Food and resupply planning on the Cape Wrath Trail can feel intimidating – the terrain is remote and services are few and far between. Where can you get a warm meal? Where can you buy food? Do you need to send resupply packages? And how many days of food should you be carrying?
This guide breaks it all down so you can start your hike feeling confident, prepared, and excited!
In this guide:
At a Glance: Where to Eat & Resupply
Meal Stops
Fort William, Glenfinnan, Kinloch Hourn, (alternate: Laggan, Invergarry, Cluanie), Shiel Bridge, Strathcarron, Torridon, Kinlochewe, Ullapool, Oykel Bridge, Inchnadamph (hotel guest only), Rhiconich, Kinlochbervie, Cape Wrath Lighthouse, Durness.
Resupply spots:
Fort William, Shiel Bridge / Kyle of Lochalsh (bus), Kinlochewe, Ullapool, Kinlochbervie, Durness
Resupply Packages
Shiel Bridge, Kinlochewe, Ullapool & Kinlochbervie have either shops known to accept resupply packages (arrange in advance) or post offices. Many hotels or B&Bs will also hold boxes if you are staying there and contact them beforehand.
FAQ: What to Expect
How many days of food do I need to carry?
Work out the distance between each resupply point, add in how fast you hike, then factor in the weather. The terrain is rough and conditions can slow you down more than you’d think. I always recommend carrying an extra day of food as a buffer.
What if I’m vegan, gluten-free, or have allergies?
Small village shops don’t carry much variety, so don’t rely on finding speciality food everywhere. Restaurants usually try to be accommodating, but it’s worth checking ahead. Ullapool’s Tesco is the safest stop for dietary-specific resupply.
If you have strict requirements, consider sending a couple of packages.
Can I buy gas canisters on the trail?
Yes – you can usually find gas in Shiel Bridge, Kinlochewe, and Ullapool. (See the stage-by-stage breakdown below for exact locations.)
Do I need to treat the water from streams/lochs?
Yes. Use a filter at minimum.
While the Cape Wrath Trail goes through remote areas, there are plenty of deer and other animals that can contaminate water. Be particularly careful around bothies – not everyone may be as diligent as you are when going to the toilet – take water upstream and a bit away from the bothy. I recommend having some purification tablets as well just in case – filters can break and also don’t protect against viruses.
Interactive Map: Food & Resupply on the Cape Wrath Trail
Explore Food and Resupply options on the Map
This custom Google Map shows all grocery shops, cafes, meal stops, outdoor shops and resupply package locations.
Icons help you spot things quickly:
🛒 groceries · ☕ cafes · 🍴 restaurants · ✉️ package pick-up · 🚶♀️ outdoor shops
Food & Resupply Options by Stage
Below is a breakdown of where you can find food, snacks, cafes, restaurants, gas canisters, and package pick-up points.
Legend:
🛒 Groceries · 🍫 Snacks · 🍴 Restaurants · ☕ Cafes · ✉️ Post Office/package pick-up · ⛽ Gas
Section 1: Fort William – Shiel Bridge
Fort William
Glen Nevis:
🍴 Glen Nevis Restaurant
🍴 Ben Nevis Inn
Fort William:
🛒 Morrisons
🛒 Tesco Express
🍴 Nevis Bank Inn
🍴 The Crofter Bar & Restaurant
🍴 Crannog at Garrison West
🍴 The Grog & Gruel
🍴 The Tavern Restaurant
🍴 Ben Nevis Bar
🍴 Black Isle Bar
🍴 Spice Tandoori
🍴 Sonas Restaurant
🍴 Crannog Seafood
🍴 The Geographer Restaurant
🍴 Cafe 115
🍴 Macari’s Fish & Chips
🍴 The Great Glen Wetherspoons
☕ Lochaber Cafe
☕ The Wildcat
☕ The Old Deli
☕ Farine Bakery
☕ The Kilted Caramel
✉️ Fort William Post Office
🚶♀️ Ellis Brigham
🚶♀️ Nevisport
🚶♀️ Cotswold Outdoor
Glenfinnan
Inverie
Kinloch Hourn
☕🍫 Lochhournhead Tea Room
🍴 Dinner available if pre-booked
Shiel Bridge / Morvich / Kyle of Lochalsh
Shiel Bridge
Between Shiel Bridge and Morvich:
🍴 Kintail Lodge Hotel
🍴 The Pitstop at Kintail
🛒✉️⛽ Kintail Crafts
Small grocery selection with things like freeze dried backpacking meals, crackers, plenty of snack options & gas
Kyle of Lochalsh
Accessible by bus. See >here< for timetable.
The Co-op offers a more varied resupply option.
