HILL WALKING

The hills in Assynt can only be described as spectacular and beautiful. They are thought to be the oldest in Britain and contain some of the great mountains of the North such as Suilven, Canisp, Quinag Stac Polly and Ben More Assynt which is our nearest Munro, a "walkers’ paradise", from the coast to high peaks! 

Perhaps no other mountain inspires wonder like the magnificent “Suilven” which dominates the skyline of Assynt. A testing 2389ft high! The difficulty in Suilven is not in the climbing however but the getting there! Setting out from Lochinver the walk to the foot of the hill can take up to three hours before you even begin the ascent. However, the views from Suilven’s majestic peak more than justify the long walk to the base.

Quinaig is perhaps the most impressive ridge walk though and is readily accessible from the road between Loch Assynt to Kylesku. 

Kirkaig Chalets are the Ideal location for all these hills & prove to be very popular with the walkers!

The Walk Highlands site provides excellent information about walking in Assynt along with the grade of the walk.

FISHING

Assynt has always been a very popular area for all types of Angler! There are literally hundreds of fresh water lochs with an abundance of wild brown trout.  Sea Anglers have been coming to Lochinver and Kylesku for many years to sample the offshore fishing around the coast, which has been considered as some of the best available in Britain!

The Kirkaig Chalets are the ideal location for fishing, with some excellent fishings on the Inver & Kirkaig rivers for both Salmon and trout. The chalets are only 200m away from the mouth of river Kirkaig, 100m from Loch Kirkaig and close to numerous hill lochs. The river Kirkaig is more challenging and produces constant catches each year for a river of only three miles in length. The river Inver offers salmon fishing on three stretches, the Upper, Lower Middle and Lower most being easily accessible to all. 

A short distance north of Lochinver is Lagg Fishery which is open all year, where both wild brown and stocked rainbow trout from 2lbs to 10lbs are on offer. 

The Highland School of Fly Fishing under the professional instruction of Stephen Smith offers fishing instruction, more information is available from www.flyfishing-scotland.net.

Salmon Fishing - mid June to 15th October
The rivers Inver and Kirkaig will provide you with a memorable fishing experience, and must be booked via CKD Galbraith of Sporting Lets. Their number is 01738 451600 or you can email sporting@ckdgalbraith.co.uk. Beats available from £80 - £220 throughout the season.

Trout Fishing - 15th March - 5th October
There is an abundance of trout angling available in Assynt of a huge variety, suiting all angling and physical abilities. It is genuinely a treasure trove for anglers. The Assynt Angling Association is a collection of local landowners who have put all their trout fishing together under one umbrella. The AAA area stretches from Ardroe just North of Lochinver, east past Loch Assynt to the limestone hills behind Inchnadamph and south to include Lochs Cam, Veyatie and Fionn. It includes some fabulous fishing of an enormous variety: huge lochs such as Assynt and Veyatie, limestone corrie lochs and small, remote mountain lochans. Permits are incredibly good value at just £5 a day or £25/£30 per week given the quality and quantity of wild brown trout in the area and the huge variety of fishing locations. Permits can be obtained from many local businesses including the Lochinver Post Office, Achin’s Bookshop at Inverkirkaig and the Lochinver Tourist Information Centre. Boat permits are also available on many lochs from Peter Hendrich 01571 844076.

Sea Fishing
Assynt is also a hotspot for sea anglers and there are lots of opportunities for
the beginner and expert alike. Sea fishing is possible from the beaches, rocks, pier and from boats. You can fish from the beach and rocks at Achmelvich, Clachtoll, Stoer Bay and peninsular, Culkein, Clashnessie and round to Drumbeg, Nedd and Kylesku. There are lots of Pollack and Coley and in July and August particularly, Mackerel. However, you can also catch flat fish such as Plaice and there has also been reports of Sea Bass caught from some of the beaches.

Sea Angling Boat Trips
There are no regular sea angling trips from Lochinver harbour. However a local boat owner, Willie Macleod, can take parties of up to 6 out on the Dorothy Anne. The cost is around £150 for 4 hours and is of course weather dependent. For bookings, phone 01571 844 250.

Visit  http://www.assyntangling.co.uk if you need any more information.

WALKS

The Falls of Kirkaig which can be seen on the photo to the left is perhaps the headline walk from the chalets. Only a couple of hundred yards away is the lovely River Kirkaig, and the start of the 2 mile walk up to the falls. A good pathway and great scenery!


River Inver walk is also a great circular walk from the bridge in Lochinver up a fast flowing river valley, across to Glencanisp with a stunning view of Suilven and a good walk back along a single track road to Lochninver.... great excuse for a coffee or a beer in the village!


