Discover Applecross: Mountains, Coast and Historic Paths

Applecross combines impressive mountain landscapes, traces of history and coastal experiences with a choice of routes for different day plans. Those wishing to shape a trip around nature, culture and activity will find marked paths, a historic broch, a Walled Garden, and opportunities for cycling and paddling. The right accommodation can therefore be chosen particularly well according to your own holiday priorities.

Beinn Bhan and the Landscape Around Applecross

The Beinn Bhan SSSI nature reserve lies in the south of the Applecross Peninsula and overlooks Loch Kishorn. Beinn Bhan is a mountain of Torridon sandstone with high cliffs, deep corries and upland plant communities. The mountain road over the Bealach na Bà and an access track to the radio mast provide access to the summit of Beinn Bhan. For planning purposes, this gives you a clear choice between a day focused on mountain landscapes and an itinerary that includes shorter walks, culture or the coast.

Marked Paths and Historic Traces

The Archaeological Trail is a 1.8 km marked path through an ancient hazelwood. It connects the farm area with Milltown, making it a practical route for anyone wishing to combine nature and history in one walk. The Keppoch Track leads downhill from Bealach Road and passes historic features such as a disused lime kiln and an old ice house.

A shorter route is the 550 m River Walk. The woodland path leads to the Walled Garden and is therefore significantly shorter than the Archaeological Trail. Applecross Walled Garden covers 1.25 acres and includes an orchard, raised vegetable beds and a herb garden.

Museum, Church and Broch

Applecross Heritage Centre is a local museum and research centre run by volunteers from the Applecross Historical Society. The present-day Clachan Church was built in 1817 on the site of an earlier parish church. It provides space for weddings as well as musical events and exhibitions. Applecross Broch is a multi-phase Iron Age broch that was investigated by the Time Team and as part of a community archaeological project. Investigations confirmed that it was a ground-level broch with a gallery extending over at least two storeys.

Coast, Water and Cycling Tours

Sea canoeing and kayaking are possible along the Applecross coast, with numerous launch and landing points. Ard Ban is a white coral beach; its sand consists of calcareous remains from several species of red algae. Cyclists will also find a range of options: Applecross offers roads, paths and open spaces for family cycling trips, road cycling and mountain biking. This allows you either to focus your holiday on a particular activity or alternate days on the water, on a bike and on historic paths.

Choosing Accommodation Based on Your Travel Plans

When looking for a holiday apartment or holiday home in Applecross, it helps to establish your preferred pace first. For a trip focused on walking and landscapes, the routes described and Beinn Bhan are important reference points. Those wishing to include culture and a garden visit can add the Heritage Centre, Clachan Church, Broch and Walled Garden to their selection. For active days on the coast or by bike, the water-based and cycling experiences are instead the obvious criteria for choosing. Applecross has two road connections: the winding coastal road from Shieldaig and the Bealach na Bà pass.

For further travel planning, you can also look up Mey, Dornoch, Gairloch, Lochcarron, Invergarry, Lairg, Fassfern and Struan.

To the higher-level travel overview: Highland.