Loch Mor a'Chraisg, An Grianan and Creag Riabhach Loop

This 22 km / 13.7 mile loop in the far northwest Highlands is a serious moorland hill day rather than a straightforward waymarked walk. With around 800 m / 2,625 ft of ascent, it sits in the medium bracket only for hikers who are already comfortable with rough, pathless ground, wet terrain, and long stretches of very remote country. The route explores part of the Parph, the broad wilderness behind Cape Wrath and Kinlochbervie, linking Loch Mòr a’ Chraisg with the rounded heights of An Grianan and Creag Riabhach. This is a landscape of peat moor, lochans, heather, rock outcrops, and wide northern skies, where progress can be much slower than the distance alone suggests. Loch Mòr a’ Chraisg itself lies inland from the Kinlochbervie coast at roughly grid reference NC 228 602, about 3.6 km / 2.2 miles from the sea and close to the remote moorland between Kinlochbervie and Cape Wrath. (lets.fish)

The outing usually begins from the minor road and estate access area inland from Kinlochbervie, with the nearest practical landmark being the moorland road network east-southeast of Oldshoremore and southeast of Kinlochbervie rather than a formal trailhead with visitor facilities. Because the supplied hike-head detail is incomplete, hikers should confirm the exact parking pull-in or gate used for their chosen GPX before setting out on HiiKER. In this part of Sutherland, starts are often little more than roadside space beside an estate track, so it is worth arriving with a precise route file and backup planning already done. (walkhighlands.co.uk)

Getting there by car is the simplest option. Most approaches come via Lairg on the A838/A836 road network and then west toward Kinlochbervie, or from Durness by the coastal roads depending on where you are staying. Roads in this region are long, narrow, and often single track with passing places, so journey times are usually much longer than the map suggests. Fuel, food, and mobile coverage can all be limited, so it is wise to top up in larger settlements before heading north and west. The wider Creag Riabhach area is described in planning and hill sources as lying near Altnaharra and Lairg within remote north Highland wild land, which gives a good sense of the scale and isolation of the approach. (archive.news.stv.tv)

Public transport is possible only with careful planning and usually still leaves a long road approach or requires a taxi from Kinlochbervie or another nearby settlement. Stagecoach North Scotland operates bus services across Sutherland and the Highlands, but service frequency in this area is limited and seasonal changes matter, so hikers should check current timetables directly before committing to the trip. In practice, many walkers treat this as a car-access hike because missing the last bus in this part of the Highlands can create a major logistical problem. (stagecoachbus.com)

Terrain and route character

The first part of the loop is typically the easiest underfoot if it uses estate tracks or ATV lines to gain access toward Loch Mòr a’ Chraisg. Once beyond those easier approaches, the character changes quickly. Expect boggy peat, saturated ground after rain, tussocky grass, and intermittent faint trods rather than a built path. Even in dry weather, the moor can hold water, and after prolonged wet periods the route can become energy-sapping. A 22 km / 13.7 mile day here often feels more committing than a longer walk on good hill paths. �