Walking the road the NC500 left behind
South of Scourie, the A894 carries us through deep rock cuttings that make travelling this stretch of coast considerably easier than it once was, although I sometimes take guests off the modern road to enjoy what it replaced. Near Duartbeg, a section of the old route has been closed to vehicles, leaving roughly a mile of former main road available for a quiet walk. I can drop guests at one end and meet them at the small car park farther along, giving them time outside the Land Rover without having to retrace their steps.
The ground is relatively flat, with the fading road surface leading between small freshwater lochs and open country, where occasional views towards the coast provide reasons to pause. There is no summit to reach or celebrated viewpoint drawing everyone towards the same destination, so we can enjoy this as a gentle interruption to the touring day rather than an excursion requiring much preparation. Knowing that traffic between Kylesku and Scourie once followed this narrow strip of tarmac adds something to the experience, particularly when it is now possible to walk along it in such peace.
Nearby, Loch a’ Mhuilinn shelters Britain’s most northerly surviving native oakwood, an unexpected discovery in country where Atlantic weather makes growing tall a difficult ambition for a tree. Many of the oaks remain low and twisted, and because reaching the woodland from the land is awkward, I suggest appreciating it from the roadside viewpoint above rather than treating it as an extension of the walk. Around it, woodland meets peatland, freshwater and seashore, bringing together habitats that support a rich variety of plants and birds, with otters also living along the coast. There is considerably more here than the view from the main road might suggest.
Once I have collected the guests, we follow the part of the old road still open to vehicles, passing Loch a’ Mhuilinn before climbing back towards the A894. It is a useful way to complete the visit, because the change in roads is much easier to appreciate after walking along one and then driving onto the other. Within minutes, we have exchanged weathered tarmac winding through the lower ground for a broad carriageway cut through the rock above, revealing how much engineering has gone into a journey that now feels straightforward. I enjoy being able to offer both experiences together, with a peaceful walk giving us time to notice the country that the modern road allows us to pass so easily.
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