Rambling Pete

A long walk on the Isle of Skye 2012

 

Of all the long walks I’ve ever trodden on, this would be the day that I was worried about. There isn’t an awful lot of information out there on the internet, and the stuff that is out there doesn’t give me a warm rosy feeling. In trying to follow a route that will take me from the south to the north of the island, there is no escaping the bit between Ord and Torrin, and in particular the stretch between Ord and Boreraig. A pathless track of rough ground described by Paterson and a few others as energy sapping and wet. Luckily before I had left Manchester a fellow blogger had just returned from Skye having followed Patersons route from Ord along to Drumfearn – http://davewoodwalks.blogspot.com/2012/04/long-walk-on-isle-of-skye-part-1.html . After reading his account and mailing him, he warned me of the amount of burns between Ord and Drumfearn, with most of them in spate (after a wet night) and difficult to cross. So at least I knew that if the worst was to happen, I could bail out at Drumfearn, walk along the road and cadge a lift around to Broadford, and then resume my journey along the old marble line and on to the clearance settlement of Boreraig. Quite a few of the holiday firms that organise walking tours for the Skye walk leave this portion out altogether, which hardly surprises me - it's a long tough day.

After a quiet night in Broadford at the Red Skye restaurant (a great meal with a side dish of pasta), and a hearty breakfast at the B&B, I returned to Ord to start the days fun. The sun was shining and the forecast looked correct, even though there were a few stormy clouds in the distance. There was a chill wind blowing off  Loch Eishort, so I donned my Paramo smock initially, but as I warmed up to the task in the sunshine I was soon down to HH base layer and trews – Paramo Cascadas weren’t required today.

Of all the long walks I’ve ever done I can now say that this was one of the most energy sapping days I’ve had. I’m only glad that it has been dry for so long here on Skye – about a month or so without any significant rainfall – as this day would have long if the ground had been wet. I would definitely split this day in two if or when I do it again. I'd been looking at Google maps trying to decipher the landscape, but generally I was non the wiser and couldn't pick out any discernable route across the ground. I reckon you’d have to walk the area regularly to pick out an optimum route, and no doubt that would change depending on how much of the wet stuff had fallen.

It was high tide when I set out, the sun was shining and within one hundred yards I had come to a dead end – doh, another false start. After consulting the map and not blindly walking along I was soon following a nice road track that led me through houses and then out on a metalled track to the last remote house in the village. A bit bizarre as the white house seamed to be in good condition but didn't appear to be occupied very often. Beyond the house all tracks ended for pretty well much of the way until reaching the clearance settlement of Boreraig – that’s about 8 or 9 miles of rough ground to contend with. I’d been warned to expect some tough going, but I was pleasantly surprised with the occasional sheep trods, cattle tracks, a quad bike trail along a deer fence and some delightful birch groves. When these became too overgrown it was down to the foreshore for sure. Walking on the rocky beach wasn’t the nicest experience but at least I could keep a good stride going. Overall I averaged 2mph today which is what I reckoned on and allowed me time to dwell here and there. I was also dry footed all day long which was phenomenal considering the ground – after a while I got to trusting the mossy bits I was walking on which is a little risky in my eyes – every now and again I got that sinking feeling, but just sped up a little to get away from it.

There is a good woodland terrace further up the hillside below the hill at Sgiath-bheinn an Uird ( a white quartzite shining in the sun), but I wasn’t sure if I could locate it, so just followed my nose and mainly stuck to the lower slopes. The first big river crossing was at Allt-a’ Chinn Mhor and I’d been told by Stuart that  it’s best down at sea level – it was, dry and easy to step over. I crossed several fences today, with only one topped with barbed wire. Most of them were just a swing of a legover, which towards the end was easier said than done. A feature of most of the shoreline around the loch was a distinct sheep trod developing, which was handy to follow in places, but not beneath the scrubby birch. As I saw yesterday there was a huge amount of ship detritus on the shore, and a lot of polystyrene blocks and black floats from the fish farm and mussel lines just offshore. Across the loch I could see my destination, not very far away across the water. After a mile or two I walked little higher from the shore and up near the deer fence was a quad bike track that had been used by cattle as a route along – it was dry today, but would be a mire after a wet spell – you could follow it a lot of the way to Drumfearn, but then you’d miss the nice bits by the shore. It's been developed by ferrying fencing gear to and fro from the road at Drumfearn, but I'd hazard a guess that this will become overgrown in years to come, which will lead the walker back to the shore where it's accessible.

