Cape Wrath Training Area is located at the far North West corner of the UK Mainland approximately 120 miles from Inverness.
Site Description
Cape Wrath Training Area provides opportunities for a wide variety of field fire and dry training exercises across 25,000 acres of severe and isolated upland moorland.
It is the only Range in Europe where Land, Sea and Air training activities can be conducted simultaneously and where the Royal Air Force can train using live 1000lb bombs.
The Range forms part of an area that is often referred to as "the last great wilderness", due to its remoteness.
Cape Wrath Training Area is home to a wide range of wildlife, and various parts of the Training Area have been designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), an EU Special Area of Conservation (SAC), as well as a Special Protection Area (SPA).
Access opportunities
There are two main ways of taking access to Cape Wrath Training Area.
The main access to the range area is via the passenger ferry across the Kyle of Durness from Keoldale. This ferry runs sporadically from May to September. The frequency of the service is dependant on the state of the tide and weather conditions. Two hours either side of low tide the service may stop altogether. The ferry may operate outside these months by prior arrangement.
On the Cape side of the Kyle a minibus service operates between the ferry landing point and the Cape Wrath lighthouse along the public road. This service is privately operated and excursions from the ferry to the lighthouse and back take approximately 2 ½ hours. The public road across the Cape runs for approximately 12 miles thus the majority of people accessing the lighthouse via the ferry make use of this service at least one way. 10 miles of the road are within the Cape Wrath Training Area. The public road is closed during live firing periods. The ferry and minibus service are also curtailed during these periods.
The other main way to access Cape Wrath is to walk from Blairmore, in the south, via the Sandwood estate owned by John Muir Trust, to Cape Wrath Lighthouse. Much of this route is unmarked, over rough and open moorland, and is not recommended for inexperienced walkers. Walkers are also advised to check firing times before setting off on this route, as should firing be taking place then red flags and lamps will be displayed at the Range boundary and access will not be permitted. This route forms the final section of the Cape Wrath Trail, a long distance route from Fort William of just under 200 miles.
Further Information
Details of the ferry and minibus services can be found at the Cape Wrath website (see "Related Links" – this website is not an MOD website)
Further information on the Cape Wrath Trail can be found at the Cape Wrath Trail website (see "Related Links")
For information on firing times at Cape Wrath Training Area, please contact Range Control at Faraid Head.
Tel: 01971 511242 or Out of Hours 0800 833300
OS Map References
OS Landranger Sheet 9
(Cape Wrath) 1:50,000
OS Explorer Sheet 466
(Durness & Cape Wrath) 1:25,000