Culag Woods has a variety of trails through the 40-hectare mixed woodland and down to the shore.The woodlands have become the venue for many exciting projects such as the sculpture trail, the heron-viewing project, the tepee and children’s play area.

The Wood is a great place to see wildlife and if you walk quietly through the woods you might see an otter or pine marten! You will certainly hear some of the herons which nest high in the tree tops. A mixture of native trees and conifers create a mosaic of habitats interspersed with rocky crags and boggy swamps sloping down to the rugged coast.  Over one hundred species of flowering plants can be found in the woods along with a rich growth of mosses and lichens in the moist and clean sea air.

The Bone Caves are a series of natural caves set into a high limestone cliff called Creag nan Uamh (Crag of the Caves) . The caves are named for the large numbers of animal bones found during excavations. There are four main cave openings in the cliffs, formed before the last ice age by water dissolving limestone in cracks in the surrounding rock. Subsequent glacial action and erosion of the glen by water left the caves hundreds of feet above the valley floor. There is no indication that the caves were ever used as human habitat, but two separate human burials have been discovered within the caves. 

The Stoer Head Lighthouse stands on a rocky promontory surrounded on two sides by cliffs near the westernmost point of the Stoer Peninsula. Some twelve miles by single track road North of Lochinver this is a remote spot. The lighthouse was built in 1870.  You can walk to the Old Man of Stoer from the lighthouse which is a pinnacle of rock or sea-stack, 200 feet high. The walk is fairly level , but gives some splendid views of the rugged coastal scenery. This is the best walk in Assynt for whale and dolphin spotting. There is a 'little blue tea van' situated just before the lighthouse which is a must, I can highly recommend the chocolate brownies & hot chocolate!

There are few walks in the Northwest set-up for wheelchairs (and those who don't want to get wet boots!) . The Leitir Easaidh All-abilities path visits two lochs with shelters and toilets, and has stunning views across this wild landscape to the surrounding mountains. It's an excellent constructed path with easy gradients; suitable for wheelchairs and prams. There is also toilet facilities at two points on the walk. You can start this walk from the Leitir Easaidh car park, A837.

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Kayaking and sea trips

Photo from the NorWest Sea Kayaking Site

The Assynt coastline provides a superb playground for all types of water-based activities, be it yachting, canoeing, kayaking, surfing, diving, water-skiing, swimming or just paddling. The beaches are amongst the cleanest in Britain and the water is crystal clear all year round. Wet-suits are recommended for any activities in the sea as it can be a degree or two colder than anticipated even during the summer months. There are slipways at Lochinver & Kylesku that are available for visitors to launch boats from, and many places to access the sea with kayaks & canoes.

There are superb waters for seakayaking and canoeing of all descriptions. Seakayak hire, lessons and tours are available through Norwest Sea Kayaking based in the Achiltibuie-Summer Isles, Ullapool, Gairloch & Lochinver areas. Sea cruises are available out of Tarbet with Scourie Wildlife Cruises.

Inver Cruises

Take a 90min Costal Cruise on the 31ft "Ros Kynoch" and witness the stunning scenery surrounding one of the most beautiful destinations in Europe.  

Trips to the North take you to Split Rock at Clachtoll - you can see it from a different angle. It will also take you to the Hermits Castle and Achmelvich bay.

Trips to the South will take you to the Island of Soyea.

The cruises let you see all the breathtaking scenery in the area from see with views of all the mountains & a chance to spot some of the local wildlife.

Book early to avoid disappointment. Click here for the link to their facebook page.

Wildlife watching

Inchnadamph is the largest area of limestone in Scotland and great for wildflowers. June is the best month to see some of the more interesting plants such as Mountain Avens, Globeflower, Holly Fern and Serrated Wintergreen. but there are other rarities just waiting to be found. Look out for Red Deer, Golden Eagles and Merlin. Grey Wagtails, Golden Plover and Ring Ouzels also breed here.

Stoer Lighthouse mentioned above has superb views over the Minch and is a great place for Whale and Dolphin watching. You will need patience, a pair of good binoculars and a calm day. The most likely species you will see are Harbour Porpoise, Minke Whale and Common Dolphin but Killer Whales are frequently seen as well as Atlanctic White-sided and Risso Dolphins. Look out for grey seals as well as nesting Kittiwakes, Fulmars, Ravens, Peregrines and Great Skuas.

River Kirkaig is a great river for migratory Salmon and where it reaches the sea it is good for Otters. Along the banks you can see Grey Wagtails and Dippers as well as Gold-ringed and Common Aeshna Dragonflies. On the shore you may see Red-breasted Mergansers, Eider Ducks and Grey Herons. the woodlands along the river are good for Tree Pipits and if you are lucky you may see one of the resident Pine Martens.

