Spinningdale brings together oakwood, trails through Fairy Glen and traces of different eras. Ledmore & Migdale lies around the village on the shore of the Dornoch Firth. The trails lead to different vantage points over the forest and water; the heritage includes a cotton mill and stone monuments. When planning, it is worth considering which landscape and type of trail interest you most.
Woodland landscapes around Spinningdale
Ledmore Oakwood is the largest remaining part of an ancient oakwood in Sutherland and the northernmost extensive oakwood in eastern Great Britain. The Spinningdale Walk leads through one of the northernmost oakwoods in the United Kingdom.
Migdale Pinewood has characteristics typical of a naturally occurring Caledonian pinewood. Spinningdale Bog is one of the few valley bogs in East Sutherland; alder, birch and willow grow there. Families of otters are regularly seen along the banks of the Spinningdale Burn. Oakwood, pinewood, bog and wildlife watching thus offer distinct nature experiences.
Trails with different perspectives
The Spinningdale Walk leads through the oakwood and offers views of the old Spinningdale Mill, extending further to the Dornoch Firth. The circular route along the Spinningdale Burn has a different focus: it runs through mixed ancient woodland to the riverbank and returns through Fairy Glen. Conditions on this route can change.
A trail provides access from the village of Spinningdale through the woodland along the stream. In the area around the village, an additional 0.4-kilometre link is also part of a network of established core paths. For views, the summit of A’ Chraisg offers the Dornoch Firth below and wide panoramic views all around. An optional detour to a viewpoint above Creag na Sroine ends at a bench with elevated views and crosses steep terrain. Conditions at the summit can vary.
Traces of history
The surviving building of Spinningdale Cotton Mill is four storeys high, has five bays and a projecting section at its southern end. In Fairy Glen are the Neolithic Chambered Cairn, Fairy Glen, Allt nan Eun, on a prominent narrow ridge, and the Cairn of Bailenacile, which survives as a large circular mound of stones.
The history of a woodland path is also part of the village’s story: the path associated with Carnegie’s Cabin in the Wood in Fairy Glen near Spinningdale opened in 1907. These historical details add architecture, prehistoric monuments and the story of an opened woodland path to the woodland and trail experiences.
Getting there and planning your route
Torroy car park is available 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 timetables before your trip.
When choosing a route, you can weigh up the different highlights: oakwood and views of the mill and firth, the circular route along the burn, or a summit panorama with an optional detour over steep terrain. Also check trail and summit conditions as you plan; changing conditions should be taken into account in particular for the circular route.
Discover more destinations: Ullapool, Roybridge, Ballachulish, Fortrose, Tongue, Totscore, Camusbane, Kyle Of Lochalsh.
For the broader travel overview: Highland.
