Braid 2: Tain to Kirkwall via Dunbeath, Braemore, Dalnawillan, Loch More, Spittal and Gills Bay
The braid is divided into 10 stages, as listed in the table below. See the introduction to Braid 1 for notes on mileages. This is the most isolated of the three braids and necessitates a walk of at least 16 miles without any back-up. Please be confident of your ability to achieve this before tackling this braid! It is sometimes referred to as ‘the old road to Thurso’ as this is the route that travellers took before the current A9 was built.
Stage Miles Km
1-4 Tain-Helmsdale: as Braid 1 41.4 67.2
5 Helmsdale-Berrydale 8.9 14.4
6 Berrydale-Dunbeath 6.5 10.5
7 Dunbeath-Spittal 29 46.7
8 Spittal-Watten 6 10
9 Watten-Gills Bay 14.7 23.7
via Canisbay 17.2 27.7
10 Gills Bay Bay to Kirkwall via ferry (1 hour) and bus (30 min, 15 miles). As the road includes three causeways without pedestrian walkways, we do not recommend walking from St Margaret’s Hope to Kirkwall. Anyone wanting to walk all the way could take the Scrabster-Stromness ferry and join the St Magnus Way at Orphir.
As you can see from the above table, the Dunbeath to Spittal stage needs to be broken down. The first six miles are on a public road to Braemore and could be done by car/taxi. The next 16 miles have locked gates at either end. These can be stepped over by walkers and cyclists but prevent other vehicles from passing. A couple of miles past the second gate is a small car park where the walker could arrange to be met by car/taxi, taken to their overnight accommodation and brought back the next day to continue the walk.
As with Braid 1, part of this route, stage 7, passes through sporting estates and the walker should check with their overnight hosts/the estate gamekeeper that the route is open before setting off.
Please check our guidebook and that of the John O’Groats Trail for details of the route. Stage 5 has a particularly tricky section at the Ousdale Burn, which cuts through a very steep gorge. There have been steps cut into the south bank but we advise avoiding the gorge by following the path from the Ousdale broch to the A9 for a short walk along the verge to the car park and path to Badbae, where you can re-join the JOGT. See the map in our guidebook for details.
From Dunbeath, the route is on tracks and roads with no steep gradients. It joins Braid 1 at Loch More. See the description of Braid 1 for possible diversions to St Bridget’s chapel and holy well at Achscoraclate and Dirlot graveyard, dedicated to St Colm.