Littlemill
Littlemill Forest Notices
COVID-19 has changed lots of things we do. And as we re-open the majority of our facilities and welcome more of you back in Phase 3, we need your help to do it safely. Please check what’s open before you travel; enjoy your visit safely by following NHS and Scottish Government guidance; take your litter home with you; and follow the Scottish Outdoor Access Code.
At this location:
- The car park is open and normal charges (if any) now apply.
Please bear with us and check back regularly for updates. You can also find more information by visiting our COVID-19 page and our FAQs.
A colourful wood where wildlife flourishes
The small forest at Littlemill hides dramatic features that tell of a landscape very different from today's peaceful glen. The ridges and lochans are leftovers from the Ice Age, formed when glaciers ground their way across the land.
Now the woodland is home to roe deer, and there's a colourful show of wildflowers in spring.
Our guide to the forests of Inverness (PDF 4MB)
Walking trails
Kettlehole Trail
Explore the beautiful kettle hole lochans, which are great places to spot dragonflies and other insects that breed in the water.
Rough, narrow earthy and grassy surface. Some steep slopes. Includes muddy sections.
Allow ¾ hour
Large lumps of ice got stranded as the glacier broke up and created shallow hollows in the land. They’re now small lochs called ‘kettle holes’.
Esker Trail
Follow a series of strange esker ridges formed beneath glaciers during the last ice age. There are great views over Strathnairn.
Rough earthy and grassy surface, with several muddy sections and some exposed tree roots. Includes steep slopes and some steps.
Allow 1 hour
This trail takes you up onto two parallel ridges called eskers - these mark the course of rivers of meltwater that flowed underneath the glacier, often carrying huge quantities of sand and gravel. When the glacier melted away, the sand and gravel was left behind as the snaking ridges we see today.
Facilities & access
Life's essentials
There's a small shop in Inverarnie, a little further along the B851.
Stay the Night
For the remainder of 2020, motorhomes and campervans will be allowed to park overnight at this car park.
This is part of a national trial open to self-contained vehicles only. Motorhomes and campervans can stay for one night only at a time between 6pm and 10am. Camping and overnight parking of cars is not allowed.
Before you visit, please read our Stay the Night guidance, terms and conditions:
Getting here
Head south from Inverness on the A9 for about 6 miles (9.6 km) and turn right onto the B851, signposted for Fort Augustus. Littlemill is about 1½ miles (2.4 km) along the road, on the left.
Using SatNav?
IV2 6XH is a postcode a little further south along the B851.
Get in touch
Have a question or suggestion for improvement?