càrn Salachaidh's summit, but the highest point lies on a neighbouring tor, faintly reminiscent of Leabaidh an Daimh Bhuidhe on Ben Avon, though on a far smaller scale !

On Càrn Salachaidh's tor, looking over it's trig point towards Càrn Chuinneag

On Càrn Salachaidh's tor, looking over it's trig point towards Càrn Chuinneag

Returning along the drove road with Beinn Tharsuinn ahead

The return is along the same line, with Beinn Tharsuinn and its windfarm dominating the outlook ahead.

The drove road continues north-west under the slopes of Càrn Chuinneag to Glen Calvie, so the route could equally be approached from that side. Reaching the old lodge site from Glen Calvie is slightly shorter by bike than from Strath Rusdale, though the approach involves around 100m more ascent.

Background on the history of the drove road is available on the Scotways website: scotways.com/heritage-path/HP314 .