The steep cliffs of Handa Island are home to huge colonies of breeding seabirds. 100,000 seabirds gather to breed here, including internationally important numbers of guillemot, razorbill and great skua. Puffins also come to breed here. A short ferry ride takes you over to the Island, but allow 4 hours for a circular walk over the island and along the cliffs.

Climbing

Climbing is very popular near the Kirkaig Chalets! There are numerous climbing routes - on the sea stack at Stoer, on some of the coastal cliffs, and on the sandstone mountains. 


The Old Man of Stoer is popular with climbers due to it's height and approachability. The stack is composed of Torridonian sandstone, and is 60 metres (200 ft) high. It has become something of a legend among climbers as you can see below!

PLACES TO VISIT

This is by no means a comprehensive list of places to go in the area, there are plenty of others too.

The Little Soap & Candle Company, Gift Shop & Secret Tea Garden is a small family run business which has been welcoming visitors from all over the world for more than 10 years. Luxurious aromatic soy wax candles are handmade on the premises, plus natural soaps and gentle toiletries are handmade using natures finest ingredients. A select range of gifts includes:- Celtic Leatherwork, Handmade Pottery, Local Artwork, Fair trade and Locally made gifts and hand-decorated Glass. Take a look out of the back door of the Gift Shop and you will discover a Secret Hidden Tea Garden, where 'comfort' food is served daily. Relax with a delicious slice of cake, or scones with jam & cream ... a cup of fresh coffee or tea, hot chocolate piled high with cream and marshmallows or why not try some fabulous homemade lemonade. All served in fantastic handmade 'sheep pots!

Achins Bookshop near the chalets sells a wide variety of books and publications on Scotland as a whole and on the local area.

There are also woollen goods, crafts, framed prints, children's books, Scottish music, giftware, pottery, films, postcards and a host of other things. Agnes and Alex invite you to sample the fine food and refreshing drinks in their coffee shop, and browse through the wonderful and vast selection of books.

The Assynt Visitor Centre is home to the Tourist Information Centre and the local Highland Council Rangers. As well as numerous free leaflets on display, staff members are on hand to provide advice. Displays inside the Centre include a CD Rom of Assynt, a reference section on geology, history, wildlife, walking and recent wildlife sightings. At the centre of the ground floor is a large table containing a three-dimensional map of Assynt showing the surrounding landscape as well as a companion map showing the areas covered by glaciers during the last Ice Age. The upper floor features a number of educational actvities for kids as well.

Eating out / pubs

Peet’s restaurant prides itself on serving top quality, locally sourced produce from all over the Scottish Highlands and Lochinver Harbour, so don’t be surprised if you see fishing boats bringing in their catches straight to the restaurant.

Chez Roux Restaurant -  The legendary Albert Roux has taken over the kitchens at Inver Lodge. Mr Roux explains that he provides "Hearty country cooking using all the wonderful products from the sea, which is literally at the doorstep."

The Albannach - A dining room of dark wood, rugs, log fire (when appropriate) and stunning sea and mountain views is the setting for an unhurried, set five course dinner, the showcase for all things local, free range and wild. The Albannach was awarded a Michelin star in 2009, one of the food industry's highest awards, and has retained the accolade in each of the subsequent four years.

The Caberfeidh - dining pub located in the heart of the village where the River Inver meets the sea, serving tapas-style bites and larger plates prepared using fresh locally sourced ingredients from land and sea.

Nearby sandy beaches

Clachtoll Beach

Achmelvich Beach

OTHER INFORMATION

The nearest shops to the Kirkaig Chalets are the Spar & the Costcutters which are in Lochinver 3 miles away. There is also a petrol station in Lochinver across from the Spar.

There is a fish van that comes on a Wednesday at 1 to 1.30 pm at the post office in Lochinver & it's usually there for an hour. You can also sometimes get prawns off the local fisherman at 5pm weekdays at the ice plant. The Ice plant is opposite the Culag hotel. 


If you are looking to go out for dinner or fancy having a drink at Lochinver here's the link to the local taxi service http://northwestwheels.co.uk it would be advisable to book in advance.

USEFUL LINKS

The following websites all contain useful information for the area:-

www.norwestseakayaking.com
www.assyntangling.co.uk
www.assyntanglinginfo.org.uk
www.walkhighlands.co.uk
www.undiscoveredscotland.co.uk/areacait/self.html
www.discoverassynt.co.uk
www.assyntflyfishing.com
www.greenleesbutchers.co.uk