A long walk on the Isle of Skye 2012

Day Seven: 15th May

Weather: Perfectly fine thank you

Route: The Quiraing to Rubha Hunish - 11.2 miles with 1861ft of ascent

 

The last day of a ‘Long Walk on the Isle of Skye 2012′. Always a wistful moment or two when I think back to the start of the journey and back again. I wondered about the end of this walk and stopping it at Duntulm Castle, but now I know I made the right decision to finish at the top of the island.
I awoke to bright blue skies above Portree, ate a hearty breakfast, packed the motor and set off north for the Quiraing. All around me were blue skies – down to the Cuillins and up to a clear Storr – fantastic weather. As I got to Staffin there was a Victor Meldrew moment – ‘I don’t bloody believe it’ – sitting right on the Quiraing was a great lump of storm cloud, and as I drove up the Quiraing road the heavens opened and dumped a veritable load of big white hailstones. It covered the road, enough for me to switch to 4×4, and to start cursing…a bit like our Victor Meldrew. At the car park I just sat and waited, hoping and delaying, but it was no good I couldn’t change the weather. Actually I did a couple of minutes later on – I wished it all away, and away it went. On with the wet gear, off with the wet gear, too hot in the sun, and too cold out.
But really who gives a hoot when the landscape is as distinct as this, sublime, hypnotic and downright smile inducing. The path below the cliffs is but a narrow trod above steep grassy slopes. It’s hard to make fast progress as there’s so much to look at. A short way from the start is an awkward rock step across a burn, but that’s the only problem here, and it’s not so bad. Then I stood and stared – sod the passing time and feast my eyes on this magical place – wrinkly terracettes in green mossy grass, as the soil creeps slowly downhill. Old farm use in the landscape below, of wall patterns and peat cutting. Prominent knolls and pinnacles draw the eye, as does a recent rock fall revealing crystal vesicles amongst the black basalt. Up above the high cliffs tower over the path, shielding me from the wind, and in the sunshine it feels like May for once. A vertical dyke splits the lava flow and next to it a small waterfall tumbles quietly down the precipice. Ahead of me lay the Prison, one of many slumped blocks that gives the landscape a crazy tilt. I’ve been up there so didn’t climb today, and up to my left was the needle, guarding the steep scree path up to the magical hidden table – another must return to venue. It’s almost too much, but I remember I have some bog trotting to do before the day is out, and that returns me to reality. I meet the two ladies and the German couple again – he’s smiling, enjoying this landscape and taking lots of pictures – I hope he gets in touch via this blog. The ladies are finishing today at Flodigarry, and it’s a shame they can’t hitch a ride and walk to the end at Rubha Hunish as I’m sure they would have enjoyed that.
But our paths parted and I took the higher route up to Fir Bhreugach and from there up towards Sron Vourlinn. This was where the path ran out, the start of a bit of rough, rough enough to make me curse a little, and struggle along for a while. The path runs out and in retrospect I should have stayed up higher on the hill, but part of this route is to pick a line and go with it.
As an aside, I take my hat off to all who complete the TGO challenge across Scotland every year, and especially to those sadists who complete ten years running – some kind of perversion if you ask me.
Oh yes – I followed the hint of a trod and it gently contoured around the hill in the right direction for quite a distance before it petered out. Stuart (Lonewalker) had told me there was a semblance of a path towards the east side of the coire on the right hand side of the Lon Horro burn. I’m glad he did, as after stumbling through rough ground for a little while I picked it up alongside the burn which has cut a decent sized, steep, rocky ravine through the rocks. Beyond the base of Sron Vuillen the ground levels off to a boggy waste and the only way across is to try and keep to the higher ground where there is any. Initially I made good progress across several hummocks of moraine, but