Stage one: Helmsdale to Kildonan (10.5 miles/17 km)

At Helmsdale, turn inland and follow the road through Kilphedar to Kildonan. Kilphedar was an important religious site. The name means cell of Peter. Dedications to Peter began with Curitan/Boniface and were often supercessions of earlier names. Here, the original name would probably be that of one of the followers of Donan who was the leader of a large religious community at Kildonan further up the strath. (See the article on Donan for further details.) Between Kilphedir and Kildonan you will pass a section of the river going through an area called Achahemisgach on the East side and Learabail on the opposite bank. The East side of the river has a rock with a cross carved on it. The adjacent wood is called Coille Chil Mer or ‘the wood of the cell of Mary’. (You will need a large-scale map to identify these places!)

Kildonan is also known as a source of gold! It is possible to get a permit to do some gold-panning on the river. You will pass a small hut with details on a notice board. There are rubbish bins here, so it makes a convenient rest point. For details, go to suisgill.co.uk/things-to-do/gold-panning/

There is currently no accommodation at Kildonan (but do check as this might change), so the pilgrim has the choice of taking the train or a car either back to Helmsdale or on to Thurso.

A description of the walk from Kinbrace to Helmsdale

I have now completed the alternative walk as Jane suggested, Kinbrace Railway Station to Helmsdale.  I ended up walking much of it on the road or rather the easily walked (wide) road verge.  I could have used more of the fishermen's path alongside the Helmsdale River and if I'd had more time I would also have investigated more of the sites Jane listed as on the route but even with only a few diversions I took more than seven hours and walked about 20 miles.  The road sign near the station at Kinbrace says that Helmsdale is 18 miles away and I have no reason to doubt it :)  however I'll write up my report and re-measure it on the map too.  I was walking slower than my usual pace, checking map and spotting named sites (if not visiting them all), and generally struggling into a strong head wind but even if I was to repeat it, I think six hours would be minimum!  

The only thing to note meantime is that the first train in the morning 0650 hrs at present does not stop at Kinbrace and you need to take the 0834 hrs one and of course request it to stop. The web site does give this as the first one for Kinbrace so no confusion is likely.  I was, despite my dawdling, in Helmsdale in plenty time for the last train home and so the day outing will still work.  I would have preferred to walk with the wind at my back but took cold feet about risking walking to Kinbrace and relying on the train to stop, with no alternative if it did not!  Helmsdale was a better destination as I had time for a beer before catching a bus back and if that had gone wrong I could have had two beers or visit La Mirage and get the train back.

The Strath of Kildonan is a fantastic route for lots of historical reasons not least all the place names en-route that link them to churches and Saints.  I notice from the HER notes though that some of the sites of possible chapels have not been found and so this time round I did not spend time looking for them.

 If the walker has knowledge of the clearances then of course there are also plenty of sites to visit including cemeteries and of course sense can be made of all the sheep fanks, tunnels, enclosures etc built from stones that have obviously been robbed from pre-clearance buildings and in places the stones are so worked and large they in turn had almost certainly been robbed  previously from Brochs.  Numerous Lodges add the Victorian estate element as did the number of fishermen with their Ghillies on the river, though on Tuesday keeping a fly on the water was taxing them!  Timespan in Helmsdale have a 'museum without walls' and along the route from Kildonan to Helmsdale notable roadside sites have an information post at them but you will need their app to be able to read them.  I'll check this out and see if you need to visit Timespan first or can do it all on-line.