Hiking The Glen Affric Kintail Way | 45 Miles Of WILD
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- čas přidán 23. 12. 2023
- In April I set off to solo hike the 45 mile Affric Kintail Way, which runs from Drumnadrochit to Morvich through Glen Affric, said to be the prettiest glen in Scotland. I tackled the route across 3 days, staying one night at Cannich Camping and other wild camping deep in the glen nearby the Glen Affric Youth Hostel.
This might not be the longest trail out there, but the remoteness, stunning landscapes, bothies, wildlife, and easy navigation make it suited for experienced and novice walkers alike.
02:00 - Day One, Drumnadrochit to Cannich
33:01 - Day Two, Cannich to Wild Camp
1:15:00 - Day Three, Wild Camp to Morvich
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Thank you for this Abbie. I started watching your videos last year and they (you) inspired me so much that as a 57 year old female recovering from a pulmonary embolism I plucked up the courage and took to my feet! This year I completed the Hebridean Way, the Great Glen Way, walked and camped across the Shetland Isles but my favourite walk to date was the spectator Affric Kintall Way! I even spent one night at the remote youth hostel. So a big thank you Abbie for being such an inspiration. Already looking at walks for 2024!Merry Christmas and a blessed New Year to you and your family. ❤
Wow you're doing amazing! What an inspiration you are! Keep on keeping on! And thanks for being here!
This honestly feels like a early Christmas present seeing your video on my feed . I could listen to you talk about these adventures all day and feel happy .
Wow, thank you!
How is it possible that she doesn't have a million subscribers! She's amazing!
Your dedication to the outdoors is surpassed only by your skill at presenting your adventures.
Thank you so much ❤️
i suffered a torn cruciate ligament at the age of 19 and am now 62 . despite the severity of the injury i have trained and enjoyed the outdoors all my life including taking part in bodybuilding, martial arts and hiking and have up to now avoided surgery. However i now find myself struggling with severe pain and need a knee replacement. It can be difficult to motivate yourself when pain or lack of function limits your previous abilities and this can lead to some very real mental health issues . Videos like this are great and encourage people to do as much as you can within your abilities and keep challenging your self. This is vital to keep positive and fight off depression. Great vlog.
Wow, what an lovely comment, thank you so much. I'm sorry to hear about the pain you are in. I hope you can adapt and overcome. Seems like you are doing so well, so keep on keeping on! You've got this!
Wow. What an amazing landscape. I love the Scottish Highlands.
I always try to tell people, the best time to be in the Scottish highlands is a window which appears every year, somtime between mid April and mid May. Clear skys, cool air, warm sun and no midges. Some years we get lucky and the good weather can run from late March, however usually by mid May, the reign of terror by the midge has begun. A telltale sign of good walking weather in the western highlands in the spring, is a forecast of East winds, these almost always bring cool dry airflows and outstanding clear air conditions.
Thanks for sharing your story. I was in the Cairngorms this year and decided against a high altitude walk because the fog had rolled in. So I stayed down in the valley and walked from Loch Morlich to Ryvoan Bothy. I get the feeling of wide open spaces. Thanks to you Abbie I made the solo trip from Australia to the Scottish Highlands. Lynn
That is awesome!
What a thoroughly wonderful superbly put together film, immersed from start to finnish, and your narrative was just so addictive. Thank you for taking the time and effort to produce this gem, much appreciated by many I am sure.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Abbie, you are a poet. You paint a beautiful landscape with words.
