walkhighlands

Read other users walk reports for the long distance trails - and add your own.

NB. This board is for reports on multi-day long distance routes - reports on simply long walks should be added to the standard boards.
Warning Please note that hillwalking when there is snow lying requires an ice-axe, crampons and the knowledge, experience and skill to use them correctly. Summer routes may not be viable or appropriate in winter. See winter information on our skills and safety pages for more information.

Skye Trail, July 2015

Skye Trail, July 2015


Postby sageclegg » Sat Jan 30, 2016 9:16 am

Route description: Skye Trail

Date walked: 30/07/2015

Time taken: 6 days

Distance: 127 km

4 people think this report is great.
Register or Login
free to be able to rate and comment on reports (as well as access 1:25000 mapping).

Adam Drummer & Sage Clegg hiked the Skye Trail in the "summer" of 2015, starting at the phone booth in the north & walking to Broadford in the South over 6 days.

We made a 10 minute movie of our adventure, Skye Trail Trek 2015, which can be found on YouTube


We are from the West Coast of the USA, and flew in to Edinburg for a two week vacation to Scotland. We planned on hiking the Skye Trail and the Speyside Way. We decided to start off with the Skye Trail, the more challenging of the two trails, and finish off with the more leisurely Speyside Way. We traveled southbound on the Skye Trail, starting at the Duntulm Castle.

Day 1- Duntulm Castle to Lake NE of Quiraing
The sun shone most of the day, and we immediately fell in love with the Isle of Skye. In the afternoon we stopped by the Flodigarry Hotel for a Skye Black Ale & a moment indoors. The rain began as we found a wild camp, and before morning we had been properly introduced to Scottish weather.
Day 2- Lake NE of Quiraing to Bearreraing Beach
A stormy day for the Trotternish Ridge! We had low visibility, high winds, & rain most of the day.
Day 3- Bearreraing Beach to Wild Camp off road B883
Wind battered us in the morning, but the views from the headlands were stunning. We resupplied in Portree, mostly at the Co-Op. It was a challenge to find a covered place to re-bag our food. All the affordable lodging was booked, so we walked on past town & found a mushy, midge filled wild camp on the side of the road.
Day 4- Wild Camp off rd B883 to Wild Camp in the Cuillins
The road walk was very nice & the sun came out for most of the morning. Leaving the road for the trail to Sligachan we wondered about the creek crossings, but they weren't a big deal. We did laundry & ate amazing food in Sligachan, and had to convince ourselves to push on after dinner. Wild camps were hard to come by, but after a few miles of walking we found a great spot after a creek crossing.
Day 5- Cuillins Wild Camp to Wild Camp near Torrin
Stormy weather warned us away from the Bad Step, but we enjoyed lunch out of the rain in the Camasunary Bothy. The sun came out on our walk into Elgol, and we made it to the cafe in time to order coffee & pastries- delicious!!! We kept trekking & watched a beautiful sunset. Finding a wild camp was challenging, but we did finally find one near a trailhead across the bay from Torrin.
Day 6- Wild Camp near Torrin to Broadford
The wind was particularly vicious on our last day, and the Blue Shed in Torrin was closed, but we still had a great walk. I loved the marble quarry area, and the cleared villages gave us some perspective of the history of Skye. We found an excellent coffee shop/bakery/yarn store on the south end of town. The pizza place across from the bus stop allowed us to order take away pizza, which we devoured in the bus shelter. Before we were ready, a bus came and plucked us up from the Isle of Skye. We hope to come back for another visit someday. With weather that dynamic, it would be impossible for us to have the same trip twice.

Sage Clegg is an avid long distance backpacker who can be found on social media and the web as sageclegg. Happy trails & joyful adventures!!
sageclegg
Hill Bagger
 
Posts: 1
Joined: Apr 5, 2015

Re: Skye Trail, July 2015

Postby Mal Grey » Sat Jan 30, 2016 8:38 pm

Sounds like you had a great trip, nice one. Its an amazing place. Thanks for sharing.
User avatar
Mal Grey
Wanderer
 
Posts: 4730
Munros:113   Corbetts:23
Fionas:12   
Sub 2000:9   Hewitts:116
Wainwrights:71   Islands:16
Joined: Dec 1, 2011
Location: Surrey, probably in a canoe! www.wildernessisastateofmind.co.uk

Re: Skye Trail, July 2015

Postby onsen » Sat Jan 30, 2016 9:42 pm

Now that I've watched your video I want to walk it even more
badly than before ! I'm on the other side of the earth quietly pining away for the Isle of Skye. :wink:
Enjoyed, thanks Sage & Adam.
User avatar
onsen
Munro compleatist
 
Posts: 290
Joined: Oct 10, 2012
Location: The Great Southern Land, Australia

Re: Skye Trail, July 2015

Postby petert847 » Sat Feb 06, 2016 2:27 pm

great report and video - but it did make me grateful for the better luck I had than you with the weather. It's a wonderful trail isn't it.
petert847
 
Posts: 32
Joined: Jan 13, 2013

4 people think this report is great.
Register or Login
free to be able to rate and comment on reports (as well as access 1:25000 mapping).




Can you help support Walkhighlands?


Our forum is free from adverts - your generosity keeps it running.
Can you help support Walkhighlands and this community by donating by direct debit?



Return to Walk reports - Long Distance routes

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 1 guest