Applecross Coffin Roads
Start location: Unclassified road west of Applecross House (NG 710 458)
End location: Unclassified road at Camas an Eilgan, Kenmore (NG 754 579)
Geographical area: Ross and Cromarty
Path Type: Coffin Road
Path distance: 14.7km
Accessibility info: Suitable for pedestrians, Suitable for Bikes
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Route DescriptionNewsflash (January 2018): the old route from Kenmore to Applecross Bay features in BBC Alba's series Kerry is Kirsty in which two cycling sisters explore Scotland. If you'd like to watch the programme, be quick, it's only on the iplayer until 4th February.
From Applecross village go round the head of the bay and take the private road, which is a right of way, up the north-west side of the River Applecross past Hartfield. Follow the road past two plantations to its end and continue along the left-hand path, which turns north and goes in an almost straight line across the desolate interior of the Applecross peninsula to Kenmore.
An alternative finish to this walk, which is 2km shorter, is to take the right-hand path from the road end and go northeast to Inverbain.
For those considering mountainbiking the route, this clip from Kerry is Kirsty gives an idea of what to expect.
OS Landranger 24 (Raasay, Applecross & Loch Torridon)
Heritage Information
Both these paths are old coffin routes which were used in time past by burial parties going to Clachan church at Applecross Bay. There are various cairns along the route which indicate where the procession would have rested and possibly drank to the deceased. They are both very long coffin roads, so it is entirely understandable that people would need frequent rests along the way. The Applecross Heritage Centre has a bier in its collection, which was used to carry the coffin.
The coffin route was long the access to Applecross Bay from the north, before the coastal route was developed. The Applecross Landscape Partnership Scheme has plans to repair the route's wrought iron kissing gates and renovate the stone waymarkers.
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