🛒 Co-op Food
🍴 Kyle Hotel
🍴 Waterside Seafood Restaurant
☕ Hectors Bothy
Section 1 Alternate: via Invergarry
Laggan
🍴 The Farmhouse Kitchen
Invergarry
🍴☕ Glengarry Castle Hotel
🍴 Invergarry Hotel
🍴 Emily’s Byre
🍫 Glengarry Filling Station
Cluanie
Section 2: Shiel Bridge – Ullapool
Strathcarron
Torridon
Torridon isn’t directly on the route – it’s about 4.5 miles or 7.25 km from the classic route that goes past Ling Hut. However, you could reach it either by trying to hitch-hike or by pre-arranging a taxi from Torridon. You can find local information, including taxi numbers >here<
Kinlochewe
🛒✉️ Kinlochewe Stores
🛒⛽ Kinlochewe Service Station
🍴 The Old Hall
🍴 Kinlochewe Hotel
Ullapool
🛒 Tesco
🛒⛽ Ullapool Outdoors
Dehydrated Meals, Bars, Gas & Other outdoor gear
🍴 Ferry Boat Inn
🍴 The Ceilidh Place
🍴 Rhidorroch Distillery
🍴 The Seaforth
🍴 Shore Restaurant
🍴 The Argyll Hotel
🍴 Essence of India
🍴 The Caley Inn
🍴 Seafood Shack (Takeaway)
🍴 Delicasea (Takeaway)
🍴 Oak & Grain Pizza (Takeaway)
🍴 The Chippy (Takeaway)
☕ West Coast Deli
☕ Cult Cafe
☕ The Bothy Coffee Shop
☕ Tea by the Sea
☕ Jojo Cafe
✉️ Ullapool Post Office
Section 3: Ullapool – Cape Wrath
Oykel Bridge
Inchnadamph
🍴 Inchnadamph Hotel
Meals are only available for residents of the hotel
Kylesku
Rhiconich
Kinlochbervie
On the way
🍴 Old Schoolhouse hotel & Restaurant
🛒 London Stores
Kinlochbervie
🛒 Spar Kinlochbervie
✉️ Bervie Stores Filling Station
🍴 Kinlochbervie Hotel
☕ The Quay House
☕ Worth a Look Cafe
Cape Wrath
🍴☕ Ozone Cafe
Durness
🛒✉️ Spar
🛒 Mathers
🍴 Sango Sands Pub & Restaurant
☕ Cheese n Toasted Food Truck
Tips for Managing Food
Always carry more food than you think you need
Long-distance hiking makes most people hungrier than expected, and the Cape Wrath Trail is especially slow-going in rough weather. Carrying a small buffer means you’re covered if the weather turns, you’re moving slower than planned, or you decide to take an alternate route.
It’s a bit of a balancing act though – you don’t want to carry too much extra food as it will just weigh you down, I generally aim for a non-luxurious extra days worth.
Carry at least some Electrolytes
Scotland isn’t known for heat, but warm, humid days can happen, and the trail is very exposed. Electrolytes help you stay hydrated in the sun and are also useful if you feel unwell at any point – self-reliance is key on this trail!
When I hiked, a mini heatwave hit and a few hikers had to leave the trail at Kinloch Hourn with heat-related issues – they had to cough up £160 for a taxi back to Fort William!
Plan ahead if you have dietary restrictions
You’ll find vegan, gluten-free, and allergy-friendly food in some places, but options can be limited in small villages. Checking menus ahead of time or sending yourself a resupply box removes the stress and makes things much easier.
Keep food away from critters
Mice are curious little things, so it’s best to keep your food well-sealed in ziplocks or smell-proof bags. A critter-resistant food bag is a nice extra if you already own one, but not essential.
In bothies, it’s a good idea to hang your food bag (and your pack if there’s room) just to keep it out of reach. And don’t leave any food behind – other hikers won’t want it and it will attract mice – leave no trace applies here too!
My Favourite Food Spots
Not everyone is inclined to eat out when doing a wilderness trail like this, but I personally love taking advantage of any meal I can get. I obviously didn’t have a chance to visit all the options on the trail, but I went with an eat-out-whenever-possible strategy and thoroughly enjoyed it. I’m vegetarian and never had an issue finding an option at cafes/restaurants, though you may not find the biggest variety.
Here are 5 of my favourite places I tried:
Tea Room (Kinloch Hourn): They ran out of sandwiches, but offered me the vegetarian lasagne instead which was excellent.
Strathcarron Hotel (Strathcarron): Warm, friendly, hiker-positive owners with cheap camping/showers.
Stag Highland Restaurant (Kinlochewe): Surprisingly good vegetarian choices.
Oykel Bridge Hotel: Even outside meal hours, they serve hot rolls, cake, tea, and coffee – hugely appreciated.
Cape Wrath Cafe (Cape Wrath): Lovely owners, delicious food, generous portions. Perfect end-of-trail meal.
Fuel Up & Enjoy the Miles
Once you know where the meal stops and shops are, you can pack appropriately and enjoy the wildness of the walk without worrying about where your next meal is coming from.
Plan ahead for the remote stretches, carry a little extra and you’ll be fine.
Did I miss anything? Let me know in a comment below!
The Stag Highland Restaurant (Kinlochewe) is currently serving meals to hotel residents only.