Loch Ness 360° Section Four

24.5 km or 15 miles

For this fourth part of the Loch Ness 360° walk, which takes you from Fort Augustus to Foyers, you will follow the South Loch Ness Trail (SLNT). Look for the blue signage with a squirrel along the route.

Dog walkers! Please keep your dog on a lead at all times on the first part of the trail from Fort Augustus to Loch Tarff (Glendoe Estate), from Loch Tarff to Suidhe and when passing through Dell Farm at Whitebridge. Thank you for your understanding and co-operation.

Stage 1

In Fort Augustus, follow the main road A82 over the canal swing bridge. You will come to a junction where the A82 turns right. Here you follow the B862 signposted Whitebridge/Foyers. You will soon see a gate on your left-hand side that marks the start of the South Loch Ness Trail footpath. Start following the path, which has been newly constructed, and enjoy the views of Loch Ness! The path goes through a grassy field (there are often sheep in this field) and then starts climbing uphill. Keep following the path uphill and as you climb steadily enjoy panoramic views of the famous Loch.

Stage 2

The path slowly turns away from Loch Ness and leads inland, where it levels off. Take care when coming up to Works – you pass through a couple of gates here, watch out for trucks and machinery! Shortly after Glendoe, the track descends back to the B862, where you cross a bridge and then re-join the track on the other side. Here the path dips down to a lovely picnic spot near a waterfall.

Stage 3

Soon the lovely Loch Tarff comes into view on the left-hand side. The trail takes you back to the B862 once again and you cross the road here and join a more rugged path on the other side of the road. There are several tracks here but look out for the most visible one next to a sign advising dog owners to keep dogs on leads. From here you start climbing steadily along a rocky path towards Suidhe viewpoint.

Stage 4

Once you reach the highest point of this section at Suidhe viewpoint you will see amazing views of South Loch Ness and Stratherrick, when you start descending from the viewpoint, take the man-made path to the left (marked by a blue boulder) rather than the well-used path going straight ahead leading to the road and car park. Follow the path across moorland looking towards Loch Knockie until it joins a wide forestry track –turn right here. Forestry work is taking place here, so watch out for vehicles while walking along the track for a short time.

Stage 5

Look out for the blue marker on the left-hand side and take the man-made trail away from the forestry track and across an area of felled trees, until you emerge on to a single-track road, which leads to Knockie Lodge. Take a right here and follow the road until it leads you back to the B862. Cross the road carefully and re-join a wide track on the opposite side. Follow this track until you see a wooden bridge on the left-hand side. Follow the path on your left leading away from the forestry track towards a small stream and cross the wooden bridge.

Stage 6

Take a left after crossing the bridge and follow the stream on your left through an area of trees and grassy tracks until you reach a gate on your right. Follow the grassy path alongside a drainage ditch until you reach a single-track road, where you turn left. You now follow this road until you get to a T-junction – turn left here. You will already see the first houses of Whitebridge and after crossing a bridge, turn right onto a man-made path along the river for a short while until you emerge onto the B862 just outside Whitebridge.

Stage 7

Here you have to walk on the road for a short while until you get to the centre of the village and the Whitebridge Hotel – a great stop for refreshments! Just before you get to the two bridges (the modern one used by the B862 and the historic bridge to the right) turn off the road on your left and follow a farm track signposted “Dell Farm” and “Public footpath to Foyers”. The track leads you past holiday homes and farm buildings. This is a working farm, so be careful and look out for farm vehicles and livestock. When you get to the main farm buildings, take the path signposted around the back of the farm. As you leave the farm behind, cross a small stream and walk along a grassy track between a stream and a dry-stone wall.

Stage 8

Now you will have to cross a couple of streams. The first one is easily crossed on some big stones, but the second one can be more challenging. It is very shallow though and with a good pair of hiking boots you should be able to cross without getting your feet wet! The track leads uphill now for a short while and can be quite muddy here, but soon it becomes wider and drier again and soon you will see a woodland ahead.

Stage 9

Pass through a rusty gate into woodlands for this final stage to Foyers. There are a number of local walks here marked by wooden signposts with red and yellow rings, but please ignore these and follow the familiar squirrel! Follow a farm track with woodland on your left and fields on your right until you reach the Upper Falls of Foyers, where you cross a bridge and then walk up to the main road. Take a left here and walk along the pavement to Foyers.

In Foyers you will find a number of guesthouses, a campsite, two cafés and a small convenience store.