The 10km Wildcat Trail is a wonderful, varied walk in the form of an orbital path right round Newtonmore.

En-route you'll enjoy magnificent views of the Monadhliath and Cairngorm mountain ranges as well as the gloriously peaceful Glen Banchor - a treasure right on our doorstep.

The Trail can be easily accessed at ten different points. It is clearly way-marked and there are interpretative panels giving information about the nature and history of the area.

The complete circuit takes 2-3 hours to walk at a steady pace, alternatively you can choose to walk it in separate sections. You'll encounter gates, stiles, footbridges and stepping-stones along the way. It is suitable for reasonably fit walkers wearing stout footwear, but not for cyclists.

Dogs are welcome if kept under control.

A fully illustrated brochure, including a map and details of the complete walk and each of the sections, is available for sale (£2.50) at the Wildcat Centre on the Main Street.

This delightful walk is called The Wildcat Trail primarily because the wildcat has long been used by Newtonmore as its symbol. Wildcat signs welcome visitors to the village, which has hosted Wildcat Festivals in recent years.

From one point on the Trail a rocky outcrop can be seen where a wildcat recently gave birth to a litter of kittens - but the site is not identified!

The area also has close links with Clan Chattan -- a confederation encompassing Macphersons, Davidsons, Mackintoshes, MacBains, Farquharsons and others -- which uses the wildcat as their crest.

The Wildcat Trail was set up in 2000 by the Newtonmore Community Woodland & Development Trust to link 16 different plantations of native trees, which are managed by the Trust. The Trust is a non-profit making company registered as a charity. Any surplus from sales of the brochure and other goods is used for the upkeep of the Trail.

Find out more about the Wildcat Centre.

New! While you're out walking the Wildcat Trail, you can now enjoy the new Wildcat Experience.