Torridon

Torridon is an area on the west coast of Ross and Cromarty in the Scottish Highlands. The settlement straggles along the shores of Loch Torridon and takes in Torridon village (also known as Fasaig), Inveralligin and Diabaig to the north of the loch, Annat to the south-east, Shieldaig to the west, and Kinlochewe to the east. It's backed to the north by steep mountains, including several Munros, and the main reason to visit is for hill-walking and climbing.

Beinn Alligin and Loch Torridon Hotel

Get in

By car, follow A835 north-west from Inverness towards Ullapool. Turn onto A832 after Garve, then onto A896 at Kinlochewe. The road from Kinlochewe down Glen Torridon is scenic, but narrow with passing places.

Four trains a day (M-Sa) run from Inverness via Achnasheen, Achnashellach and Strathcarron, continuing via Plockton to Kyle of Lochalsh, for buses to Skye.

DMK Motors Bus 702 runs between Torridon and Strathcarron to connect with these trains. In good weather you could also hike or mountain-bike the 8-mile trail from Achnashellach over to Torridon: what will you do if it's pelting down and dropping dusk when your train gets there?

Westerbus 705 is just a school bus, once on schooldays, leaving Torridon at 07:30 for Gairloch and returning at 15:30.

Get around

Public transport around Torridon is very limited, bus services are infrequent (see Get in above). The easiest way to get around is by car.

Walking or cycling is possible, most of the roads are fairly quiet. Depending on where you are staying, it can be a fairly short walk to get to the routes up the mountains.

You could try hitchhiking.

See

• The Torridonian mountains have striking scenery. Liathach, Beinn Alligin and Bein Eighe (with a nature reserve) are the best known mountains but don't neglect the smaller ones.
• 🌍 Deer Museum (NTS Countryside Centre) (Near the village, half a mile from the information centre.). Apr-Sept Su-F 10:00-17:00. A small museum run by the National Trust for Scotland, about the life and history of red deer. It has an interesting collection of deer skulls and antlers. There is often a herd of red deer in a nearby field. Free. (updated Feb 2019)
• See Gairloch for Inverewe Gardens.

Do

Walking

Torridon is a popular destination for walking and climbing, with a variety of routes in the area. This includes a number of Munros - mountains over 3,000 feet (914m). The biggest mountains are along the north side of Loch Torridon. These are steep and rocky in places, maybe some scrambling involved.

• 🌍 Beinn Alligin. (986m) - a curved ridge, including the Horns of Alligin. Usually climbed from the minor road to Inveralligin. 
• 🌍 Liathach. (1,055m) - a very steep rocky ridge, regarded as one of the finest mountains in Scotland. Climbed from the A896 road, in Glen Torridon. 
• Beinn Eighe. (1,010m) - a large complex mountain, with multiple summits, spurs and corries. It can be climbed from Glen Torridon, or from Kinlochewe. 
• Beinn Dearg. (913m) - missing out on Munro status by less than a metre, so it is much less climbed than its neighbours. 

Also several hills to the south side of the loch. Though not quite as high, they still give great views across the loch, and of the mountains beyond:

• Ben Shieldaig
• Beinn Damh
• Beinn na h-Eaglaise

Options for lower level walks:

• Follow the path along the north side of Loch Torridon, past Inveralligin, Diabaig and around the coast to Craig bothy. This links to the end of the road at Red Point.
• From the Torridon Hotel, old road/track along the south side of Loch Torridon, to Badan Mhugaidh and Balgy.
• The rugged peninsula to the west is Applecross.

Consult walkhighlands.co.uk for detailed hiking suggestions.

Other activities

• Hire a rowing boat at Inver Aligin and appreciate the views from the water.

Buy

You don't go to Torridon if your main interest is in buying but the store in the village is really well provisioned.

Eat

• Torridon Hotel has fine dining in their 1887 Restaurant, and pub grub at the Inn.
• Shieldaig Hotel, Tigh an Eilan (7 miles). 
• Kinlochewe Hotel (10 miles). 
• Ben Damph Lodge (7 miles). 

Drink

• Torridon Inn: see sleep listing. Limited bar opening in winter.

Sleep

• There's a moderate supply of B&B and self-catering accommodation.
• 🌍 The Torridon, Annat, Torridon IV22 2EY, ☎ [phone], e-mail: [e-mail]. The main hotel is an upmarket affair with 18 bedrooms in a 19th C Baronial cod-castle; from £235 per night. Accommodation also in the adjacent Inn, and there's a self-catering cottage. They're open Feb-Nov. (updated Feb 2019)
• 🌍 Torridon Youth Hostel (SYHA) (In village, 200m after turning off A896), ☎ [phone], e-mail: [e-mail]. Seasonal - open March to October. From £17. (updated Dec 2016)
• 🌍 Torridon Camp Site (In village, just after turning off A896). Basic camp site, with toilet and shower facilities. (updated Dec 2016)
• 🌍 Craig Bothy (Along a coastal path, 4 km beyond the end of the road at Diabaig. Or 7 km from Red Point, at the end of a road from Gairloch.). Historic cottage, was a youth hostel for many years, taken over by the Mountain Bothies Association in 2006. (updated Dec 2016)
• 🌍 Mol Mor Base Camp (National Trust for Scotland), ☎ [phone], e-mail: [e-mail]. Bunkhouse sleeps up to 10 people, in two 4-bedded and one 2-bedded rooms. Within a converted farm steading at the head of Loch Torridon. Showers, kitchen laundry, oil-fired c/h. £20 ppn, minimum £100. (updated Feb 2019)
• 🌍 Stalker's Cottage (National Trust for Scotland), ☎ [phone], e-mail: [e-mail]. Self-catering cottage, sleeps up to 4 people. (updated Dec 2016)

Connect

Go next

• The road south winds around Loch Carron to Plockton, Dornie and Kyle of Lochalsh, which brings you to Skye.
• Or go east via Kinlochewe and Loch Maree to Gairloch.