I’d saved one of the toughest routes in Scottish hillwalking to finish off my mainland Munros: the Fisherfield round. Everything about it is a challenge. First there’s the long eight‑mile approach just to reach the bothy, and then the main event - a demanding circuit that takes in five Munros and a Corbett through some of the most remote terrain in the country. And after all that, you still have the long, punishing walk back out. It’s a huge day in every sense.
Walk in
We left Glasgow just after midday and made our way north, stopping at Morrisons in Inverness to pick up supplies for dinner, breakfast, and the next day’s lunch. With the car loaded and the weather behaving itself, we carried on to Dundonnell. Before long we reached the start point. Being a bank holiday, we were braced for a packed car park, but to our surprise we found a space straight away. Packs on, boots tightened, we set off along the farm track towards the bothy - the long approach to Fisherfield officially underway.
The fisherfield munros seen from the walk-in.
Lewis and Britton on the walk in.
Staying in the Shenavall Bothy
After roughly two hours on the track, we reached the bothy - our base for the night. To our surprise, we pretty much had the place to ourselves. The tents we’d lugged in, fully expecting a bank holiday crowd, stayed packed away. The bothy was basic, of course, but still a definite upgrade from sleeping under canvas.
We made dinner, sorted our gear for the big day ahead, and headed for an early night. I rounded things off by watching an episode of Doctor Who I’d downloaded onto my phone.
Our home for the night.
Dinner time.
Cooking dinner.
Inside the bothy.
Completing the walk
The alarm went off at 07:00 and we were up straight away for breakfast. Porridge pots and a couple of leftover wraps from the night before did the job. After eating, we left our big rucksacks in the bothy and set off with just our day bags - one of the perks of the Fisherfield round being a circular route that starts and ends right at Shenavall.
We made good progress early on, climbing through steep, rugged terrain. But a few hours in, the pace started to drop as the energy levels dipped. Still, we pushed on toward the final summit, and once we reached it, we managed to carry a bit of momentum into the long descent back towards the bothy.
The final stretch was a slog across an extremely boggy field, but before long we were back at Shenavall - tired, muddy, but relieved. Around ten hours of walking in total.
River crossing.
Looking at whats to come.
Steep push.
What a view!
Looking out towards the sea.
Lewis heading up to the final munro.
Standing on the final summit for the day.
Walk out
We repacked our rucksacks and began the absolute mind‑battle of the final two‑hour walk back to the car. By that point our legs were done, our energy was gone, and it was all just stubbornness pushing us forward. The relief when the car finally came into view was unreal. We celebrated with a Cream Egg, then jumped straight in and headed for Inverness to catch the shops before they closed.
That night we crashed at the youth hostel, and the next morning we made the drive home - exhausted, aching, but absolutely buzzing from taking on one of the hardest routes in Scottish hillwalking.
Gruelling walk out.