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Cawdor Castle and Woods Walk

6 miles (9.6 km)

Ordnance Survey Map Open Streetmap This circular walk visits Cawdor Castle before exploring the surrounding Cawdor Woods in the Highlands.
You can start the walk from the historic Cawdor Castle which dates to the 15th century. The castle is surrounded by beautiful grounds and gardens including a Walled Garden originally planted in the 17th century. It is connected to William Shakespeare's tragedy Macbeth, in which the title character is made "Thane of Cawdor".
To the south of the castle you will find miles of peaceful waymarked woodland trails in Cawdor Woods. The ancient oakwood woodland includes numerous species of trees and 100 species of lichen. In the spring there's also lots pretty bluebells to see. Look out for wildlife including capercaillie, waxwings and other woodland birds in this lovely area.
After exploring the woods you can head north past the castle to enjoy another circular walk along the Cawdor Burn. Here you will pass the confluence of the Cawdor Burn and the River Nairn and enjoy some fine countryside views.

Postcode

IV12 5RD - Please note: Postcode may be approximate for some rural locations

Cawdor Castle and Woods OS Map Ordnance survey map - Mobile GPS OS Map with Location tracking

Cawdor Castle and Woods Open Street Map Open Streetmap - Mobile GPS Map with Location tracking

Pubs/Cafes

The on site Courtyard Café sells a fine range of meals and snacks. You can sit outside and enjoy lovely views of the Flower Gardens. The meals include organic produce from the castle's own vegetable gardens and wild game from the Estate. 

Dog Walking

The castle is dog friendly with a dedicated dog walking loop. However, dogs are not permitted within the immediate grounds of the Castle or the historic gardens. The expansive woods are ideal for dog walking.

Further Information and Other Local Ideas

Head west and there's more interesting local history at the Culloden Battlefield. The historic site includes decent footpaths, a visitor centre and a museum where you can learn all about the Jacobite Rising in 1746. On the south eastern side of the battlefield there's also the Clava Cairns and the Culloden Viaduct. The ancient Bronze Age site includes prehistoric burial monuments and the remains of a medieval chapel. It's also a short walk from the eye catching Culloden Viaduct which carries the Highland Main Line over the River Nairn.

Photos

Cawdor Castle gardens - geograph.org.uk - 684288

Cawdor Castle gardens

CastellCawdor01LB

Cawdor Castle

1380 wird Cawdor Castle zum ersten mal in einer Urkunde erwähnt. 21

Gardens view

Cawdor Big Wood - geograph.org.uk - 229407

Cawdor Big Wood. Cawdor Big Wood extends to a couple of square kilometres of mature deciduous and native scots pine woodland covered by conservation designations and agreements. Here at the west side the woodland is primarily open oak and beech woodland, with a wonderful carpet of bluebells appearing from the woodrush every June.

The Grey Stone - Cawdor Wood - geograph.org.uk - 4545979

The Grey Stone

Allt Dearg - Cawdor Wood - geograph.org.uk - 4754028

Allt Dearg

Confluence of Cawdor Burn and the River Nairn - geograph.org.uk - 4612305

Confluence of Cawdor Burn and the River Nairn

Cawdor Burn - geograph.org.uk - 4612319

Cawdor Burn

Video

GPS Files

GPX File

Cawdor Castle and Woods.gpx (On Desktop:Right Click>Save As. On Ipad/Iphone:Click and hold>Download Linked File)