Glen
Strath Glass
The Chisholm clan heartland, cleared for sheep in the early 19th century — the broad strath you drive through to reach Glen Affric has a history worth knowing.
- Corbetts
- 2
- Grahams
- 1
Strath Glass runs south-west on the A831 from Struy to Cannich, where Glen Affric and Glen Cannich branch off into the northern Highland interior. The River Glass flows the other way: the waters of Affric and Cannich join it near Cannich, and at Struy, at the lower north-east end of the strath, it meets the River Farrar from Glen Strathfarrar to become the River Beauly. The strath floor is broad and farmed.
Erchless Castle, near Struy at the lower end of the strath, was the seat of the Chisholm chiefs, whose heartland this was. The open farmland around it reflects what happened to the strath's population in the early 19th century.
Cannich at the inner end is the last settlement with services before the inner glens: fuel, a small shop, accommodation. Above Cannich the road forks — left for Glen Affric, right for Glen Cannich. Strath Glass itself ends here.
The road in
End of road
The strath ends at Cannich village where the road forks — left for Glen Affric, right for Glen Cannich. Cannich is the last fuel and provisions point before the inner glens.
Parking2 spots
Cannich village car park
Charge not published — check on site
Village parking. Cannich is the last village before Glen Affric and Glen Cannich.
Struy layby
Charge not published — check on site
Near Struy, where the River Farrar joins the Glass and the road to Strathfarrar branches west.
Hills from Strath Glass2 Corbetts · 1 Grahams
What's in the glen
Erchless Castle
The historic seat of the Chisholm chiefs, near Struy at the lower end of the strath. It is a private property.
Fasnakyle Power Station
The Fasnakyle hydroelectric power station near Cannich, part of the North of Scotland Hydro-Electric Board's Affric–Beauly scheme of the 1950s, fed by tunnel from the dammed lochs of Glen Affric and Glen Cannich.
River Glass
Our take
Drive this strath slowly enough to notice what it is. The farming landscape is comfortable and unremarkable — broad fields, estate steadings, occasional glimpses of the river. It does not look like a place that was once filled with people who were removed by force. Stop briefly at Struy where the River Farrar joins from the west and the road to Strathfarrar branches off. Fill up at Cannich. Then go further in. But the strath has earned more than a glance at a petrol pump.
History
Strath Glass was the heartland of Clan Chisholm, one of the smaller Highland clans, whose territory lay almost entirely in this one valley. In the early 19th century much of the strath's population was cleared to make way for sheep farming, and many of those removed emigrated to Nova Scotia and other parts of British North America. The landscape today — a broad, well-farmed but sparsely populated strath — is the result. Erchless Castle, the Chisholm seat, still stands near Struy.
Practical
- Mobile signal
- Reasonable signal in the lower strath and at Cannich. Limited beyond Cannich toward the inner glens.
- Midges
- Moderate(3/5)
- Public transport
- A local bus runs between Inverness and the Cannich area — check Traveline Scotland for the current service. No public transport beyond Cannich.
- Dogs
- On lead — livestock or ground-nesting birds present.
Map
Hills (green), bothies (brown), parking (blue), wild swimming (light blue).
Nearby glens
Scotland outdoor updates
Route guides, condition reports and seasonal picks — once a month, no noise.
Strath Glass — common questions
- What's the road into Strath Glass like?
- A-road for the full length. The strath ends at Cannich village where the road forks — left for Glen Affric, right for Glen Cannich. Cannich is the last fuel and provisions point before the inner glens.
- Is Strath Glass suitable for motorhomes and campervans?
- Possible, with care. The A831 through the strath is straightforward. Large motorhomes should note that the roads into Glen Affric and Glen Cannich beyond Cannich are single-track with limited turning space.
- How bad are the midges in Strath Glass?
- Strath Glass's midge rating is 3/5 — significant from late May to September. Sheltered, humid evenings are the worst; high wind and the high tops are safest. Carry Smidge and a head net from May onwards.
- Is wild camping allowed in Strath Glass?
- Wild camping in Scotland is legal under the Land Reform Act 2003 on most unenclosed land, subject to the Scottish Outdoor Access Code. Avoid enclosed agricultural ground, camp in small numbers, and leave no trace. The Loch Lomond and Trossachs Camping Management Zones (which restrict wild camping in marked areas March-September) do not apply to Strath Glass.
- Is there public transport to Strath Glass?
- A local bus runs between Inverness and the Cannich area — check Traveline Scotland for the current service. No public transport beyond Cannich.