Cnoc Fyrish.

Start. Fyrish Monument car park.

Route. Fyrish Monument car park - Clais Druim a' Bhathaich - Contullich Burn - Castrain a' Mhadaid-ruaidh - Fyrish Monument - Cnoc Fyrish - Fyrish Monument - Castrain a' Mhadaid-ruaidh - Contullich Burn - Clais Druim a' Bhathaich - Fyrish Monument car park.

Notes. I bet when you drive the A9 between Evanton and Alness your eyes inevitably get drawn from the road ahead to a strange structure built on the summit of Cnoc Fyrish, if they haven’t, now you’ve read this they will. Fyrish Monument  a huge structure of three central arches and four flanking towers, built in 1783 by Sir Hector Munro, the local laird. He had been commander of British Forces in India, and defeated the Dutch at the Siege of Negapatam. On his return to the Highlands the Clearances were underway and many people were starving. After the fashion of the day famine relief was provided only in return for work, it being feared that feeding the starving would make them lazy, the construction of the monument was one of the tasks given to the local destitute, it’s a replica of the gates of Negapatam. Our reward for being not so lazy and climbing the hill was a good soaking and promised views only as far as the weather gods would allow.

There’s a large car park on the single track road to Boath, a good path ascends through the trees, this the Jubilee Path guided us to the summit of Cnoc Fyrish, no fancy navigation needed. We had intended to make a circuit out of this walk but after setting out in lovely weather we escaped the tree cover into driving rain backed by a howling gale, so returned the same way stopping at a picturesque lochen we passed on the way up.

view route map.

home.

The route starts here.

The path ascends through the Novar Estate with few views for the effort..

Woodland walking I hate, but in scots pine forests life still thrives on the forest floor.

Free of the tree cover views open up across the Cromarty Firth, in this shot south you can just make out the thin strand of the Cromarty Bridge....

....and east towards Invergordon, Nigg and the mouth of the Cromarty Firth, the drilling platforms some with skeleton crews on board are sat waiting for an up turn in the oil and gas industry, some are waiting to be dismantled for scrap.

It's raining, it's windy and here's our first view of the Fyrish Monument....

....built in 1783 by Sir Hector Munro, the local laird.

Sue gives the monument a little perspective.

It’s a replica of the gates of Negapatam, and usually commands stunning views, both....

....to the south over the Cromarty Firth to the Cairngorm's and north (this direction) the mountains of Easter Ross.

A small lochan passed on our ascent, we thought it may be worth a visit....

.... on the way back, it was but better on a nice day.

Back in the woods out of the rain.

Sue crosses the Contullich Burn.

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