Hi Abbie…… it’s good to be out on a long distance trail with you again, a true hiker is not deterred by inclement weather because we come prepared for whatever Mother Nature throws at us…… hoping to enjoy more long distance trails with you….. Take Care, Stay Safe, Stay Wild! 😀
I love the positive, encouraging message at the start of the video. It really hits home for me. I went from having to learn to walk again, to going out for day hikes. I still deal with chronic pain, and the depression that often goes with it. When I hike, I feel alive, I feel better. When I come across challenging areas that would have made me give up in the past; I stand there and think "What would Abbie do" I take a deep breath and I start to look around for the little things mother nature puts in your path to help you. little trees that can be used to hold on to, foot holds and rocks that are there to support you. I take my time. Eventually I am able to get through. I have literally stood there and yelled "I did it!!" There's nothing like that feeling. Nature really does have a way of healing your soul. I do wish we had more wild camping available where here in Canada. Not having a car, I'm limited to using city transit to get me to the outskirts of town, and then having to hike a while to get to spots. If I could break up my day, camp out once I get to a point, I could really enjoy mulit-days on the trails. I may approach some of the local farmers on the outskirts, and see if I can get permission to pitch a tent for a night in the future.
A wonderful adventure - those views were amazing! I think the turkey/chicken might have been a Muscovy duck
What a fantastic journey to be with you on, but for me, your words at the end of the story...truly inspiring Abbey, I thank you for them. Truly uplifting.
Great way to spend a Saturday night watching your video. Each time I watch one it's like putting on a comfy pair of slippers.....or should that be walking boots! Another triumph, thank you Abbie! Scenery and tour commentary were superb. How lucky your were with the weather on the last day! Simply stunning. Another hike for my list I feel!
Amazing Abbie! I hardly have the patience to watch a box office movie but I've just watched 1 hour and 45 minutes of this video and I'm so disappointed it had to end. You managed to inspire someone who already wanders the magnificent glens and mountains of Scotland. Keep doing what you do ♥
Loooove this girl❤ what a true warrior💪🏼
Loves this trail. Thank you for taking us along.
Thank you Abbie. I'm recovering from surgery and this is the best for healing. 🇦🇺
Amazing and very inspiring - I will be looking to walk this trail in a few months' time. Your articulate, informative presentation skills kept me rapt the whole way, many thanks for your efforts and enthusiasm 👌
Watching this during a week of dry cold weather here in the Highlands, and wishing I could be doing a trail like that instead of being back to work . I will hopefully do this later in the year . Great video 😊
You have come from far, if I may say so. Abby, you seem to be more comfortable in and with yourself. And you did it. What an incredible beautiful journey. The video, the landscape...just wow! You have every reason to be proud on yourself. This trail almost seem to embrace you. Merry Christmas to you, your partner and families
Thank you so much!
That was bonkers. Brought back memories. Spent some time here in a year when the normally oceanic climate of Scotland was displaced by a continental climate which brought 4 months of clear blue skies and warm sunshine from April to July. Swimming in the River Affric was like swimming in the Mediterranean Sea such was the build up in temperature. Slept in Strawberry Cottage, the youth hostel and Camban Bothy. Strawberry Cottage, an occasional residence for estate staff and guests before the NTS took over, smelled of mouse urine. I was the only person overnighting in the Youth Hostel before its renovation in 1995 and was woken in the middle of the night by the sound of pots and pans clattering to the floor in the kitchen. A less logical person might have blamed it on ghosts. I blamed the mice which were a notorious problem. You had to hang your food above ground to thwart their foraging. Camban Bothy looks a lot more comfortable than it did when I stayed there though even back then it could become surprisingly crowded at night (around 50% of the travellers through the glen were German in the 1990's).
Fun facts: The UK TV version of Last of the Mohicans was filmed in Glen Affric.
If your sitting in your car enjoying your lunch at Loch Affric carpark put some crumbs in the palm of your hand and stick it out the window. You should not have to wait long before a chaffinch appears to feed.
Pass your hand closely over an active wood ant's nest and experience the vinegar smell first hand.
In the UK nesting greenshanks are restricted to the Scottish Highlands and Islands. In your video you can hear one calling at 1:13:13.
Thanks for sharing!
such a lovly hike Abbie so looking forward to the hike after this one when ever that is out. i have hiked the hills on both sides of the valley ill post some photos. when looking at hils once you were out of the trees i was trying to name them .
Didn't expect this. What a nice surprise!