these flattened off and it was just a case of picking a line and hop, hoping from dry tuft to dry tuft, and coming across the real wet stuff now and again. I’m going to compare my route down with Lonewalkers and see if we ended up close, it will be interesting for reference – as it happens our route across from Sron Vourlinn were very close. After the recent rain it still wasn’t truly boggy, but the walk up the length of Skye does refine the eye for a stride to keep dry-shod. It’s quite taxing watching your footfall all the time, but I stopped occasionally to look back at the route and confirm I was going in the right direction. There is a ridge of higher ground over to the east, but I was headed west to skirt Cnoc Roll and make my way to the telephone box that marks the path to Rubha Hunish.
Once I’d crossed the worst of the bog there are some lush looking fields before the wooden bridge over the Kilmaluag River – these turned out to be a little moist, and churned up by cattle, ready to catch the unwary with a boot full of muddy water. Once over the river the ground was easier, firmer to the foot and actually had a track on the ground. There is a ‘tongue in cheek’ sign saying ‘Quiraing footpath’ which made me laugh – it doesn’t run very far. I made a bit of a mistake here and took to a small road down to the hamlet of Connista, instead of sticking to the fields behind and above the houses. The net result was that I had to pass through somebody's yard and climb over a gate into another field to get back on line. Luckily for me nobody was at home or I may have had to divert somewhat. Across the boggy fields of Kilmaluag I could see my red telephone box that marks the start of the path, and instead of taking the minor roads to it I thought I’d take a turn over to Cnoc Roll, taking advantage of some old farm tracks. It’s a good job it wasn’t raining as some of the ground was mightily churned up by cattle. Luckily for me I walked mostly on the short cropped stuff just below the track and that was ok. As I got to Cnoc Roll the track split left and right, and i took the right branch to lead me around the east side of the hill and up to the main road. The farmer here had a line of old baths along the track – I think it was about 10 – but I didn’t know when bath-time was or if the farmer scratched the cows backs or not. I made steady progress north now, with good weather overlooking the peninsula, but still the showers crossed over the sea from the Hebrides, threatening me with a quick wetting. But the blue sky gods were with me and as I reached the telephone box I nipped inside for a few minutes to take on board some liquid before the final walk to the tip of Skye. The path out to Rubha Hunish is clearly signposted, and is also clear on the ground. There has been some remedial work done here which has probably filled in some of the worst boggy bits, and certainly makes access to the coast easier. Over to my left was Patersons finish of Duntulm Castle, standing proud on its knoll, but no time for a visit today as I’d plumped to finish at Rubha Hunish. Below me was a line of old crofting remains at Erisco, all laid out in a line running north south, there’s even some old run-rigs below the cliffs of Meall Tuath. The path heads for a cleft between two hills of Meall Deas and Meall Tuath, reaching a perched boulder that marks the way down to Hunish and the end. It’s a marvellous viewpoint looking down on the deep blue sea and the smell of fresh sea air was fantastic. The first bit down past the boulder is a little rocky scramble, but is ok and has plenty of hand and footholds, and this gives way to a steep path down the side of the cliffs, that tower above. It was a great feeling to walk down and across above Loch Hunish, but it was a little rough seas today for any whale spotting, and that’s another reason for a trip back here, maybe in the autumn. It was a real pleasure walking along the short turf and didn’t take long to reach the end of the peninsula, where I stood still gulping in fresh air and looking out over rough waters to the islands and over to mainland Scotland of Torridon. What a finish and what a walk – it’s right up there with the best, and I’m going to have to think long and hard about where to go next.