As I got further along towards Drumfearn, the Cuillins behind me disappeared from view, and the mussel pullers were working away, shovelling them up off the deck into storage below. On the beach at Drumfearn were a couple of boats ready to go, complete with outboard engines – I was mightily tempted, but I knew from here that the end of the loch was in sight and I stuck to the shore, knowing that it would get easier as I went past the end of the loch. The tide was out when I got to the outflow of Alt Aingh na Suirghe, and I was delighted to find it was such an easy crossing as it’s quite wide here, but the channels between the river gravel were quite narrow and easy to cross over.

Then it was back towards the west again and generally I hugged the coastline around to Heaste, with the odd unavoidable detour up and over minor headlands. I had sheep guiding me as they trotted ahead in a neat line, so I just followed them like a sheep. There was less detritus on the north shore, but it was bigger – black floats from the mussel lines and a stage complete with big blocks of well weathered polystyrene. The sun was in my face now and it was pleasantly warm sheltered away from the wind. I continued on the lookout for an otter and was rewarded eventually as I spotted a head in the water, and moments later a big sleek (3ft long) animal came up over the rocks, took one look at me and promptly disappeared – no photos unfortunately, as I’m not that quick on the draw – you’ll just have to take my word for it (after I returned home and was processing some pictures I spotted I'd managed to capture an Otters Arse). As I got towards Heaste there were quite a few boats moored out in the bay and it looked like there was a little activity by the jetty. But when I got level with the vans parked up I realised that they had left there doors open to let the smell of seafood disperse on this sunny day. Apart from the vans, there wasn’t any sign of life here, and the small settlement stretched away up the hillside. There was a sign indicating Boreraig at 2 miles along the coast, so I thought I’d be like Patterson and cut up over Tor Mor and chop the corner of the headland off. I made my way over some fine cropped grass that was dissected by the river, but again I got across dry shod. Then I cut up the hillside following a cattle trail to the top – when I was up there I wished I’d followed the coast, but if I’d followed the coast I would have wished I’d chopped the corner off. I don’t know if I saved any time, but I still enjoyed the views back to the hills of the Sleat Peninsula . My main view now was down over to the clearance village Boreraig, knowing that when I got back down to the coast there was at last a recognisable, well used path all the way to Camas Mallag – phew. I was a little ragged now so topped up with juice, Red Bull, chocolate biscuits and whatever other trash I could stuff down my neck. It worked a treat and just before I got to Boreraig was the real treat of the day – a lovely walk along a beach – interesting to see how the storms had graded all the cobbles on the beach to lie in the same general direction (I think they call that imbricate structure), a sandy shore (not the singer) with plenty of waders (not wellies), and a couple of Oyster Catchers, and the icing on the cake was the waterfall cascading over the cliff. Not the biggest, widest or best I’ve ever seen but wonderfully refreshing, splashing drops as I got closer, with a band of fossils to top it off. This is definitely a place I will return to, great for a picnic or to while away a warm day before the midges get active ( none out and about today – far too stiff a breeze). I had a look for fossil ammonites in a band below the waterfalls, but I think someone has been here before and hammered out the lot. Beyond the waterfall I climbed up onto higher ground and the clearance settlement came into view. This is a well walked route now, plenty of day walkers coming down from Cill Chriosd ruined church or from Camas Mallag up to Suisnish and beyond. I was mightily relieved that the worse of the bogs were behind me now for a couple of days, and it was great to be on a recognised track, good all the way now to the end of the day.

I got a strange feeling walking through the ghosts of this village, what a setting to live your life – hard and unforgiving but what a place. There’s a standing stone marking the route, and I’m sure there are several others on the way to Suisnish – at least in my eyes, and I’ve seen plenty in my time. The path drops down below steep, high cliffs on the way to Suisnish, which reminded me of the Jurassic coast down in Dorset – plenty of dark fissile Shale, but hard enough to withstand the winter storms. Eventually the path rises up the cliff face on a steady ascent to emerge on higher ground towards another clearance settlement of Suisnish – not as much to see here, apart from a big green sheep shearing shed, and beyond that another tin roofed old croft that is basically a big resting place for the sheep in bad weather – I sheltered here last October when it was persisting it down. The approach to Suisnish marks another high point for the day with the Cuillins coming back into view and they’re a lot closer now. Thankfully they were largely cloud free with the ‘Inn Pinn’ standing proud of it’s surrounds. All that was left for today was to follow the metalled track north to the beach at Camas Malag with views over to Blaven – waiting, brooding, ready for me tomorrow.

