Black Rock Gorge.

Start. Evanton (car park in the village centre).

Route. Evanton - Chapel Road - Camden Street - Evanton Wood - Black Rock Gorge - Glenglass Road - Evanton.

Notes. Some things just can’t be photographed they have to be seen to appreciate what the camera can’t capture, Black Rock Gorge is one of these places. Formed at the end of the last ice age, as melting glaciers moved down glens such as Glen Glass, released from the weight of ice the land rose allowing meltwater to exploit weaknesses in the surrounding rock, the result Black Rock Gorge, a 130ft deep cleft, only a few feet wide almost a mile in length with black water roaring through it’s depths. This short woodland walk visits the gorge, dark, dramatic and hidden in the woods.

We parked in the main village car park, directly across the road the Co-op and Cornerstone Cafe, between the two Chapel Road climbs to a fine chapel now a private house. We let Chapel Road guide us to the junction of Camdon Street, here a green finger-post invited us to Black Rock Gorge. With the tarmac of Camdon Street under foot we walked it’s length, to find another green finger-post directing us to the left over the surface of a stoney track, this track in turn guided us into Evanton Wood, with the woods on our left and a green field to our right we wandered on to reach an adventure playground, a path passed to the left another to the right, we followed the latter deep into the woods.

After a few easy ups and downs, the path descended to the first bridge, ignoring this we followed a path parallel to the fence line, this deposited us at the second bridge, views from the bridge were stomach churning, cold air rising through the foreboding slit sent shivers up my spine, the constant rumbling told me somewhere deep down was a bloody great river, all around a eerie magical atmosphere. We gingerly crossed the bridge, the path swung right then left to join a wider path, this we followed down hill to a junction, we turned right to descend to the first bridge, but never crossed.

We continued following the gorge down stream, this section isn't fenced I was quite relieved when the path swung left to join the path we left a short while ago. We then descended to the river, now wide and dark, in a never ending hurry to reach the Cromarty Firth, with the river for company we wandered down stream, passed a turbine house before ascending through pine woods to access a narrow tarmac road disappearing up Glen Glass. This was Glenglass Road it safely guided us back into Evanton.

view route map.

home.

At the head of Chapel Road the chapel mentioned in the text above.

At the end of Camden Street our route turned onto this track....

....it ushered us through Autumn colours along the edge of Evanton Wood.

This is the river that runs through Black Rock Gorge, Allt Graad, I was expecting the gorge to be totally different, more like we have here.

Sue strides out over a carpet of fallen leaves.

This is it, that river in the shot above flows through this narrow slit, photographs don't do it any justice at all.

I can feel cold air rising from that frightening slit, the sound of a river rumbles deep down and, this bridge I'm standing on rocks.

This walk will be on Sue's facebook page if she doesn't drop the phone.

The Allt Graad below Black Rock Gorge.

Allt Graad Scottish Gaelic for Ugly Stream, there's nothing ugly about it, it starts life in the mountains above Loch Glass, going by the name River Glass as it leaves the high glen.

A walk for another day, Cnoc Fyrish with the Fyrish Monument clearly visible.

The Allt Graad seen from Balconie Street North Bridge.

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