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.

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.