Tain Hill Walks ⋆ Ross and Cromarty Heritage

Tain Hill Walks

Attribution: unknown (Procession in High Street for Diamond Jubilee 1897)

Tain Hill Walks

These walks start from the car park at the top of the road up Tain Hill, past Carnegie Lodge Motel and Viewfield Farm. A track leads up firstly through alternate forest and more open ground, skirting round the area of the old quarries, then finally over a tract of open heather moor more recently planted, eventually reaching a viewpoint above the old ruined croft of Quarryhill. From here stretch out uninterrupted views of the Dornoch Firth, the Sutherland coast and hills beyond and most of the Tarbat Peninsula. The shorter walk carries on from here by going downhill along the powerline past Japanese larches planted to add autumn colour. At the bottom of the hill, the route turns left and back along the forest road to the car park. This walk is about one and a half miles long.

Route map of Tain Hill short walk

Attribution: unknown

A longer circuit (approx. 4 miles) can be followed by going uphill along the powerline from the viewpoint and over the hill turning left onto the forest road at the bottom. This passes Lochan Uaine and its two “satellite” lochans. Thanks to recent forest clearance there is a clear view of and across these lochans up onto Cnoc an t-Sabhail. Not far beyond these lochans the forest road sweeps round to the right but the walk follows the track bearing left. After under half a mile the track passes close to a ravine at the end of which it curves round to the left. Here a cleared section allows a view across a valley (the Lairgs of Tain area) and some distance towards the west. Continue on the track till it meets a forest road. Turn left onto this road and it leads to the car park after approx. one and a half miles.

Route map of Tain Hill longer walk