Fisherfield Wild Camping Map: The Great Wilderness and the River
Fisherfield is the Great Wilderness — Shenavall, A' Mhaighdean and a river crossing that decides your trip. A guide to camping Britain's remotest hills.
Fisherfield Wild Camping Map: The Great Wilderness and the River
Fisherfield is the largest roadless area in Britain, and it contains the summit usually described as the remotest Munro in the country. It also contains a river that will end your trip if it is in spate, and no bridge. Any honest guide to camping here starts with the water rather than the hills. This guide is based on desk research: the Scottish Outdoor Access Code, Mountain Bothies Association material, SEPA river-level guidance and Ordnance Survey mapping rather than first-hand testing. Below you will find the approaches, the crossing, where to camp, and what “remote” actually costs you here.
Quick Reference
| Feature | Detail |
|---|---|
| Common name | The Great Wilderness (Letterewe / Fisherfield Forest) |
| Between | Loch Maree and Little Loch Broom |
| Main approach | Corrie Hallie, off the A832 near Dundonnell |
| Key shelter | Shenavall bothy (MBA) |
| The obstacle | Abhainn Srath na Sealga — unbridged, impassable in spate |
The Legal Position
The Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003 makes responsible wild camping a statutory right across most of Scotland, and Fisherfield has no camping byelaws — those apply only to seasonal zones in Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park.
Responsible under the Scottish Outdoor Access Code means a small tent, one or two nights, carried in on foot, well away from buildings and roads. There are no roads here to be away from.
Getting In
From Corrie Hallie. The standard route. A track leaves the A832 south of Dundonnell and runs south, then a path drops into Strath na Sealga to Shenavall. Roughly 9–10km and a few hours. This is the approach almost everyone uses.
From Poolewe. The long western approach past Kernsary and Fionn Loch. Beautiful, much longer, and the route to A’ Mhaighdean from the other side.
From Kinlochewe. Southern approach via Lochan Fada. Long and rough.
There is no short way in. Every route is a half-day before you start climbing.
The River Crossing — Plan Around It
This is the single most important thing about Fisherfield.
Immediately beyond Shenavall the Abhainn Srath na Sealga has to be forded, and there is no bridge. In normal summer conditions it is an ankle-to-knee-deep wade. After heavy rain — which is frequent in Wester Ross — it becomes genuinely dangerous and, at times, impassable. A second crossing, the Abhainn Loch an Nid, lies not far beyond.
Practical consequences:
- Check the forecast for the days before, not just the day of. These rivers respond fast to rain on saturated ground.
- Cross early. Levels typically rise through a wet day.
- Have a plan for being cut off. Parties are regularly stranded on the far side after overnight rain, which is one reason Shenavall gets busy.
- Turning back is a normal outcome. It is not a failed trip; it is the correct decision.
Do not treat the crossing as a formality because a guidebook photograph shows someone paddling across in shorts.
Where to Camp
Shenavall and Strath na Sealga. The Mountain Bothies Association bothy sits above the strath with a superb outlook to An Teallach. The flat ground around it takes tents, and camping rather than crowding into the bothy is often the better choice in season. Water and shelter, and it is the natural base for the round.
Beyond the river, in the heart. Once across, the ground around Loch Beinn Dearg and beneath A’ Mhaighdean and Ruadh Stac Mòr is as remote as British camping gets. Rough, wet, and superb.
Fionn Loch. On the western side, with the causeway between Fionn Loch and Dubh Loch and the great slabs of A’ Mhaighdean above. One of the finest camp locations in Scotland.
Lochan Fada. Southern edge, on the Kinlochewe approach. Quiet.
The Hills
The group is still widely called the “Fisherfield Six”, though a resurvey reclassified Beinn a’ Chlaidheimh as a Corbett rather than a Munro, so the round is now five Munros for anyone counting. Older books and blog posts routinely still say six.
A’ Mhaighdean is the one people come for — commonly described as the remotest Munro in Scotland, with a summit view over Fionn Loch that is regularly voted the best in the country.
Ruadh Stac Mòr, Beinn Tarsuinn, Mullach Coire Mhic Fhearchair and Sgùrr Bàn complete the group. An Teallach, across the strath to the north, is a separate and superb objective in its own right.
Doing the round in a day from the road is a very long undertaking. Most people camp or use the bothy, which is exactly why this is good wild-camping country.
What Remote Costs You
No resupply, no signal, no easy exit. Nearest shops are Dundonnell or Poolewe. Phone coverage is essentially absent in the interior.
Rough, pathless ground. Between the hills the going is tussock, bog and boulder. Map distances translate badly into time.
Weather. Wester Ross is among the wettest parts of Britain, and the same rain that soaks you fills the rivers behind you.
Bothy etiquette. Shenavall is popular and small. It is unlocked, free, never bookable and first-come — so carry a tent regardless. Take rubbish out, bring your own fuel, leave it cleaner than you found it, and share cheerfully.
Deer stalking runs roughly July to late October for stags and matters on these estates. The access right continues; the Code asks you to take reasonable account of it.
Midges and ticks are both severe here from late May to September.
Responsibilities
- Toilet waste buried at least 30m from water, or carried out — around Shenavall, carried out is the honest answer.
- No open fires. Peat smoulders underground.
- One or two nights, then move.
- Everything out, food waste included.
FAQ
How remote is Fisherfield really? It is the largest roadless area in Britain, and A’ Mhaighdean is generally described as the remotest Munro in Scotland. The nearest road end is a half-day walk away in every direction, there is no phone signal in the interior, and no resupply. Plan for full self-sufficiency and leave your route with someone.
Do you have to cross a river to reach Fisherfield? Yes. Beyond Shenavall the Abhainn Srath na Sealga must be forded and there is no bridge, with a second crossing shortly after. In dry conditions it is a knee-deep wade; after heavy rain it becomes dangerous or impassable, and parties are regularly stranded. Check several days of forecast, cross early in the day, and be prepared to turn back.
Is Fisherfield five Munros or six? Five. The group is still widely called the Fisherfield Six, but a resurvey reclassified Beinn a’ Chlaidheimh as a Corbett. A great deal of older guidebook and online material still says six, so expect the discrepancy.
Can I rely on Shenavall bothy? Only as a bonus. It is unlocked, free, first-come and never bookable, and it is one of the most popular bothies in Scotland — partly because people get cut off by the river. Always carry a tent. The ground around it is good for camping anyway, and often the more pleasant option in summer.
