Strathrory

Great spot for birdwatching and the start of an ancient drove route

Bring your binoculars! The mixture of peaceful river, open moorland and forest backdrop make this car park a good vantage point for watching wildlife, including birds of prey.

It is also the starting point of a traditional cattle drove route which follows the peaceful Strathrory river down to the fertile meadows of Scotsburn. The route passes through wild heather moorland and peaceful oak and pine woods, with glimpses of roe deer, black grouse and a rich variety of birds and wildflowers in summer.

The route is 4 ½ miles / 7.5 km each way and is not waymarked, so you will need your own suitable map to follow the route. The path can also be very wet and muddy.

Facilities and access

Parking

Viewpoint

Walking

You'll find toilets, shops and places to eat in Alness or Tain.

Practical info

This route is not waymarked and can be wet in places. Please take an OS or other suitable map with you if you walk this trail.

The route goes from one car park to another so you'll need to organise transport from the other end of the trail or be prepared to walk or cycle back to the start. The distance by road between the two ends is about 10 miles (16 km).

Car parking information

There is no charge to park in this car park. Please park with care and consideration. In particular please park in designated parking areas only and do not block entrances or gates.

More about parking

Getting here

From Inverness, head north on the A9 for 16 ¾ miles (26.8 km). After Evanton, turn left for the B9176 to Lairg and Bonar Bridge (the Struie road) and follow this for 7 ¾ miles (12.4 km). Continue uphill after Strathrory Bridge and you'll see the car park on your right at grid reference NH 667 778.

The drove route ends at Scotsburn near Invergordon. From Inverness follow the A9 north for 21 ¾ miles (33.6 km). At the Tomich / Invergordon junction, turn left and follow the singletrack road for 1 ½ miles (2.4 km), then turn right onto Scotsburn Road. After 3 ½ miles (5.6 km) you'll see a green Scottish Rights of Way sign on your left. There's a small area for parking at grid reference NH 733 763.

Using SatNav?

IV17 0XP is the nearest postcode, about 2 miles (3.2 km) before you reach the Strathrory car park from the south. IV18 0PE is the nearest postcode to Scotsburn, where the trail ends.

Get directions