Archer’s Stone and Wade’s Road Circuit

Archer’s Stone and Wade’s Road Circuit is a 7.75-mile (12.5-km) loop from Slochd, with 178 m of ascent and a typical time of 3 to 3.5 hours. It links forest tracks, a stretch of General Wade’s military road, Sluggan Bridge, grassy woodland paths and a short visit to a memorial before returning across pinewood and open moor. The route shares its first approach: after circling south of Slochd, you retrace the Slochd–Insharn section to finish. It suits a half-day history walk more than a hard climb; the length and turns are the commitment, not the ascent.

From the informal parking area, a track climbs over the railway bridge, with a view of Slochd Viaduct. Follow the forest track to the junction near Insharn, then turn left along the old military road at the forest edge. The track rises and dips, opening broad views across the River Dulnain strath toward the Monadhliath. Ignore the smaller turnings on the right. At the junction by a ruin, turn right and cross Sluggan Bridge. General Wade’s road dates to 1728–30; the bridge was commissioned in 1764 and rebuilt after flood damage in 1769.

Beyond the bridge, pass the cottage and turn onto the left-hand grassy track as it curves into the trees. This lightly used section reaches a minor road, then a larger descending track to a modern wooden bridge over the Dulnain. Take the narrow left fork before the next bridge and pass through the gate into mature pinewood. At the four-way junction, the stone is a short visit off to the left. It commemorates Iain Beag Macandra, whom local tradition remembers as an early-seventeenth-century archer who killed three raiders here. Return to the junction and follow the right-hand track; it opens onto moorland with younger Scots pine growing among older scattered trees, then rejoins the outward route near Insharn.

The start is a large informal parking area on the south side of the road at Slochd (NH847238); no fee or capacity is listed. Several small junctions and lightly used grassy tracks make the woodland section easy to mis-follow, especially around the river crossings and memorial spur, so keep the route to hand. Dogs are allowed under Scotland’s access rules; keep them under proper control around livestock and wildlife.