Maclean's Skull Cave and Glengarrisdale Bay

Summary

This very remote walk crosses to the wild northwest coast to visit Glengarrisdale Bay. For many centuries the skull of a Maclean chief slain in battle could be found here, but the skull went missing in 1976; instead the walk visits a sea cave and a lonely bothy.

Grade

Bog Factor

3.5/5

Rating

Terrain

Extremely rough and wet ATV tracks; the route is not always clear and navigational skills are needed.

Getting there

Start

Parking area at northern end of public road, north of Lealt.

Public Transport

None to the start; infrequent Jura bus service runs from Feolin Ferry to as far north as Ardlussa.

Start Grid Ref

NR669927

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Walk Statistics

Distance: 14.5km / 9 miles
Time: 4.5 - 6 hours
Ascent: 395m (Profile)

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Explorer 355 - Jura & Scarba

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Walk Description

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Stage 1

The drive to the north end of Jura is an adventure in itself, on a snaking single track road with fewer passing places the further north you get. After Ardlussa, the road becomes rougher, and is gated near Lealt. Beyond here there is a very rough final kilometre until a parking area in an old quarry on the right marks the end of the public road. A signpost here reads the distances out to Barnhill and the Gulf of Corryvreckan. Our walk too begins by continuing along the landrover track on foot.

Stage 2

After 1.5km - around 100m or so short of where a chain is strung across the track - fork left onto a very faint and boggy ATV track. It starts opposite a little rocky outcrop. The ATV marks run almost parallel to the main track initially, but soon curve left to head northwest across the open moors. The going is slow as the ground is both very wet in places and also tussocky, but much easier on the ATV track than without it! After just under another 1.5km the route crosses a small burn; it then climbs gently up before reaching a flatter, more open area.

Stage 3

Continue following the ATV tracks as they curve west. Eventually there is a fork where a fainter ATV track goes left - stay on the main (relatively!) ATV track which climbs up across the shoulder of a hill. Soon it gives views southwards over Loch a' Gheoidh. The track curves northwest and gains some more height. When the ground flattens again, ignore the fainter trod ahead and again follow the main ATV track, which forks slightly left. Soon it begins a steep descent to the northern end of Loch Doire na h-Achlaise, dotted with waterlillies in summer.

Stage 4

From the loch the ATV tracks climb once more up onto another shoulder, then contour the slopes and cross over a slight col. From here the descent into Glengarrisdale begins. At one point the track forks with the left option making a bit of a detour; here it is shorter to cut down to the right through the bracken until the clearer track is rejoined - though the bracken can be deep in summer. Continue following the trod through the glen, eventually curving westwards and reaching a short descent of a little escarpment before becoming a clearer track across the raised beach. After passing through a gap in a drystone wall the route becomes choked with bracken once more - keep going to head for the bothy and a lone tree now seen ahead; there is a burn to cross at the tree before the bothy is reached.

Stage 5

The bothy is an open shelter maintained by volunteers from the Mountain Bothy Association; please help by carrying out any rubbish you find here, and always follow the bothy code when visiting. The rock behind the bothy was once the site of a castle of Clan Maclean; a chief 'Maclaine of Lochbuie' was slain here with his followers in an encounter with the Campbells of Craignish, and his excavated skull sat under an overhang just beyond the bothy for several centuries before disappearing in the 1970s - disproving the legend that if removed the skull would always return to this spot.

Stage 6

Across the other side of the bay can be seen the slit-like entrance to a sea cave. This is marked as Maclean's Skull Cave on OS maps and many visitors now think this was where the skull originally sat. You can enter the cave, which is a through cave which leads out around a corner. Unless intent on an extremely challenging multi-day walk along the west coast of Jura, the return back to the road at the start is made by reversing your steps.

Route Profile

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Islay, Jura & Colonsay Hotels

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