A very short walk to visit the site of the Battle of Carinish (1601) and then the ruins of Teampull na Trianaid, a 12th century church.
Clear, short grassy path, wet in places.
Bus from Sollas (W19).
Parking area on A865 just north of junction for Carinish - marked with brown tourism sign.
Read about the experiences of our users on this route.
There are 1 reports from this walk - click to read them.
Look out for the signed (Blar Cairinis) parking area opposite houses just north of the turning off the A865 for Cairinish. From here a boardwalk starts the walk over boggy ground. The first ditch is named Feith na Fala, or ditch of blood, and refers to the battle waged here in 1601, said to have been the last Scottish battle fought with traditional weapons. The dispute arose from the intention of the local Macdonald chief to divorce his wife, a Macleod from Harris. A raiding party of Macleod's set out to avenge the woman, but although the Macdonalds had sought refuge in the nearby church, they were eventually victorious, leaving many Macleods dead or dying in the ditch and thereby giving it its name.
After the boardwalk the clear grassy path climbs over a small hillock to reach the road where many yellow flag iris can be seen flowering in summer. Turn right and follow the road for a very short distance. Before the house turn left onto a path. Follow another short section of boardwalk and go through a gate (note the lambing dates to keep any dogs on short leads) and head directly towards the ruins.
Teampull na Trianaid dates from the 12th century and is a complex of medieval monastery, church and college. It is thought to have been founded by Beathag, daughter of Somerled and later enlarged between 1350 and 1390 by the wife of the then Lord of the Isles. It was totally reconstructed in the 16th century and destroyed after the reformation although it was later partly restored in the 19th century.
From the surroundings of the ruins there are good views over the watery landscape of North Uist, the freshwater lochans make up about a third of the land mass here, with the numerous seawater inlets making it seem much more watery. Once you have explored the ruins retrace your steps along the path and back to the Feith na Fala to the start.
Please consider setting up a direct debit donation to help support the continued maintenance and updates to Walkhighlands.
Have you found an error or is any information wrong or missing? Please let us know by clicking here.
