Walking in Knoydart

I think we all left Doune a wee bit rounder and happier… I was lucky enough to join one of our wilderness walking Knoydart trips and recently spent a week walking in Knoydart. We were based in the small settlement of Doune on the West coast of the Knoydart Peninsula. Doune has a population of 8 and we met all of them during our week there – and what a lovely bunch of people there are. Just as beautiful as the environment they are living in.

Doune Lodge

We were based at Doune Lodge – an alpine-style wooden lodge in a secluded bay surrounded by a small burn, ferns and stunning views across the sea towards the Isle of Skye. We were dining like kings and queens in the nearby dining room. Liz’s cooking left us yearning for the next course, the next meal. Her imaginative cooking and approach to cuisine was second to none.

Rudely, mealtimes were interrupted by boat trips and walking in Knoydart but you can’t have everything…

On those trips, the group has access to the ‘Mary Doune’ who is skilfully skippered by Andy (the husband of Liz and a very happy man). Andy knows just about everything. The weather, the tides, the areas, the wildlife, the geology. A massive asset to the area!

Island Hopping the Small Isles

It’s the second year, we’ve got Kirsty Chuchla in our guiding team and what a sunshine she is. It is compulsory to smile along with her and she fascinated us with her knowledge of flora and fauna and joined in with the general banter. The slogan of the week: “OK folks, it’s a wee bit boggy!!!’ This was so true, to the extent that we were wondering if we are on the right path if it WASN’T boggy. She made us feel safe at all times and was always first to spot the wildlife (OK, Richard spotted the otters…). It’s great to have Kirsty in the team!

All in all a fantastic (working) holiday! I’ll be keeping very fond memories and some quality mountain days in my logbook  :)

If you would love to join our wilderness walking trip to Knoydart then you can find out more here.

What is the walking like in Knoydart, view the video below.