North West Highlands Rock Route

Published: 2013
Reviewed: 2023

The far North West of Scotland presents one of the most ancient and unique landscapes in Europe. Here you’ll find wonderfully rugged scenery, where the rocks tell of ancient oceans, deserts, volcanoes and ice sheets.

Find out about the amazing rocks and landscapes of this area on the Rock Route. At the stopping places you’ll come across great views and more about the story of the Earth. There’s a map of the route in this leaflet.

Why not start your geological journey at Knockan Crag? The amazing stories stored in the area’s rocks come to life at Knockan Crag – a visitor attraction where we guarantee you an Earth-moving experience!

How to find Knockan Crag

Find out more

• There are trails for different abilities, a fascinating exhibition, a car park and toilets.
• Did you know? The site’s original Gaelic name is Creag a’ Chnocain, meaning ‘crag of the hillock’.
• For more information please contact 01463 701600 or email [email protected]

About Knockan Crag Rock Room

Come and explore the Rock Room, a unique open-sided visitor point complete with living turf roof, which nestles into the Knockan hillside. Here you’ll find stunning views, hands-on discovery table, wind-up displays and a touch screen computer, giving you the big picture on the surrounding landscape.

Rock trails

Take your pick from three waymarked trails at Knockan, which provide dramatic views over the mountains and lochs and the chance to bridge 500 million years with your bare hands!

Rock art

Ramble around Knockan and you’ll come across rock art and poetry set in stone. Together they provide a different way of looking at this special place.

The Rock Route

Take a journey through the North West Highlands Geopark. Find out about the amazing rocks and landscapes of this area along the Rock Route.

At the places on the map you’ll find great views and panels explaining the extraordinary stories behind the stunning scenery. Use this leaflet to help you find your way around.

You could even try cycling some of the route – after all, the oil we get from the rocks won’t last forever!

About the North West Highlands Geopark

This area has been awarded Geopark status for its stunning mountain landscapes, clean sandy beaches, ancient settlements and thriving communities – all united by a unique and turbulent geological past. What’s more, this extraordinary story is literally written in the landscape and just waiting for you to unravel it.

This area was Scotland’s first Geopark, and we’re proud to be part of a host of European sites selected primarily for their outstanding geology but also for their significant archaeological, ecological and cultural features. To find out more, visit nwhgeopark.com.

1. Ullapool Look out over the loch and trace the marks left by mountain building, glaciers and changes in sea levels. OS Grid: NH 130940
2. Strathcanaird An immense sheet of ice once flowed like a river over this land, carving the mountains before you. One day the glaciers will return! OS Grid: NC 157035
3. Stac Pollaidh A mountain that the weather is gradually wearing down – enjoy it before it disappears! OS Grid: NC 108095
4. Elphin Different rock types leave their own unique ‘signature’ on the
   landscape. Discover the tell-tale signs and look for them elsewhere around the area. OS Grid: NC 212106
5. Bone Caves Take a hike to the Bone Caves and see where geologists found the remains of some of Scotland’s ‘lost animals’. Bears, wolves and reindeer once roamed here. OS Grid: NC 253179
6. Stronchrubie The forces that shaped this landscape are still at work. Look for evidence of the erosion caused by glaciers and water over many thousands of years. OS Grid: NC 248200
7. Inchnadamph Hotel World-famous geologists stayed at this hotel as they explored the mountains, trying to understand how they were formed. Stand where they stood! OS Grid: NC 252216
8. Loch Assynt Meet some of the oldest rocks on the planet and discover how the landscape they formed was lost through time. OS Grid: NC 201261
9. Unapool The mountains across the loch carry the scars of two major thrust planes, where the Earth moved in a big way. Admire the view and see if it moves for you! OS Grid: NC 235321
10. Kylestrome Enjoy a stunning view over the mountains of Assynt, discover the story behind their names and find out how they helped us
    understand our planet. OS Grid: NC 211350
11. Laxford Admire a slice through time, as revealed in the strange patterns and colours that usually lie hidden beneath your feet. OS Grid: NC 233486
12. Rhiconich Look for the boulders on the skyline. An ice sheet lifted these some 20,000 years ago and moved them many miles before setting them down again. OS Grid: NC 246503
13. Kyle of Durness Get to grips with glaciers! Gaze in awe at their force in gouging out the valleys then depositing the sand and gravels that now form the spectacular mud flats, beaches and dunes around Durness. OS Grid: NC 384656
14. Loch Eriboll Discover the great Victorian controversy that is literally thrust before you – and find out why the grass really is greener
    on the other side! OS Grid: NC 452599