Strathnaver Trail

The name Strathnaver comes from two separate words which were united in order to provide a highly descriptive name for the area. The word ‘nabh’ means wet cloud and is thought to have been used to describe the fogs which rise over the river. Due to local pronunciation nabh quickly became naver. Later ‘strath’, which means valley, was added by the Gaels.

Often associated with the Sutherland Highland Clearances, the area of Strathnaver covers the river lands from Loch Naver close to Altnaharra up to the coast at Bettyhill. The Trail starts at the Strathnaver Museum and is a walking dot-to-dot of 29 archaeological sites of interest at 16 different points along the trail. 12 of these sites are Scheduled Ancient Monuments and the museum itself is a listed building. There are roadside trail markers all along the route to help you stay on track.

The oldest of these archaeological sites is chambered cairns or what we might call ancient tombs at Grumbeg, Skail and Coille. The Grumbeg burial ground commands dramatic views over the whole length of Loch Naver. There are also Bronze Age circles, ancient burial grounds and abandoned townships following the clearances.

You can read more about the Strathnaver Trail Here:
Undiscovered Scotland: Strathnaver
Highland.gov.uk: The Story of a North Highland Landscape

The Strathnaver Museum can be found at:

Clachan
Bettyhill
Thurso
Caithness
KW14 7SS

Contact them on 01641 521418