The Black Water Trail and the View Rock Trail call for very different amounts of time: about 15 minutes for one, compared with around two hours for the other. Contin Parish Church also has a history dating back to AD 690, while Preas Mairi adds Neolithic traces. When planning, you can therefore choose between a short walk, a longer route with a viewpoint, and a focus on history.
A church with several layers of history
Contin Parish Church is a Category B listed church dating from the 18th century. It has plain, rendered masonry, stands on the site of a pre-Reformation church and incorporates late-medieval features. St Maelrubha founded the church in AD 690 on an island in the Blackwater (Abhainn Dubh). The date 690 refers to the church’s founding history, while the building itself dates from the 18th century.
A chambered cairn and a history of craftsmanship
The remains of a Neolithic chambered cairn, around 5,000 years old, lie at Preas Mairi. One of the stones still visible has three large, bowl-sized depressions. Its approximate age places the site far back in prehistory, while the depressions offer a specific detail on a visible stone. Contin’s Smiddy was used as a smithy into the early part of the 21st century. Archaeological traces and more recent craft history therefore meet here.
Compare trails by length and time
The Black Water Trail is 0.7 kilometres long and takes about 15 minutes. It runs through a pine forest; the mostly level surface is made up of broad, smooth gravel, with a few short, gentle climbs. At 4.5 kilometres, the View Rock Trail is considerably longer and takes about two hours. It passes through pine and heathland to a rocky viewpoint overlooking Strathconon.
The routes differ not only in length but also in their destination: the Black Water Trail is the shorter woodland walk, while the View Rock Trail combines a longer outing with a viewpoint. The times are approximate; use them as a guide when considering how much time you have available. A scenic 1.5-kilometre path runs around the island of Contin. Its length lies between those of the two named trails, adding a third option to the comparison.
Landscape and 20th-century history
Near Contin, Loch Achilty has a pebble beach and peaceful picnic spots among birch, rowan and heather. If you are choosing a walk based on more than distance alone, you can also choose between a viewpoint, woodland and the lochside setting.
In 1942 and 1943, Norwegian Independent Companies were stationed in Contin, Dingwall and Nigg. An online exhibition about the Norwegians in Contin during the Second World War is available on the ARCH website. A leaflet about the island of Contin introduces its trails and also highlights the village’s history, folklore and wildlife.
Discover more destinations: Polloch, Croy, Forsinard, Dalchreichart, Balintore, Cromarty, Altandhu, Forres.
For the wider travel overview: Highland.
