Eriskay beach and hill circuit

Cross the beach where Bonnie Prince Charlie first arrived in Scotland, explore the main village made famous by Whisky Galore and then climb via a hill loch for great views over Eriskay.

Terrain

Sandy beach, minor road, rough moorland path, steep and boggy in places, infrequent waymarkers

Public Transport

Bus via the causeway from South Uist; ferry from Barra.

Start

Eriskay ferry terminal (for Barra) - there is parking here and off the approach road. Open start point in Google Maps for directions.

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Walk Description

Stage 1

Eriskay can be reached over the causeway from South Uist or via the ferry from Barra. Follow signs to the ferry terminal, turning left and then right after the causeway. From the terminal, which is also used by local fishing boats, walk up the hill a short way to an alternative parking area where a path heads down to the left onto a stunning beach. This is where Bonnie Prince Charlie first set foot on Scottish soil, and it is known as Coilleag a'Phrionnsa, Gaelic for the Prince's cockleshell strand.

Stage 2

Walk across the sands and at the far end follow a faint path up the grassy cliff and continue around the headland, keeping left of the fence, there are occasional yellow waymarkers. The views back along the beach are stunning. As well as the Bonnie Prince Charlie landing, there was another event here which has passed into legend. The grounding of the SS Politician off the shore in 1941 left its cargo of 264,000 whisky bottles to the mercy of the locals. The novel by Compton Mackenzie and later Ealing comedy film, Whisky Galore, immortalised and glamorised the tale of the liberation of over 2000 cases of whisky by local crofters.

Stage 3

Cross the back of the next beach to join the road and continue ahead to pass a graveyard and then the Am Politician Bar named after the ill-fated boat. The bar contains some remaining bottles from the ship and is the only pub on the island, set in the middle of the scattered main settlement of Am Baile.

Stage 4

Continue past the pub and climb the steep road ahead and turn right at the bend at the top. Keep right at the next junction at a give way sign to head downhill passing the school and medical centre on the left and then the well-stocked shop on the right. Continue along the road to start climbing away from the village. Pass a statue of the virgin Mary on the left and continue to a mast on the left. Immediately after this a faint grassy path heads diagonally uphill to the left. Take this and as you climb there is a good view of the scattered houses below.

Stage 5

This section is fairly well waymarked, the path heads inland and climbs to the top of a rocky knoll marked with a post. There are good views of Beinn Sciathan, Eriskay's highest peak at 185m and a possible very rough and steep detour. Continuing the main route, it winds from post to post through the rocky landscape to reach Loch Cracabhaig.

Stage 6

Bear right at the water and continue in this direction to reach a higher point just above a water treatment works, marked by a post. Head down onto the track and follow it downhill. Go through a pedestrian gate to reach the road then turn right, climbing uphill for a short way until a junction. Turn left here to return to the ferry terminal.

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