Bridges over troubled water
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TWO classic stone bridges mark either end of this stunning little riverside trail. The beautifully constructed crossing at Garve Bridge is the work of Major William Caulfeild, the successor to General Wade, the famous 18th century road builder.
It is a clever piece of engineering, arching between two massive rock outcrops that drive the river into a narrow funnel below.
Here you can clearly see the peaty colour that gives the Black Water its name as it tumbles over one of many waterfalls visible on your way along the river.
The walk starts at Silverbridge at a parking area just north of Little Garve, off the A835. Look out for the road signs to a parking area with toilets.
The walk begins by following the sign next to the map and information panel to the forest walks, crossing the old bridge then going right at a blue marker to drop down stony steps and pass under the modern road bridge. This gives a great view of the Silverbridge, with its double arch spanning the river. A lovely little path winds up through the trees and I soon found myself well away from the road, enjoying trudging through the fallen autumn leaves and pines lining the route.
Emerging on a vehicle track near some houses, turn right and follow the track for 400 metres or so, turning right immediately after a bridge over a burn leading to a waterfall.
The turn is marked with blue posts, as well as another wooden post with a deer head symbol and green arrow.
The path now descends through the beautiful woodland above the Black Water, at one point diverting to a viewpoint where you can see some of the bedrock formations and numerous waterfalls in the river below.
Lower down, the well-made path reaches the riverside and parallels its route much more closely through the trees towards Little Garve.
The low autumn sun was shining through the pines, lighting the track.
Over to my right I could see more of the amazing features in the river cascading down on its way to Strath Garve and ultimately out into the Cromarty Firth. You can even access small sections of beach at some points.
Just before reaching the road at Little Garve the path briefly moves away from the river, meeting the end of the road through a wooden gate beside Garve Bridge, which is closed to vehicle traffic.
To get a view of this fantastic structure I diverted left and down a muddy track opposite, though near the river it’s steep and slippery, so care is needed.
Our route crosses this spectacular bridge, built in 1762 as part of a military road from Contin to Poolewe. Combined with minor roads and forest tracks, it would make an excellent section of a long-distance cycle route which could eventually link Inverness with Ullapool.
I haven’t tried that one out in full yet but I have plans to look at this idea in more detail soon.
On the other side of the bridge, turn right up a track just before a house and, when you reach the notice board in the car park, which tells you more about the bridge, go right to find the riverside trail and follow it upstream.
The path on this side of the river follows its course more closely, winding up and down along its length as it returns north to Silverbridge.
At one point the track forks, the left being a slightly better-made path, but I opted for the one to the right, which skirts close to the river, crossing slabs and rocks at the edge of the water in places until the two paths meet up just before the modern road bridge.
Head under the bridge and go up steps to reach the car park, where you can also read about another walk I’m looking forward to trying. That starts here and follows the old drove road over the hills to the Aultguish Inn.
But for a gentle woodland walk the Silverbridge circuit is definitely worth exploring, with plenty to keep the interest from start to finish.
