Walks | North-West
Beinn Eighe Mountain Trail
Start: Car Park approx 4m West of Kinlochewe
Description: Walk on good paths up Beinn Eighe, with leaflet based guide.
OS Map: #19, Gairloch & Ullapool
Multimap: Online Map
The higher of two "guided" walks on the Northern slopes of Beinn Eighe. Though well maintained and easy to follow, this walk nevertheless does take a fair climb and has one or two steep drops. On cloudy days the path takes you well into the cloud base, so be prepared for cold inclement weather.
The path starts from the car park hemmed in between the Kinlochewe - Gairloch road and the shores of Loch Maree. Passing under the road the path is well marked and take the right fork and climb up through the trees onto the open hillside. Signs mark different areas of the path, these are explained by a leaflet you can pick up from a coin operated kiosk at the car park. The guide to the Mountain Trail describes the Mountain Trails as:
The Mountain Trail climbs through different zones of climate, vegetation and wildlife. These zones are found at different levels up the mountain and match the gradual changes found in nature as you move towards the Poles. For every 1000 feet you climb there are the same changes in temperature and vegetation that you would find by travelling 600 miles north. On the trail this impression is reinforced by increased exposure to wind and rain. The climb up the trail is therefore like a journey towards the Arctic.
Once in the open heater the path splits - the path heading down is the Woodland trail. Take the uphill path onto the rocks, and follow the series of cairns up across the granite towards the fence over the gorge. From here the path winds it's way up the hill by the stream, before gaining level ground and heading parallel to the loch.
On passing a small lochan and cairn the path beings to drop back toward the lochside, dropping into the trees and joining up with the outward path just before going under the road back to the car park.