Following the Ancient Coffin Roads of Rannoch
Beneath the mist-laced hills and deep stillness of Rannoch, where lochs reflect centuries of change and mountains stand witness to history, there lies a network of invisible paths. Worn not by wheels or modern boots, but by centuries of sorrow and ceremony, these are the coffin roads—routes walked by mourners bearing their dead to sacred ground.
Long before tarmac or tour buses, the people of the Highlands carried their loved ones to burial grounds by foot, over rugged moor and forest, often for miles. In Rannoch, these ancient pathways not only connect places but connect lives to death, land to ritual, and memory to stone. To follow them is to follow the oldest human stories.
What Are Coffin Roads?
A coffin road (or slighe nan cisteach in Gaelic) is an ancient funeral route used to transport the dead from remote communities to a consecrated cemetery, often miles away. In the Highlands, where settlements were scattered and churches sparse, such roads were essential.
These journeys could take an entire day or longer. The deceased—typically wrapped in a shroud or, later, in a coffin—was carried by bearers in shifts, often across streams, bogs, and hills. Along the way, they would pause at resting stones or cairns, some of which still remain today. These stops were both practical and spiritual, places where mourners would rest, pray, or reflect.
The routes were used so frequently over the centuries that even where the paths are no longer marked on modern maps, they remain etched into the landscape—stone by stone, footprint by footprint.
The Coffin Roads of Rannoch
Rannoch, with its rugged topography and scattered settlements, relied heavily on coffin roads. Oral history and local lore tell of several such routes, some of which still draw curious hikers and historians today.
One prominent route ran from the western edges of the glen to Kinloch Rannoch, where the churchyard served as the central burial site for many communities on the surrounding slopes.
Another led across the moorland south of Loch Rannoch, connecting the lost villages of Craiganour, Annat, and Aulich to consecrated ground.
A hauntingly beautiful path winds down from the Black Wood of Rannoch, where mourners would rest beneath ancient Scots pines before continuing their slow, mournful march.
These roads often followed natural contours, and in many cases, the resting stones—large flat rocks—can still be seen if you know where to look. They are seldom marked, but those who walk these trails today often describe an eerie serenity, a sense that they are not alone on the path.
Walking the Past: What You See, What You Feel
Walking a coffin road today is unlike any other Highland hike. You’re not following a trail for its summit views or wildlife. You’re walking a ritual, a memory, a burden.
You might pass:
Stone cairns, some hidden in the undergrowth, once piled by mourners.
Unmarked graves, where those who died during the journey may have been buried on the spot.
Sheep paths that blur into ancient human tracks.
Old boundary dykes, some possibly built along funeral paths for navigation.
More than once, you may feel that the air changes—cooler in a hollow, or heavier under ancient trees. Some say it’s imagination. Others say the dead remember the way, too.
These are not trails of tragedy but of reverence. The people of Rannoch walked them not in fear but in faith—faith that their loved ones would be laid to rest properly, even if it meant traversing miles of harsh terrain.
Keeping the Roads Alive
In many places, these coffin roads are being forgotten. Modern development, afforestation, and erosion have erased or obscured their tracks. But there are movements to document and preserve them, both in archives and on foot.
Local historians and organizations such as Scottish Heritage Paths are mapping these ancient routes, urging communities and hikers to respect and explore them. In Rannoch, walkers and residents continue to tell stories about the old ways, keeping the memory alive.
In a time where our connection to place often feels fleeting, coffin roads offer a powerful reminder: this land remembers its people, even when the people have moved on.
Adapted From: Cunningham, A. D. (1994). A history of Rannoch (3rd ed.)
