Discover Cannich: Nature, Trails and History

Cannich combines impressive natural experiences with prehistoric history and its own local sporting tradition. The area around the village offers a range of options for planning your trip: you can include short walks, choose longer routes, use a cycling route or take a trip to a special historic site. A holiday apartment or holiday cottage in Cannich may be an appealing choice if you want to combine nature with practical amenities in the village.

Nature trails for different day plans

For active days, the section of the Affric Kintail Way from Cannich Village to the River Affric provides a clear indication of the scale involved: it is 12.1 miles or 19.5 kilometres long. Take this distance into account when planning your day. There is also a cycling route along the road from Cannich to Loch Mullardoch Dam and back. This allows you to plan your stay from a different perspective without combining the various options into a single route.

There are also specific options for shorter outings. The Dog Falls Walk is 3.2 kilometres long and takes 1 hour. The Viewpoint Walk covers 1.6 kilometres and takes 50 minutes. The Coire Loch Walk is 5.2 kilometres long and takes one and a half hours. These details are particularly helpful if you are travelling with children of different ages or want to alternate active and quieter days, as they make it easier to assess the time available and the desired route length. Each trail should be regarded as a separate outing option.

Glen Affric and getting your bearings locally

The Glen Affric National Nature Reserve is in the immediate vicinity of Cannich. Loch Beinn a Mheadhain is also in the immediate vicinity of the village. From Cannich Village, the minor road to Glen Affric is signposted. The River Affric is approximately 10 miles or 16 kilometres from Cannich along the road to Glen Affric. This distance is a useful guide when deciding how much time to allow for your outings and whether you want to use Cannich as a fixed base for your accommodation.

The difference between Cannich and Glen Affric itself is important when it comes to supplies: Cannich has places to eat and a shop; Glen Affric itself has no cafés or shops. When choosing accommodation, you can therefore consider whether having access to these amenities in the village is important to you or whether you would prefer to prepare for your outings accordingly.

Prehistoric traces and local culture

Corrimony Chambered Cairn, a Clava-type passage tomb, is located in the area around Cannich. A ring of 11 stones forms the cairn's perimeter. Four of these stones are modern additions, while two were re-erected more recently. Because of its potential to enhance understanding of prehistoric ritual beliefs and burial practices, Corrimony Chambered Cairn is of national importance. The site therefore offers a distinct focus for travellers who want to combine days in nature with an insight into early history.

Another special feature is Strathglass Shinty Club, also known as Comunn Camanachd Straghlais. The club plays its home matches in the village of Cannich. The history of this sport includes a landmark shinty match on 12 February 1887, which established the official rules of shinty. Anyone interested in regional traditions and sporting culture will find here a different way of approaching the history of the area than through its prehistoric monuments.

Getting there and choosing your holiday base

Buses run from Inverness to Cannich all year round. There are also convenient boarding and alighting stops at Balnain, Shenval and Corrimony Junction on the bus route from Drumnadrochit to Cannich. A long return journey offers shorter sections. Before Cannich, a minor road also branches off and is signposted to Tomich.

You can find more places for trip planning on the portal here: Tarskavaig, Corpach, Teangue, Torridon, Kinlochleven, Onich, Muir Of Ord, Glenelg.

To the main travel overview: Highland.