Description
- Background
-
MacKinnons Brook Lane is the common name used to designate the road from the Mabou Post Road Trail Head to its end above MacKinnons Brook on the side of Beinn Alisdair Bhain (Fair Alistair’s Mountain). The Cape Mabou Trail Club designates much of this road as the Cul Na Beinne (Beyond the Mountain) Trail and a smaller part as the Beinn Alasdair Bhain (Fair Alistair’s Mountain) Trail. Beyond the gate, the remainder of the road is a private lane.
Bizarrely, Google Maps refers to the MacKinnons Brook Trail from Sight Point to MacKinnons Brook and then MacKinnons Brook Lane from there to the Mabou Post Road Trail Head as the Broad Cove Banks Road, apparently viewing the latter, commonly held to terminate at Sight Point, as continuing on to MacDonalds Glen. I have been unable to find any justification for this strange usage.
The description on this page treats MacKinnons Brook Lane as a road; see the catalogue pages for the Cul Na Beinne (Beyond the Mountain) Trail and the Beinn Alasdair Bhain (Fair Alistair’s Mountain) Trail for its description as a hiking trail. - Google Maps Name
- Broad Cove Banks Road
- Local Usage
- MacKinnons Brook Lane, the Cul Na Beinne (pronounced [kuv.nɑ.ˈbɛn.e]) Trail, the Beyond the Mountain Trail, the Beinn Alasdair Bhain (pronounced [bɛn.ˈæl.ɪs.dɛr.ˈvæn]) Trail, the Fair Alistair’s Mountain Trail
- Direction
- South to North
- Start Point
- 46°08.550′N 61°26.834′W, at the Mabou Post Road Trail Head
- End Point
- 46°09.598′N 61°26.335′W, at the gate where MacKinnons Brook Lane becomes a private lane
- Length
- 4.3 km (2⅔ mi)
- Classification
- K-Class Road
- Surface
- Gravel for the most part; some areas of two-track-and-crown lane
- Condition
- Driveable with a high-slung vehicle (truck, pick-up); questionable at best for a low-slung vehicle (Prius)
- Route Description
- From the Mabou Post Road Trail Head, MacKinnons Brook Lane proceeds to the east northeast, following the course of Mill Brook and then MacIsaacs Glen Brook through a deep valley, and climbing gently but steadily as it skirts the base of Cross Mountain and the Highlands to the north. It then turns north, crossing MacIsaacs Glen Brook at the “White Bridge” and starts climbing smartly up to a col, where first the Trap à Mhathain (Bear Trap) Trail and then the Oir à Ghlinne (Edge of the Valley) Trail head off to the east and northeast, respectively. From the col, MacKinnons Brook Lane descends gradually, with occasional and sometimes tree-shrouded views of the Highlands to the east, to near the MacKinnons Brook Trail Head, where it turns back to the southwest and proceeds gently uphill to the gate that marks its end and the start of the private lane.
- Vic’s Scenic Rating
- ☆☆☆☆☆
- Notes
- If you attempt to drive this road, be aware that there are numerous stretches where you cannot easily turn around; you must either go forward or back up. The condition of the road varies from year to year depending on the amount of rain that has fallen and the run-off erosion that it has undergone. Huge puddles are often found after heavy rains; they can be easily avoided on foot, but not in a vehicle.
- Comments
- See the catalogue page for the Cul Na Beinne (Beyond the Mountain) Trail for my comments on this road as a hiking trail.