ThePADDLER 110
We turned around and made our way back along the
coastline and now both the wind and the tide were
favourable so we made good progress. As we got past
Inverie, the water levels were so low that it gave us the
opportunity to stand tall with our big sticks and with
the tide pushing us gently along, we soon reached the
gently sloping sandy shores of Long Beach.
This low-key Ranger-managed campsite offers one of
the best views in Scotland. Facilities include a state-
of-the-art Natsol compost toilet, a fresh drinking
water supply, a turf-roofed log cabin shelter
(complete with a selection of camping kit e.g
sleeping mats/bags which are there for people to
borrow), a dry stone communal BBQ and several
fire pits. Bundles of firewood are available to buy for
use in the firepits. This firewood is purchased from
the Knoydart Forest Trust.
requirements, to promote the health of the herd,
reforestation of Knoydart and to restore
balance to the ecosystem. In addition,
they have developed a bunkhouse
and a shop to generate much
needed income to
reinvest in land
management
activities.
At the time of writing this article, campsite fees are
just £5 for the first person in a tent and £4 for each
person thereafter. There is no need to book in
advance. You can either pop into the Foundation Shop
(on the main street in Inverie) to pay, or alternatively
pay the Ranger in the morning. There is also an
honesty box located at the entrance to the log cabin.
Long Beach offers the benefits of wild camping with
the luxury of running water and an indoor toilet.
Not quite a porcelain throne but definitely more
eco-friendly and in keeping with the surroundings.
After pitching Terje within a few metres of the sandy
beach, it was time to head back to The Old Forge for
an evening of warmth, hospitality and Guinness .
With no roads in or out, an 18 mile hike over
Munros or a seven-mile sea crossing from Mallaig are
the usual way to reach the most remote pub on
mainland Great Britain. It started off as a smithy’s
forge and then was used as a worker’s social club.
Later it became a pub offering excellent local fish
and game, real ales and live music. It has all the
benefits of being remote but having modern
amenities and we made tactical use of their wifi to
check the weather forecast for the coming days.
This year is the Knoydart Foundation’s 20th birthday.
In recent history, Knoydart was neglected and its
community lived with uncertainty due to a series of
absentee land owners. As a result, members of the
Knoydart Community set up a charitable
organisation: ‘The Knoydart Foundation’ (KFT) and
after extensive fundraising, were able to buy out
around 17,000 acres of the Knoydart Peninsula in
1999. Since then, the foundation has repaired and
completed works to improve the efficiency of their
community-owned hydropower scheme, which
provides green power to 70 households, businesses
and workshops in and around Inverie.
They have renovated antiquated water supplies, sewage
systems and housing, and have built six properties
which provide affordable rental homes for community
members. The foundation established a ranger service,
which includes Long Beach Campsite, Knoydart carbon
cycle hire, public and private guided walks and land
rover tours, and volunteering opportunities for
residents, visitors, schools and scout groups. They set up
deer management procedures to meet with legal
hospitality and Guinness
It was time to head back to the Old Forge for an
evening of warmth,