Spinningdale – Walking between oak forest and Dornoch Firth

Spinningdale offers a clear focus for planning your trip: paths through ancient woodlands, views of the Dornoch Firth and historic sites in Fairy Glen. The different woodland areas and route descriptions give you several ways to get a sense of the character of the area. There are also tangible traces of the past, from the old Spinningdale Mill to two cairns. This lets you decide whether you would most like to explore woodland scenery, walking routes, or architectural and archaeological history.

Woodlands and habitats near Spinningdale

Ledmore & Migdale lies around Spinningdale on the shore of the Dornoch Firth. Ledmore Oakwood is the largest remaining part of an ancient oakwood in Sutherland and also the northernmost extensive oakwood in eastern Great Britain. Migdale Pinewood has features characteristic of a naturally occurring Caledonian pinewood. Spinningdale Bog is one of the few valley mires in East Sutherland; its woodland includes alder, birch and willow. Families of otters are regularly spotted along the banks of Spinningdale Burn.

The named habitats have different distinguishing features: the oakwood is notable for its size and northerly location, the pinewood for its Caledonian characteristics, and the valley mire for its alder, birch and willow. Regular otter sightings along the burn add a specific wildlife-watching opportunity to these nature themes.

Walking routes and viewpoints

The Spinningdale Walk passes through one of the United Kingdom’s northernmost oakwoods. Along the way, there are views of the old Spinningdale Mill and, farther on, the Dornoch Firth. Another route description covers the circular walk along Spinningdale Burn: it passes through mixed ancient woodland to the shore and returns through Fairy Glen. Conditions on this circular route can change.

At the summit of A’ Chraisg is a viewpoint overlooking the Dornoch Firth, with wide panoramic views all around. Conditions at the summit can vary. As an optional addition, you could take a detour to a viewpoint above Creag na Sroine near Spinningdale. The route ends at a bench with elevated views and includes steep terrain; take this into account when planning.

A path provides access from the village of Spinningdale through the woodland alongside the stream. The village area also has an additional 0.4-kilometre link to the network of established core paths. These route details provide further guidance alongside the circular walks and viewpoints described above.

Local history and archaeological sites

The surviving building of Spinningdale Cotton Mill is a four-storey, five-bay structure with a projecting section at its southern end. In the woodland lies the Chambered Cairn, Fairy Glen, Allt nan Eun: a Neolithic monument on a distinctive narrow ridge. The Bailenacile Cairn in Fairy Glen survives as a large circular mound of stones. The features described at these two archaeological sites are quite distinct: one is defined by its position on the ridge, the other by its surviving circular stone form. The woodland path associated with Carnegie’s Cabin in the Wood in Fairy Glen near Spinningdale opened in 1907.

Getting to the woodland

The Torroy car park is on Fairy Glen Road. There is no regular public transport to the woodland. Trains on the Inverness–Wick line stop at Ardgay, 9.7 kilometres to the east. Check the timetable before travelling if you plan to use this train connection.

More destinations

Discover more destinations: Ullapool, Oban, Strome Ferry, Mallaig, Isle Of Skye, Glenfinnan, Forres, Portskerra

Return to the main travel overview: Highland.