Craig Phadrig

Found way up in the highlands of Scotland, Craig Phadrig is hidden in the northern outskirts of Inverness, and it’s hidden exceedingly well.

The locals of Inverness have an easy way of finding it; they simply go to the Old High Church, stand in a particular spot which if I remember correctly is marked by a plaque for visitors, then use the another steeple to point the way. This second steeple is across the river and slightly to the right of the church, and has no cross on it. It points to a hill in the distance, specifically to a space where the trees seem shorter than the rest. In that space you’ll find Craig Phadrig, a vitrified fortress built by the Picts, an Iron Age people.

As far as I can tell there aren’t any tours that will take you up there, but once you’ve found it, it’s fairly easy to get to. You can either call a cab to take you most of the way up the hill, or you can take the city bus and it will bring you to the foot of the hill and you can climb from there; that’s the way I went. Bring a water bottle and some sunscreen, it’s a bit of a hike. You’ll find what you’re looking for on a road called Leachkin Brae. If you’re coming up from Inverness it looks like a little country lane. On your right will be a parking lot for Craigphadrig Forest, and if you continue past that turn off you’ll find another one that is labeled Craig Phadrig. Both will lead you to the vitrified fort. Even if you’ve taken the cab this far or driven yourself there’s still a bit of a hike, so bring a water, good hiking shoes, and sunscreen or a raincoat depending on the weather. The paths up to the fort are wide and well maintained, though there are some stairs you might want to be careful on.

Don’t go expecting to see high stone walls and cannons everywhere, this vitrified fort is much older than that, in fact it’s mostly covered in grass now, but you can see the ditch around where the fort was. There’s also a trail that runs along the walls of where the inner fort was. It can seem a bit small at first, but realise that most people didn’t have their homes within this inner fort wall. Instead the hill had roughly three larger, outer walls that people might have lived in.

What you can go expecting is a spectacular view of Inverness, and the river Ness, as well as the Beauly Firth on the other side of the hill. I deliberately went in October because I wanted to see Scotland in fall colours and I couldn’t have been happier with my choice! The crisp air, the warm hue of dying leaves, and the whispers of history all gave Inverness a supernatural, haunting air. I’m sure the other seasons are also lovely, but if you get the chance to visit Inverness in autumn, take it immediately, and head up to Craig Phadrig!