Nice to see you back at it Abbie x MrJiggs
Oh I loved that ❤
Fantastic again Abbie! Thank you so much for sharing your adventures with us!
Wish I was out in those wild places right now!
Brill vid as usual. Brings back memories 👍
During a 2 week E-Mountain Bike Hol in Scotland, me and my mate, E-Mountain Biked this route 5yrs ago, From Cannich to Morvich, with a wild camp, I was 67yrs old, my mate 60, Don't bike the other way. Its Hike a Bike, well past the big waterfall. . BTW IMHO, Glen Affric is the most beautiful Glen in Scotland 🥰
Nice one!
It is beautiful which there is no doubt . Arguable if its the most beautiful in Scotland though . Strathfarrar takes some beating. So do a few others I can mention. Glen torridon.
That’s the best Christmas present from you Abbie ❤Nice one as always!
Happy holidays!
Stunning.
Thank you! Simply inspirational, Amazing landscapes.
Abbie thankyou!! Absolutely mind blowing scenery., I feel totally inspired, as always, watching your videos.!! 😀🤙👍
Awesome! Thank you!
I find breaking ice in rivers kind of like popping bubble wrap. Both are awesome!!
The remains of the snowy mountain tops are just perfect - enough to look pretty, not enough to be tiresome, Scotland civilised - well timed, Abbie! 😊
What a well rounded film, ur quite good at this, aren't you!? 😉
The clear vistas as a result of the clear felling are lovely but unnatural. Naturally, it was all woodland during the last ~11,700 years of the most recent climate era, the Holocene. I'm in favour of regeneration but leaving open areas for food production, viewpoints and camping spots etc. In a word, balance. The experience from the Mar Lodge, Cairngorms regeneration over the last 30 years, is that all humans need to do to restore the original trees, is to undo what they've done. The natural seeds are still in the ground and will activate.
Looking at the map I guess the adit was something to do with the tunnels siphoning off water from the streams in addition to the reservoir for Fasnakyle Power Station. ♥hydro power.
The forestry vehicles are called Forwarders - collecting felled wood from inside the woods and bringing it to a point where the road going trucks can pick it up. As an engineer, I love the sophistication of the machinery ...and man can suppress nature with it 😕
Watching this on my Boxing day 2023...Thank you! Merry Christmas to you Abby. This is my therapy.
Thanks Abbie! Wilderness is where you belong, and it shows. You carry it over to us. You always make it a day and dark days never last. Nature is the best medicine. Thanks a lot, more if that, please and have a great new year. You are really born to be wild! Cheers!
Wow, thank you!
❤this. Thank you Abbie, from NZ. I was born in Scotland but NZ has been home for 59 of my 71 years. I’ve been back 3 times as an adult. Great movie.
Thanks for watching!
Awesome thanks for filming this
I was there last year and climbed the five sisters of kintail and I'm planning on doing the kintail way this April or may . Looking forward to watching this tonight
Merry Christmas Abbie Barnes
Sounds great!
I thoroughly enjoyed this. I'd like to do a few more multi-day point-to-point hikes in 2024. Your video has floated The Affric Kintail Way pretty much to the top of the list.
Simply inspirational Abbie. Another little pearl of a film by one of the best in the business. Thank you for bringing me along on your latest adventure.
Looked another brilliant adventure 😊 those views are really stunning, amazing that you saw so many deer 🦌 thanks so much for sharing your adventure
Glad you enjoyed it!
Hi Abbie, brilliant video. I love Glen Affric. We spent a week walking the highlands a couple of years ago and had a cottage in Cannich that we used as our base. Thank you for sharing and bringing back some wonderful memories. 😀🥾⛰🏴🏕️
Thanks Abbie. I always enjoy your films.
Glad you like them!
I went thro Affric in 2021 on my MTB, same as the guy you passed at the top of Glen Lichd, going the same way. I had to carry my gear and the bike separatley up that pass, so I went up and down that climd twice, he had it easy. It took me six hours to get from Glen Lichd to Camban Bothy, thats 3 miles in six hours. It was hell at the time but a challenge and although I said to myself, I'm not doing this again, I might. It was an awesome trip I recommend to anyone who wants to get "out there". If doin it by MTB, its best to follow the route from East to West.