What a brilliant day, fatigued, sore feet from the uneven ground but very happy with how this walk is progressing. It was a bit breezy down the home stretch and the mussel fishermen were struggling sailing back to Loch Slapin. I’ll have a look at the forecast on the BBC News at Ten and decide in the morning. There’s loads of stuff I saw and forgot today, such is the power of peace and tranquillity on the mind when you're out walking a distance

I sleep like a baby…..but without the nappy bits…

at Ord the day promises plenty - looking across the waters of Loch Eishort to Suisnish with the ever present Cuillins in view

the road through Ord

leads out on to a metalled track across the fields

the settlement village of Boreraig is across the water

the path stops here - what a setting

the beginning of trackless walking

looking back to the hills above Ord

legover time

typical birch groves - the open ones are OK, it's the dense ones that create the diversions up and down

easy walking along the shore, but can be wet in places

while the higher ground is ok while the bracken hasn't started to grow high - Boreraig across the water

one of the less demanding tracks looking back towards the start and the headland of Rubha Dubh Ard

the quartzite hillside of Sgiath bheinn an Uird and the beginning of the birch woodland

nice and mossy underfoot above the Garbh Allt

time to drop down to the valley below or stay by the fence to the right

up by the deer fence is a half decent track above the birch trees

but what goes up must come down to the shore

whwre there is some delightful short sections of cropped grass with the mussel lines offshore

looking back along my route today

just before reaching Drumfearn, there's a barbed wire fence to negotiate

and then it's down by the shore at Drumfearn

 I could have borrowed a boat here 

looking back along the coast the quartzite hill is prominent in the distance

vague paths up above the cliff beyond Drumfearn

led me up to the deer fence once more

before dropping down to the shore and easier walking at the head of Loch Eishort

the turning point and an easy crossing at the mouth of the Alt Aingh na Suirghe

almost across and turning east along towards Heaste, the early route on the far shore

following sheep trods along the high tide mark

with occasional diversions over headlands here and there

still plenty of detritus around, much of it wind blown on higher ground

looking over to the hills of the Sleat towards Kyleakin

a beautiful day now following the high tide mark

the far shore a constant reminder of this mornings route, with the quartzite hill a good marker

some rocky ground before turning the corner towards Heaste

the Otters Arse

the panorama of Heaste

over the headland and down to the shore

looking back towards the start across the water. Plenty of boats sheltered in the bay at Loch an Eilean

the old school house prominent at Heaste as is the well trodden route

a signpost to Boreraig along the coast

old boats, including wrecks show up at low tide on the shores of Loch an Eilean

crossing the estuary on spongy marsh grass - a soggy lawn

looking back on the small settlement of Heaste spreads up the hillside

on top of Meall Buaille  nan Caorach the views are superb over Loch Eishort and my route today from the far shores

the ground on my short cut was a little rougher going than expected - down and up to Tor Mor

looking back to my short cut over the hills

the rounded holes are natural not cup and ring marks

eventually Boreraig comes into view and my short cut over the top takes me down to the coast again

it's quite enjoyable route finding down through this lot

the cobbles on the beach all line up along their longest axis - across the water is Ord, my starting point today

time for another legover - very peaceful here with plenty of wading birds feeding along the shore

the waterfall at Boreraig

an idyllic location

there's plenty of fossils along here

amongst the ruins of the clearance settlement of Boreraig

another idyllic location amongst the ruins, with the Isle of Rum in the distance

some very evocative sights

the path continues just above the high tide mark, below steep cliffs

the views back to the mainland hills were clearer now - this shot gives you an idea of the distance of todays yomp

big cliffs of shale tower over the coastal strip

the path gently ascends up towards Suisnish

one of my favourite shots - the sea reflects the stiff breeze blowing, keeping me cool

the Cuillins come into view once more as I approach another clearance settlement of Suisnish

What a great view towards Bla Bheinn. The shearing shed and the most complete of the ruins still standing

it's all track now around to Camas Mallag

 

Red to the right and Black to the left - Cuillin Hills. Loch Slapin ahead

nice and steady to finish a tough day out

Suisnish is at the end of the headland

the end of my day at Camas Mallag, just below the village of Torrin

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