With my health still keeping me from the bigger mountains, I was looking for an easy stroll away from the Easter crowds that were flogging Skye. I decided to try The Hoe and Waternish Point which makes for excellent coastal cliffs, an enjoyable mix of up and down as well as peace and solitude.

The drive out to Ramasaig is longer than one would expect, but not as 'adventurous' as the route description would make you believe. The last section is a remote single track road that is solid with the odd pothole. Many of the roads on Skye are in worse condition thanks to the traffic that tourism brings to the island. Some of the cows are claiming home advantage and need a bit of careful prodding to get them to make space though. There isn't more space than for one car as far as parking goes at the end of the road. I would think though that it is unlikely that many will find their way that far out. I did not meet a single soul on an Easter Sunday with very good weather.

The route starts off along a farm track that will likely be quite boggy after a good bit of rain. The section up to the gate before the clearance village of Lorgill is quite quickly done. I did not explore the village, but would think it a nice little outing in itself. There are lots of big waterfalls further up and the little bay is likely a beach you will surely have to yourself. It still stuns me that it would have been possible in 1830 when the village was cleared to simply tell a whole village to pack their belongings and within days to board a ship to Nova Scotia. Different times.

I did not follow the route description up the ATV track leading from the gate towards The Hoe. Instead, I followed the sheep track above the village and around the hill. It soon turns into a solid track above a wall all the way around the hillside that becomes steeper as it opens up the views down into the bay. The track was not very boggy, easy to walk as often grassy and allows to follow around the hillside up to the cliffs where walking is grassy along the edge. I did want to see what the Hoe is like and did not go all the way to the cliffs, but turned right up towards the top, which really is a plateau full of peat and very! boggy. So back to the cliffs it was for me, following the grassy edge that was easy walking with stunning views back to the Cuillins and MacLeods Maidens as well as ahead towards Waterstein Head and Neist Point.

The section down to Ramasaig Bay is easy and pure delight. Bay has a number of waterfalls and invites to sit down and enjoy the views. After the Bay it goes up quite steeply but the views from the top make up for it. Following now the fence line, the ground changes between being nicely manicured grass thanks to the sheep and sometimes boggy sections. I changes to outside of the fence at some point to avoid the boggy river crossings. It made for easier walking on mostly solid ground through the heather.

The last section up to Waterstein Head is grassy again and easier to do than the previous climb. The view is nothing short of stunning with a 360 view that invites to sit down and enjoy. Neist Point is just below it Waterstein Head and makes for a very different experience given the long lines of cars down there.

The way back follows shortly the same route before crossing across heathery moorland following first an ATV track before it become open land. It is a short section that was easily doable after the dry weather recently. But looking at the ground - this will be majorly boggy after a rainy spell. Luckily it is only a short stretch before you reach the road. It is well worth looking back from the road here and there as the view changes quite a bit opening up nice views over the little lochans towards Waterstein Head.

Overall, this is a stunning little loop that invites to reserve it for a good day. Do plan in extra time to spend at the beaches, taking in the views or to simply sit and enjoy the sun from 200m above the see.