Geo-Trips :: The South Sutor and McFarquhar's Bed - a circular walk from Cromarty
McFarquhar's Bed
A walk from Cromarty, Mon, 6 Mar 2017 by Julian Paren
This walk is just under four and a half miles and provides the best country circular walk that Cromarty offers. After a climb up the hundred steps to the top of South Sutor (not imaged on this trip) the walk takes you through fields with extensive views over the Moray Firth before the impressive drop down to the sea by McFarquhar's Bed. The return takes you up through what was once a very fine beech avenue, but now past its prime and much broken, and down to Cromarty past Cromarty Mains and the side of Cromarty House. Two and a half hours is probably the minimum time for the walk as you will be reluctant to leave the shore and you may have had some doubts about route keeping through the fields beside Gallow Hill.
On the map below, the grey line is the GPS track from this trip. Click the blue circles to see a photograph taken from that spot and read further information about the location. The blue lines indicate the direction of view. There is also a slideshow of this trip. ( )
↓ Scroll down here ↓
The side of Gallow Hill
The abandoned oil rig serves to remind locals where the Cromarty Firth Port... more
Storm damaged trees above McFarquhar's Bed
The glorious beech avenue of former years is now a graveyard of magnificent trees.... more
Moray Firth near McFarquhar's Bed
A view that shows Fort George and Chanonry Point almost closing the firth.
McFarquhar's Bed from the access footpath
McFarquhar's Bed has two main arches and a very low tunnel you can scramble... more
Beach beside McFarquhar's Bed
Behind the beach is a restored building and a loo perched above the stream that... more
Beach by McFarquhar's Bed
Looking towards the north and the site of possible ship-to-ship oil transfers... more
McFarquhar's Bed
This strange formation brings a few visitors each year to a very quiet beach and... more
McFarquhar's Bed
A fine set of rocks from any angle. From this direction the arches are invisible.
Coast at McFarquhar's Bed
A path leads south on the cliff top. To progress along the beach itself would be... more
Outlook from Cromarty Mains
From Cromarty Mains there is a good view across the Cromarty Firth to the Global... more
Field of sheep at Cromarty
North Sutor is the promontory across the entrance to the Cromarty Firth.
All images © Julian Paren and available under a
Creative Commons licence 
.
