Rubha Hunish to the Quiraing
Route: Skye Trail 1: Rubha Hunish to Flodigarry
Date walked: 16/08/2013
Time taken: 6 hours
Distance: 11.5km
May 2012; we had survived 96 weary miles of the West Highland Way, battling midges, blisters and Brian’s snoring to arrive at Fort William for a well- earned celebration. It was Brian, Alan and Pete’s first taste of a long distance walk, Murray and I having done the Way and the Fife Coastal Path previously.
As the euphoria wore off and we returned to civilisation, well Fife, our thoughts turned to a further expedition for 2013. We quickly agreed on the Skye Trail, this was a very different beast – often pathless, un-waymarked and offering several alternative routes it looked to be a challenge befitting rugged mountain men like us.
After several high-powered planning meetings masquerading as nights in the pub, we decided on a two car approach to the logistics as there is no baggage transfer service like some of the busier routes and many of our party preferred travelling light. We also settled on our camping spots at Portree for three nights, Sligachan and a wild camp near Bla Bheinn, finishing up five days later in Broadford for a celebration at the local branch of Mrs Miggin’s Pie Shoppe.
The original plan for a wild camp at the start of the walk on Rubha Hunish was dropped as we realised that the non-Sherpas among us would have to carry their gear down a vertiginous cliff-side path to the headland. So a short prologue on the first night involving a walk out to the point was agreed on. As it turned out, the weather would literally have put a dampener on our plan. It’s an exposed spot and although there is a bothy housed in the former coastguard post, it wouldn’t have been big enough for five strapping lads and a dog.
Even Frankie the spaniel’s trusty nose was unable to sniff out the path to the lower part of the headland and given the wind and the slippery conditions underfoot, I’m not sure we would have attempted it. Frankie would have, but springers aren’t exactly renowned for their common sense.
A tactical withdrawal to the Duntulm Hotel seemed in order, after all we’d walked at least three miles and deserved some sustenance. A hearty meal and a couple of beers later it was time to head down to Portree to the lovely campsite at Torvaig.
Back up the road again the next morning, it was time for stage one proper. We followed the route described in Cameron McNeish’s book rather than the coastal path shown on Walk Highlands. Park off the main road, in a gravel layby opposite the timber-clad house with the turf roof as featured in T.V’s Grand Designs. Taking the tarmac road uphill past the farm the route then follows a track signposted for the Quiraing. At a metal field gate on the left a faint track leads to a wooden footbridge over the Kilmaluag River.
The boggy moorland was easily crossed due to the recent spell of dry weather, no gaiters required though Brian and Alan kept theirs on just in case. From a distance, the first ascent of the day looked steep, but the walk up Coire Mhic Eachainn to the summit was easily accomplished on our fresh legs. From the top, the spectacular views encompassed the Islands dotted in the Minch and before us the Trotternish Ridge undulating South towards the Storr.
The Walk Highlands route joins here from Floddigary, for the sake of clarity although we carried on along the ridge that day, I’ll describe it under stage two.
As the euphoria wore off and we returned to civilisation, well Fife, our thoughts turned to a further expedition for 2013. We quickly agreed on the Skye Trail, this was a very different beast – often pathless, un-waymarked and offering several alternative routes it looked to be a challenge befitting rugged mountain men like us.
After several high-powered planning meetings masquerading as nights in the pub, we decided on a two car approach to the logistics as there is no baggage transfer service like some of the busier routes and many of our party preferred travelling light. We also settled on our camping spots at Portree for three nights, Sligachan and a wild camp near Bla Bheinn, finishing up five days later in Broadford for a celebration at the local branch of Mrs Miggin’s Pie Shoppe.
The original plan for a wild camp at the start of the walk on Rubha Hunish was dropped as we realised that the non-Sherpas among us would have to carry their gear down a vertiginous cliff-side path to the headland. So a short prologue on the first night involving a walk out to the point was agreed on. As it turned out, the weather would literally have put a dampener on our plan. It’s an exposed spot and although there is a bothy housed in the former coastguard post, it wouldn’t have been big enough for five strapping lads and a dog.
Even Frankie the spaniel’s trusty nose was unable to sniff out the path to the lower part of the headland and given the wind and the slippery conditions underfoot, I’m not sure we would have attempted it. Frankie would have, but springers aren’t exactly renowned for their common sense.
A tactical withdrawal to the Duntulm Hotel seemed in order, after all we’d walked at least three miles and deserved some sustenance. A hearty meal and a couple of beers later it was time to head down to Portree to the lovely campsite at Torvaig.
Back up the road again the next morning, it was time for stage one proper. We followed the route described in Cameron McNeish’s book rather than the coastal path shown on Walk Highlands. Park off the main road, in a gravel layby opposite the timber-clad house with the turf roof as featured in T.V’s Grand Designs. Taking the tarmac road uphill past the farm the route then follows a track signposted for the Quiraing. At a metal field gate on the left a faint track leads to a wooden footbridge over the Kilmaluag River.
The boggy moorland was easily crossed due to the recent spell of dry weather, no gaiters required though Brian and Alan kept theirs on just in case. From a distance, the first ascent of the day looked steep, but the walk up Coire Mhic Eachainn to the summit was easily accomplished on our fresh legs. From the top, the spectacular views encompassed the Islands dotted in the Minch and before us the Trotternish Ridge undulating South towards the Storr.
The Walk Highlands route joins here from Floddigary, for the sake of clarity although we carried on along the ridge that day, I’ll describe it under stage two.
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sair feet
- Activity: Munro compleatist
- Pub: Clachaig Inn
- Mountain: Aonach Eagach
- Place: Glen Lyon
- Member: Glenrothes Hillwalkers, Wemyss Wanderers
- Ideal day out: A few summits, a ridge or two, a pint or two.
- Munro rounds: 1
- Munros: 282
- Corbetts: 19
- Fionas: 2
- Donalds: 7
- Hewitts: 5
- Sub 2000: 10
- Islands: 41
- Long Distance routes: West Highland Way Fife Coastal Path Forth & Clyde and Union canal towpath Great Glen Way John Muir Way Kintyre Way Three Lochs Way Skye Trail Berwickshire Coastal Path Rob Roy Way East Highland Way Arran Coastal Way
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- Trips: 6
- Distance: 130.5 km
- Joined: Jul 06, 2011
- Last visited: Apr 21, 2024
- Total posts: 18 | Search posts