Cool adventure Abbie! 👍
Thank you! 😀
Thank you for the beautiful film. It’s a favourite place of ours and one we return to frequently, there really is something particularly special about it. It was lovely meeting you on the trail on the southern side of Glen Affric on the Friday! Naomi & Tom
Another amazing video Abbie i always look forward to them, i dont get outdoors nearly as much as i should, but these videos make me feel a little closer to the great outdoors lol
Glad you like them!
I loved this hike for many reasons..Thank you for taking us all along your journey..Well done
Glad you enjoyed it!
Thank you thank you thank you Abbie!!! You are a superstar! Your videos help me get through my bad days. I just love being able to join your adventures between my own. Happy new year to you, Bobby and Anna.
Enjoyed this very much indeed. In lots of ways. You are so right Abbie , you don’t need to go up them all the time , you can take the low road too. It’s just as much seeing as climbing. And sometimes go up a little one to get a good look at bigger neighbours. All so satisfying, I know you agree. Best wishes 😊
Go Abby,💜
Brilliant Christmas morning watch 🎄Thanks Abbie and Merry Christmas
Same to you!
Really enjoyed this one Abbie. The trail looks absolutely amazing in the valley in particular. Would love to do this one day.
Familiar territory for me, now living in Spain, it was great to see you enjoying my local area. The Kintail to Beauly through glen Affric, is an annual event to raise money for charity. 50 miles, I did it once in 7 hours and am still proud to have achieved it. Thank you Abbey, lovely video. I should add that the Highland cross is 30 miles fast walking or running and 20 miles cycling.
Very cool!
Those camara shots on the morning of day 3 were absolutely amazing
Helps when the landscape is amazing in every direction 😂😂
Enjoyed watching this video. Brought back memories of when we did this hike a few years back. We started at Cannich, not Drumnadrochit, due to the busy road. It was difficult to park in Cannich, so we drove up to Dog Falls Car Park and started the trail from there. We did this during lockdown and in the heat of May/ June with biting midges. Stunning scenery.
Sounds lovely!
Stunning walk, will definitely do that here in Scotland, I walk only passing Great Glen Way and starting point about 3 months ago haha...but will do East Highland and Speyside Way first in June probably.
Atb
Enjoyed watching this. I did the AKW this year too. Day 1 to Cannich was a bit meh, but after that it is just stunning. Stopped at the hostel overnight - what a place. 👍👍
Really enjoyed this, thanks 👍
Always wonderful.. Merry Christmas and thanks for sharing.
Same to you!
Wow, Abbie - that was a phenomenal trip, especially the latter half! Glen Affric looks like the kind of area you could spend years exploring and not get bored. What an amazing and stunning landscape! I was really looking forward to watching this when it came up in my feed (and I saw your Instagram post), and though the beginning wasn't too scenic (we have so much heart-breaking clearcut logging here in BC) the middle and end was just exceptional. Not a place I'd be in a hurry to leave!
I've camped next to water that was too loud and it really messed with my sleep so - like you - I now seek out more soothing sites for rough camping. But not silent, as my imagination will then pick up on every sound...
I really appreciate you pointing out aspects of Leave No Trace as well - it's an important message to get across, especially to folks new to backcountry camping. I've reached the opinion that there is almost never a need for a campfire, especially in backcountry or wilderness areas. It's maddening to come across live trees that people have either cut or attempted to cut, or fire scars right in the middle of camping spots, ruining them for decades. I'd love to see LNT and outdoor organizations and companies downplay campfires a bit more.
Those forestry blocks are the outdoors luxury hotel, warmer microclimate in there, no wind, no mud and a soft carpet of needles to sleep on .
A fab trail Abbie. Never heard of this one before. Love all the woodland landscaping 😊
Glad you enjoyed it!
