The Fyrish Monument trek 16-10-2022 4.55 miles

The Fyrish Monument was the goal of today’s Sunday trek. First some background: The Fyrish Monument is a monument built in 1782 on Fyrish Hill (Scottish Gaelic: Cnoc Fhaoighris), in Fyrish in Evanton, near Alness, Easter Ross, Scotland, on the orders of Sir Hector Munro, 8th of Novar, a native lord of the area who had served in India as a general. As the local population were being cleared off the land they had worked for centuries by the Lords of the Land, survival was a problem and so it was built to keep the locals in labour. It was said that Sir Hector rolled stones from the top of the hill to the bottom, thereby extending the amount of time worked and paying the labourers for additional hours. It represents the Gate of Negapatam, a port in Madras, India, which General Munro took for the British in 1781. It is visible from almost anywhere in the parishes of Kiltearn and Alness. The site of the monument provides an extensive view over the Cromarty Firth and beyond, and Ben Wyvis can be seen clearly, especially impressive if snow-covered. A path to the top starts at a car park northeast of the hill. What the blurb doesn’t say is that it is a 1,200 feet climb straight up through the forest to the monument, which sent my pulse up to 136 bpm! I had climbed up to see it previously but so many years ago I had forgotten swearing never to do it again! Subsequently I had flown around it taking photographs, which only involved climbing into the cockpit! In any event this morning the sun shone intermittently and we were only rained upon in the last ten minutes of our downhill return of what was a 4.5 mile round trip.

Track to the Fyrish Monument

Bridge over a small gorge on the track to the Fyrish Monument

Steps on the track to the Fyrish Monument

Steps on the track to the Fyrish Monument

Lochan by the track to the Fyrish Monument

Lochan by the track to the Fyrish Monument