📌 Assynt, Highland
★★★
The Point of Stoer is set slightly out on a limb from the rest of Assynt. This means it takes a little effort to reach – via several miles of single track roads – but makes a fantastic viewpoint for the region’s big hills, all spread out like cars in a showroom when seen from the walk’s high-level return. Before that, the more popular coastal stretch takes in the remote lighthouse, grand cliffs, plenty of seabirds at the right time of year, and the Old Man of Stoer: a 200-foot sandstone sea stack popular among rock climbers. The narrow ridge jutting into the sea at Cìrean Geardail offers the ultimate vantage point for the brave (or should that be stupid?).
📷 Chronological photo guide
Looking back to Stoer Head Lighthouse 
Geodh’ nan Daoine 
Path improvements in this soggy valley 
Back along the cliffs 
A hangout of shags on rocks below the cliffs 
Approaching the Old Man of Stoer 
Cìrean Geardail (left) & the Old Man of Stoer 
View back towards Cìrean Geardail 
Sea views 
Old Man of Stoer 
Fulmar 
Through the bog cotton to Quinag (left), Canisp (middle) and Suilven (right) 
Sìthean Mòr 
Much of the return is on a wide path 
WWII radar station near the finish 
View of Assynt’s isolated hills from the moorland return
🌍 Location
📌 Start / finish at minor road end near Stoer Head Lighthouse
🧭 O.S. Grid Reference: NC 005327
🛰️ GPS coordinates: 58.238037,-5.400977
❌ No public transport within 1 mi
🚗 Car park
📝 Key info
▶ 7 km / 4 mi | ▲ 360 m | ⌛ 3 hr
Features: 🌊 Stoer Head, lighthouse & coastline; 🧗 Old Man of Stoer sea stack; △ Sìthean Mòr (161 m)
⬤ Moderate | Mostly clear path for most of coastal section, a bit wet at times. Pathless around Point of Stoer (with a fence to cross), with various faint trods ascending Sìthean Mòr if you can find one! After summit, wide moorland paths with a few boggy stretches take you towards the radar station but braid confusingly later on; then track past radar station to start.
Download file for GPS➡️ Clockwise circuit: start & lighthouse – Old Man of Stoer via coast path – Point of Stoer – Sìthean Mòr – WWII radar station at 🧭 NC 008329 – start
🥾 On our last visit
Wildlife: A surprisingly wide variety of seabirds including gannets, shags, fulmars, (pink-footed) black guillemots and skuas.
Weather: Occasional sunshine but mostly cloudy, with rain showers keeping their distance. Moderate wind, temperature in mid teens.
July 2017