A Long Walk on Skye 2012, finished but never to be forgotten.

 Photobucket

the early morning squall travelling south -good riddance

Photobucket

looking back to yesterdays walk to Beinn Edra and Bioda Buidhe - note the hailstones brrrr

Photobucket

the path leading into the Quiraing. To the right is Dun Mor, ahead is The Prison

Photobucket

spectacular views back down over the road from Digg. The Cleat is behind the lochs

Photobucket

the small rocky step is just down to the left

Photobucket

Cnoc a Mheirlich in the foreground. Plenty of old field patterns below

Photobucket

the path crosses over a recent rockfall - lots of crystals in the rocks here

Photobucket

the path runs under some impressive bluffs. Note the Dyke to the right of the waterfall

Photobucket

what a vista to stand and stare

Photobucket

the Prison to the right and the Needle up to the left

Photobucket

the hidden beauty of the Quiraing is up beyond and behind the Needle - The Table. You have to make an effort to get up there.

Photobucket

two prisoners on the prison

Photobucket

the Needle guards the entrance to the Table

Photobucket

just about to turn north, the view across to Staffin Bay - there's dinosaur footprints down there at low tide at An Corran

Photobucket

heading north to the skyline left of the pinnacle. To the right is the route to Flodigarry

Photobucket

reaching the end of the Quiraing, a quick glance back - it's always a little dark along this path

Photobucket

Sron Vourlinn is the hill ahead, my route is to the left

Photobucket

the end is nigh - fabulous views north and the path continues around to the right contouring around Sron Vourlinn

Photobucket

this path gradually gets less distinct the further around the hillside I went

Photobucket

a sneaky trod led me a little left, but I should have continued to follow the edge a little longer

Photobucket

there is a semblance of a route through the rough ground, but that maybe in the eye of the beholder

Photobucket

down beside the easternmost burn in Coire Mhic Eachainn - looking back up to my way down

Photobucket

from this point it was pick a point and go. I tried to stick to higher ground and that was ok to the middle of the level ground when it got a bit boggy

Photobucket

the burn had cut quite deeply into the hillside, so I stayed well clear to the right

Photobucket

Sgurr Mor was the hill Paterson chose to traverse

Photobucket

there is a river right and left, so I stayed on the slightly raised ground between them

Photobucket

little hummocks were welcome and dry

Photobucket

looking back you can see the slightly raised ground. Sron Vourlinn is the hill I descended

Photobucket

then it gets a little boggy and soggy. My target is the white house. Torridon hills way in the distance

Photobucket

Sron Vourlinn on the left and Sgurr Mor to the right

Photobucket

getting squelchy now about half way across the low ground. Cnoc Roll with mast is where I'm headed for

Photobucket

out of the rough ground - phew. Onto wet fields!! The buildings of Connista shining white

Photobucket

typical peat moss type of bog - domed up in the middle. That was hard work for about a mile

Photobucket

the bridge over the Kilmaluag River

Photobucket

goodbye soggy boggy, hello footpath for a little while

Photobucket

the track leads down to Connista

Photobucket

it's not really a footpath honestly

Photobucket

old crofting remains and runrigs still in evidence

Photobucket

the road through Connista - I should have been up behind the houses

Photobucket

Cnoc Roll is on the left with radio mast, I walked to the white house to the right then up to Rubha Hunish beyond

Photobucket

the fields here were ok to walk across

Photobucket

but were a little churned up just before Cnoc Roll

Photobucket

and the farmer washed his flock by night - he's got a fine line in baths

Photobucket

up the track to the east of Cnoc Roll to the main road

Photobucket

Next to a phone box there's a clearly marked route to Rubha Hunish and it's not too far away

Photobucket

Duntulm Castle and Tulm Island about to get a splash

Photobucket

looking back at my route today from the beallach between the two hills

Photobucket

Duntulm Castle is where Paterson ended his route. Cnoc Roll is the hill with a mast

Photobucket

the path has had plenty of maintenance recently and there aren't many boggy sections

Photobucket

plenty of good rocky sections and some close cropped grass to walk across. The path heads between Meall Deas and Meall Tuath

Photobucket

the view back from between Meall Meall Deas and Meall Tuath

Photobucket

two runners admire the view I've yet to savour

Photobucket

Rubha Hunish and the end of Skye - the boulder marks the steep descent. The Scottish mainland looking closer

Photobucket

what fabulous colours from the top of the cliffs

Photobucket

down the path winds along below the big cliffs on the right

Photobucket

the initial rocky descent - plenty of handholds here

Photobucket

the path comes down right to left - not the big gully to the left

Photobucket

at this point my mind is in neutral, a big smile on my face and close to completing a brilliant walk

Photobucket

looking back to the cliffs

Photobucket

almost there - the mainland hills of Torridon clear now

Photobucket

feeling good

Photobucket

and worth every step along the way

Photobucket

this is the end my friend, thanks for reading, looking in and if you have any questions you can find my mail adress on the 'About' tab of my Blog

Where now:                                                Home        :        Long Walks Menu        :        Flora and fauna >>