ACTIVE OUTDOORS: Wildlife wonders on woodland trail above Loch Ness
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Hidden away in the forested hillside on the south side of Loch Ness, Lochan Torr an Tuill is a peaceful spot that is easily accessed on foot.
This waymarked trail leads there in a rather circuitous way, offering views over the larger loch and a carpet of rich undergrowth that is flourishing just now.
We were in need of a bit of an escape from the house – a familiar feeling to families during the summer holidays – so we dragged the children down to Inverfarigaig, where there is a forest car park and information board. The old toilet block here is currently closed, but there are public toilets nearby at Foyers and Dores.
There were a few grumps and groans as the walk began on the steep climb up from the car park, following a large marker post for the Lochan Torr an Tuill Trail.
At the top of the initial climb, the red route turns right, off the main forest track to twist and turn higher up into the trees. This is one of those paths that kids enjoy much more than a boring forest track, so spirits were lifted despite the continuing climb.
There was even a coastguard helicopter that seemed to briefly hover somewhere above the nearby fort or Loch Ness before flying away.
Alongside the trail, the blaeberries were plentiful, and Matthew enjoyed munching them as he made his way up to a viewpoint at a bench. This overlooks Loch Ness, although the view is narrowed by the size of the pines here.
Twisting further around the side of the Spital of Boleskine, the path leads to another marked viewpoint, although any view to the loch here is practically gone as the trees have grown so high. When I pointed this out, Matthew just sighed and said: “Oh dad, the trees are part of the view.” There’s no arguing with that!
We kept going as the route dropped steeply, down a few drops and steps, to reach the forest track, where we turned right. Even here, there was plenty to see as the wildflowers lined the way, and Meg and I were using an app to check the ones we didn’t know.
We munched on the wood sorrel leaves, which have quite a strong apple-like taste, and there was also a good selection of fungi throughout the woods – best left alone unless you are an expert.
At a signpost ahead, the red route goes left while the longer Farigaig Circular route continues ahead. We went left, climbing again on a narrow and twisting path that emerges on a higher track.
Taking a right turn here, there’s more uphill to reach a sharp left-hand bend in the track. We spotted a little mouse scampering around on the ground here, darting for cover when it became aware of our footsteps.
The route returns to this point later but first there’s a loop to the lochan to tackle. I like to leave the track by turning right and following the path first, returning on the track itself, so we made our way along the grassy path that heads over the shoulder of the hill – steeply in places – before dropping down to the hollow where Lochan Torr an Tuill sits.
It was snack time again, but first Matthew and I detoured right to get a closer look at the water, known locally as the magic loch. There were waterlilies around the edges (though no frogs on them, as Matthew always asks when we see them) and life is returning to the felled area around the lochan now.
As we were down there, Clara came running to tell us that they had spotted “something” in the undergrowth by the side of the path. Meg had managed to get a slightly blurry video of the thing, which turned out to be an adder.
This was turning out to be a real wildlife spotting adventure! Now we slithered away, along the track – as if turning left at the bottom of the path we had come down – and followed it round to the corner where the mouse was.
It really is all downhill from here, so the children ran most of the way, following the track that eventually reaches a left-hand hairpin then a junction at the top of the steep descent to the car park.
Route details
Lochan Torr an Tuill Trail
Distance 2.5 miles / 4km
Terrain Forest track, earth paths with roots and rock, steep ascents and descents
Start/finish Inverfarigaig, forest car park
Map OS Landranger 26; OS Explorer 416
A forest walk to a secluded lochan in the forest above Loch Ness
Click here to see the route in OS Maps
