7k Run Highland: Scenic Loop Around Cnoc Fyrish

Route Overview & Local Insights

This 7.2km loop offers an authentic Highland trail experience, striking a perfect balance between a challenging ascent and rewarding forestry tracks. With 262m of elevation gain, the route classifies as a "hilly" excursion, primarily utilizing the well-trodden Fyrish Jubilee Path before transitioning into the rugged Back of Fyrish Track. Runners can expect a firm but natural terrain underfoot—completely unpaved—making it an ideal session for trail shoes. The climb provides a stout anaerobic test, but the rhythmic descent alongside the serene Contullich Burn offers a refreshing cool-down as you wind back toward the car park through dense woodland and heather-clad slopes.

Steeped in local folklore and Highland history, Cnoc Fyrish is famous for the eye-catching monuments crowning its summit, most notably the Fyrish Monument, built in 1782. Legend has it that Sir Hector Munro of Novar commissioned the structure to provide employment for local workers during the Highland Clearances; he even rolled stones down the hill to extend the labor time and keep his men paid. While the loop skirts the "back" of the hill for a quieter, more secluded feel than the main tourist path, you’ll still feel the spirit of this storied landscape. Keep an eye out for local wildlife including red squirrels and roe deer, which are frequently spotted in the quieter sections of the forest tracks near the burn.