Cape Wrath Trail

Britain's toughest long walk, the Cape Wrath Trail runs roughly 370 km from Fort William to Cape Wrath, the remote north-western tip of the Scottish mainland. Unofficial and unmarked, it crosses the wildest, emptiest country in Britain and takes fit, experienced walkers two to three weeks.

The landscape is magnificently desolate: the great peaks of Knoydart and Torridon, the trackless bogs of the far north-west, hidden lochs, the Falls of Glomach and a final approach across the Ministry of Defence moorland to the lighthouse at Cape Wrath. There is no single official line, and several route variants exist.

This is a serious wilderness undertaking, with pathless terrain, unbridged river crossings that can become impassable after rain, and long gaps between any shelter. Walkers rely on bothies — simple unlocked shelters — and wild camping, carrying several days of food between the few resupply points. Navigation by map and compass is essential; there is no waymarking and no permit, though the Cape Wrath firing range occasionally restricts access.

The trail was popularised in the 1990s by guidebook writers linking existing stalkers' paths and bothies into a continuous route, and it has kept its raw, self-reliant character. The workable season is May to June and September, balancing longer days and firmer ground against the summer midge; even then, walkers must be equipped for sudden storms and swollen rivers in this exposed corner of Scotland.