This walk is taken from the 2015 book ‘Walks In & Around Dolgellau Town’ by Michael Burnett and published by Kittiwake. The cover is shown at the bottom of this page, along with a summary of the other routes. The book is priced at £4.95 and can be bought directly from the Kittiwake Website together with other books of the area (plus the previous one based around Dolgellau).

You can print this walk by clicking the red print icon at the bottom of the walk section that is highlighted with a red border.

DESCRIPTION: A 4½-mile walk which takes you up into the foothills of Cadair Idris. The walk provides wonderful views over Dolgellau and the upper Mawddach estuary, and skirts Llyn Gwernan, a lake in the most spectacular of settings. Allow 4½ hours.

START: Eldon Square bus-stop (SH 728178). From the Marian car-park walk past Yr Hên Efail tea-rooms to a road. Turn RIGHT, then LEFT and pass Y Sospan restaurant. Go RIGHT, then LEFT to reach Eldon Square bus-stop.

DIRECTIONS: Dolgellau can be reached from Porthmadog via the A487/A470, from Barmouth via the A496/A470, from Bala via the A494, from Machynlleth via the A487/A470, and from Tywyn via the A493. Park in the Marian Mawr car-park (SH 728179, post-code LL40 1UU) near the town-centre.

BUS SERVICES: Buses 35 (from Blaenau Ffestiniog), 38 (from Barmouth), T2 (from Porthmadog and Machynlleth) and T3 (from Barmouth and Bala) serve Dolgellau. All buses stop in Eldon Square.

WELSH TRANSLATION:
Llyn = Lake / Gwernan = Alder Tree.
Tan = Until, Below or Beneath / Y = The (or in this case ‘of the’) and Fedw (or Bedw) is Birch, so Tan y Fedw means ‘Beneath the Birch’.

The photos have been added by Ian King and the map has been coloured for this website.