Glen Affric

Glen Affric is the long, wooded glen that runs west from the village of Cannich, about 17 miles (25 minutes) by road from Drumnadrochit. Forestry and Land Scotland (FLS) calls its woodland one of the best examples of the Caledonian Forest that once covered much of Scotland, and the whole glen is a National Nature Reserve. NatureScot lists it as one of Scotland’s largest remaining ancient pinewoods.

For a first visit, drive to Dog Falls, the first car park in the glen, and walk one of the three waymarked trails. If you have a full day, carry on to the road end at River Affric and walk round Loch Affric. Parking at every FLS car park in the glen costs £5 for the day on one ticket.

Getting there from Drumnadrochit

Take the A831 west up Glen Urquhart to Cannich. In the village, turn left onto the minor road signed for Glen Affric. Dog Falls is about four miles along it; the River Affric car park, at the end of the public road, is about 10 miles from Cannich.

Much of the road is single track. Pull in to the left at passing places to let cars by, and expect it to take longer than the mileage suggests. FLS says the glen roads are not suitable for coaches.

Checked October 2026:

	Detail
Drumnadrochit to Cannich	About 12.5 miles, 18 min (OSRM routing)
Drumnadrochit to Dog Falls car park	About 17 miles, 24 min
Drumnadrochit to River Affric car park	About 23 miles; the last 10 on the single-track glen road
Parking (all four FLS car parks)	£2 up to 1 hour, £3 up to 3 hours, £5 all day, £12 minibus or coach
One ticket covers	Dog Falls, Loch Beinn a’ Mheadhain, River Affric, Plodda Falls
Payment	Coins, card or RingGo; Blue Badge holders free
Toilets	Dog Falls all year; River Affric 1 April to 31 October
Food and shop	Cannich (shop and food) or Tomich (cafe); none in the glen
Bus	Stagecoach 17 runs Inverness to Cannich and Tomich, Monday to Saturday

Mobile signal is poor in the glen. If you plan to pay by RingGo, set it up before you leave Cannich.

Dog Falls

The falls are not high. Walkhighlands says it is the fast flow, the rocky gorge and the setting that make them, and FLS describes the “whisky-coloured water rushing through the canyon”. FLS’s woods around the car park mix old “granny” Scots pines, silver birch and lichen-covered oaks.

Three waymarked trails start from the car park:

Checked October 2026 (FLS route card):

Trail	Distance	Time	Grade
Dog Falls Trail	3.2 km (2 miles)	1 h 15 min; falls and back about 30 min	Strenuous: steep slopes, narrow bridge, two road crossings
Viewpoint Trail	2.9 km (1¾ miles)	1 hour	Strenuous: long steady climb to a view over Loch Beinn a’ Mheadhain
Coire Loch Trail	4.5 km (2¾ miles)	1 h 30 min	Strenuous: rough, rocky path past a lochan
Walkhighlands circuit combining all three	6 km, 254 m ascent	1.5 to 2.5 hours	Waymarked paths and tracks

The Coire Loch is the quiet highlight. In summer, FLS says, it is covered in water lilies, and Walkhighlands notes it is a breeding place for rare dragonflies. Stay quiet in the pines and you have a fair chance of roe deer.

FLS suggests walking the Dog Falls Trail anticlockwise for a gentler climb.

Glen Affric walks further up the glen

River Affric car park. At the end of the public road the glen opens out and the mountains close in. Two short trails start here: the Am Meallan Viewpoint Trail (0.6 km, about 15 minutes) climbs to a view across Loch Affric, and the River Affric Trail (0.9 km, about 30 minutes) drops to the river between the two lochs.

Loch Affric circuit. Walkhighlands gives 18 km, 330 m of ascent and 4.5 to 6.5 hours, starting from the River Affric car park. FLS calls it fairly level and easy to follow, but on the north side you cross burns with no bridges, which can be tricky after heavy rain. There are no signposts once you leave the waymarked trails and no phone signal, so carry a map and enough food.

Affric Kintail Way. This long-distance route starts in Drumnadrochit and runs through Glen Urquhart and Glen Affric to Morvich in Kintail. Its second stage, Cannich to the Affric road end, is 19.5 km and 5.5 to 6 hours on Walkhighlands.

The big hills on the north side of the glen include Càrn Eige (1,183 m), the highest summit north of the Great Glen. Those are serious mountain days, not add-ons to a visit from Loch Ness.

Wildlife and the beavers

FLS and Trees for Life released a family of five beavers and a beaver pair at two sites on Loch Beinn a’ Mheadhoin on 24 October 2025. The animals came from farmland in Tayside, and the partners have set up a local group to monitor how they settle.

Red deer come down from the hills in autumn and winter, FLS says, which makes those the best months to see them near River Affric. Golden eagles and mountain hares live on the high ground.

Without a car

Stagecoach 17 reaches Cannich, Monday to Saturday; from there Dog Falls is about four miles further on foot or by bike. The only group day trip on GetYourGuide that includes Glen Affric is a Rabbie’s tour from Inverness that adds Culloden, Clava Cairns and Beauly Priory; its Glen Affric stop is a walk among the pines with views over Loch Affric. It passes Loch Ness without stopping.

Where to stay

Cannich has a campsite, Cannich Woodland Camping and Caravan Park. Otherwise, a base in Drumnadrochit puts Dog Falls about 25 minutes away by car; see where to stay at Loch Ness for the options. On the way back, Corrimony Cairn is just off the A831 in Glen Urquhart, and Plodda Falls, near Tomich, shares the same parking ticket.