Knockfarrell

Knockfarrell — locally known as 'The Cats Back' for its spine-back shape — is a small Scottish Highland soaring ridge above the Strathpeffer valley just outside Dingwall. At only 218 m ASL it isn't a big hill, so conditions need to be reasonably strong for it to work; when it does work you can push well out from launch and soar the 2 km stretch between the eastern end of the ridge and Blackmuir Wood to the west. Being a spine-back ridge, straying too close to the summit in strong winds is a bad idea. Views towards Ben Wyvis to the north and the Cromarty Firth to the east make it a rewarding evening flight when the wind gods cooperate.

Launch & conditions

Launch from the car park and immediately adjacent area. In strong compression it may be necessary to drop down the slope a little to escape the strong pressure zone.

Getting there & local rules

1 km after the Dingwall roundabout on the A835 (Tore to Ullapool road), turn right onto a minor road uphill to a T-junction; turn right; after ~1.5 km right again to another T-junction; take a left, and after 400 m turn right onto the road/track that leads to parking on top of the ridge. Landing: this is primarily a soaring site, so top-landing is the tidy option; plenty of valley fields work as bottom landings, but many hold livestock or crops at certain times of year — apply common sense.

Local rules & hazards

Site sits between the Highland Restricted Area and the Kinloss and Lossiemouth AIAA — on weekdays expect fairly regular military traffic passing over the Cromarty Firth en route to the Tain Range. Knockfarrell is in the lee of Ben Wyvis to the north — even though Ben Wyvis is some distance away, that can produce quite rough conditions here. If in doubt, wait at launch and watch conditions before committing.

Check conditions before you fly

A forecast for the valley is not a forecast for the launch. Before heading to Knockfarrell, read the wind and thermals for the site itself, confirm the day's rules with the local club, and remember the standing rule — when in doubt, don't launch. In the free OutDare app you can open Knockfarrell with a 7-day forecast built from high-resolution weather models, see who else has been flying, and get there with offline maps.