So how do I spend my Christmas Day 🎉with you … perfect day with perfectly videos of your life journeys . Been watching for years and so proud of how you have grown xx well done
Thank you!
loved this Abbie, from the tea pots to the lichen insights. If only Pipa et al shared your sense of wonder.
Thanks Abbie 🙏🏻 Merry Christmas! X
Same to you!
Love it. I can smell spring through the screen, ahhhh thank you for that
Glad you enjoyed it!
Lovely hike Abbie, nice to see you back out and full smiles once more :)
Glen Affric is one of my favourite areas of Scotland. You look so nice without the hat !
What a great Christmas gift! Thank you!
Hiya Abbie. Love your videos. Very informative, insightful and at times philosophical.
I just got back from a weekend of hiking in Knoydart. I personally think it's the most beautiful place in Scotland by a country mile, and perhaps even the UK. You should definitely go there if you haven't already. Absolutely incredible place. The walk in from Kinlochhourn to Barisdale Bay is nothing short of spectacular. Nowhere else like it in Scotland.
Anyway, keep on keeping on and take care. ❤
Merry Christmas Abbie 🎄
Same to you!
That was a great journey.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Thank you Abbie for the lovely Christmas present of this video.! I will push me to head out to the Olympic National Park for a short overnight trip 😊
Have fun!
Looks stunning, Abbie. What a beautiful glen. Looks like ideal hiking weather to me and you seem genuinely happy throughout
Hope you have a hyggeligt christmas x
Thank you for being here ❤
stunning video! Cheers!
great to see you out on the trail ,well done abbie xx
Thank you! 😀
I don’t think I take the time to appreciate the detail you put into your videos, the different shots, the commentary etc. This looks a great trail to go and do. I’ve done the Great Glen Way so need to get myself up to Drummnadrochit again.
Thanks so much! Yes many many maannyy hours goes not into filming but editing and post production too. Super grateful to have that acknowledged! Thanks for being here!
What a beautiful, beautiful trail. Loved watching this video.
Well, that's decided my adventure for Spring 2024. I hope not too many have watched this and will have the same idea. I don't want the Glen crowded! Happy Christmas Abbie.
Haha! Enjoy :)
Wow so great out there!!
Coooos!!
Uplifting. Thank you
Fantastic video Abbie, thanks for your efforts!
Glad you enjoyed it!
The whole video was good, but the second part was just insane, I was literally open mouthed at the views you were seeing. Completely wasn't expecting anything like that, I've seen many videos on the more popular trails in Scotland, and they don't come close to what I have just seen.
Stunning video, very well done. I just loved it 👍💪🏞🚶🏴
Totally agree! It is a hidden gem!
Great wee videos. Thanks for sharing your time with us
Fantastic informative video Abbie, love it!! well done!!
Great video, inspiring stuff. Happy Christmas to you 😊
Brilliant video! Thank you!
You're very welcome!
That is an amazing path, at least on the second half. Personally, I find it depressing to walk through these clear-felled areas. I almost stopped watching your video (not because of you, obviously) as I found the first half of the trail not exactly interesting. But the second half was absolutely mind-blowing. Thank you for introducing this trail to us.
Thanks for sharing!
Fabulous video - looking forward to your 2024 adventures 😁
A wonderful video and commentary and route. Thank you Abbie. Good luck in 2024
Inspiring and awesome as ever 👍
Thank you! Cheers!
Did the hike end of may, Great weather and beautiful landscape.
Wow, amazing scenery! Congratulations on another outstanding video.
Glad you enjoyed it!
After spending a very small amount of time in the highlands in October, this video makes me want to go back for more. Very well done and enjoyable. Thanks Abbie.
It is quite an addictive place 😂
"What am I doing with my life? Am I going the right way?" Such existential questions! Maybe a stop in the next shelter will allow some contemplation. (20:50) Carry on!
Always a good time for a snack 😂
great video as always. stayed at strawberry cottage a few winters ago - did beinn an t-socaich. walk through to morvich been on the list for a while...
and yeah, tent meals are great.