📌 Assynt, Highland
★★★★
This short, steep circuit at Knockan Crag gives the perfect prologue to the geologically-confused area of Assynt – we think this is one of the best short walks you can do in the Northwest Highlands, and surely the most educational. The alien, individual hills in the west part of this region (such as Suilven) owe their appearance to their rock type: horizontal beds of red-brown Torridon sandstone sometimes topped with younger, whitish quartzite. This quartzite contains pipe rock: the burrows from ancient sea creatures left over from where this rock originated on a beach during the Cambrian period – these are visible at Knockan Crag. All of this overlies older, grey-coloured Lewisian gneiss which forms the flatter base to the landscape. Meanwhile, peat bogs characterise the moorland to the east, composed of Moine schists. Putting the cat amongst the proverbial pigeons is the Moine Thrust: a zone stretching from north to south where tectonic plate movements reversed the rock layers a long time ago. The zone runs right through Knockan Crag, and you can get right up to the boundaries between rock layers here (see the relevant photo further down this page). These are explained by information panels – which also go into the area’s wider geology in more detail. It’s all fascinating stuff for anyone with a little interest in how the landscape formed, but the views are stunning enough to make the walk worthwhile even if you don’t reckon rocks rock.
📷 Chronological photo guide
Rock layers sculpture at the start 
Interpretation centre 
Lochan an Ais & Cùl Beag (centre) from the interpretation centre 
Around the world in 600 million years 
Globe sculpture 
Looking north towards Canisp (left) 
Exposed section of the Moine Thrust 
Knockan Crag 
Steep ascent to the top of the crag 
Looking back from the ascent 
View northeast from the top of the crag towards Ben More Assynt 
Cùl Mòr (left) & Suilven (right) 
Lochan an Ais & Cùl Beag from the high level section 
Cùl Beag (left) & Cùl Mòr (right) 
View south into Coigach from the start of the descent 
Arch sculpture 
Descent to the car park
🌍 Location
📌 Start / finish on A835 2 mi south of Elphin
🧭 O.S. Grid Reference: NC 188091
🛰️ GPS coordinates: 58.033683,-5.071114
🚌 Extremely infrequent bus stops at car park
🚗 Car park
📝 Key info
▶ 2 km / 1 mi | ▲ 190 m | ⌛ 1 hr
Features: ⛰️ Knockan Crag NNR, interpretation centre, sculptures & displays; ⛰️ Moine Thrust
⬤ Moderate | Clear path, with steep sections mostly on steeps.
Download file for GPS➡️ Clockwise circuit: start – interpretation centre – Knockan Crag – start. Route generally signposted (Crag Top Trail – the longest one)
🥾 On our last visit
Wildlife: Not much…
Weather: Temperature in high teens with sunny periods and a pleasant breeze.
September 2021
