Hallaig, from North Fearns, Raasay

Summary

This stunningly beautiful walk follows a superb old grassy footpath as far as a monument to the celebrated Gaelic poet Sorley MacLean, overlooking Hallaig - the subject of his most famous poem. The walk continues to explore the ruins of the village of Hallaig; this shorter section is much rougher with no clear path and can be omitted if preferred, reducing the route to a Grade 1 walk.

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Grade

Bog Factor

4.5/5

Rating

Terrain

Waymarked walk on good path to the monument. Beyond this reaching the ruins of Hallaig means much rougher going with no clear path.

Getting there

Start

End of public road at North Fearns.

Public Transport

None to start.

Start Grid Ref

NG593359

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Walk Statistics

Distance: 6.5km / 4 miles
Time: 2 hours
Ascent: 242m (Profile)

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Walk Description

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Stage 1

Park at the end of the public road at North Fearns (if you have not brought a car over to Raasay, this is a 5.5km walk each way from the ferry jetty). In this area in 1919, a group of crofting families, landed here having been evicted from Rona. They attempted to take land to live on and were arrested. However, public support was so great that they were released and allowed to return to Raasay where they became known as the Rona Raiders. Follow the track that is a continuation of the road past the last house and a footpath sign for Hallaig.

Stage 2

The ancient grassy track runs parallel to but high above the east coast of Raasay, giving superb views across to Crowlin Islands, Applecross and the mountains of the mainland. The going underfoot is easy; the track is a little wet in places but it's usually possible to keep dry feet by walking alongside it on these sections. The track rises and falls gently.

Stage 3

Eventually the track swings left under an impressive cliff. Here stands a memorial cairn to Sorley Maclean, Raasay's famous son; Sorley was a Gaelic poet at the very heart of the renaissance of the language. Upon the cairn are the words of his most celebrated poem, Hallaig, in both the original Gaelic and Sorley's own English translation. The cleared village that is the subject of the poem lies ahead on the slopes that tumble down from Dùn Caan to the sea.

Stage 4

A few steps further and there are the remains of a few houses as the path passes through a birchwood - as featured in Sorley's great poem. There's a clearing before a second section of birch woodland, where the path becomes much rougher; you can turn back at this point if you wish to avoid harder going. After the second birchwood there's another clearing; the path seems to lead into a third area of birchwood but is then cut off by a ravine, so rather than entering this third wood strike off left to cross the burn just below a confluence of ravines. On the far side there's a faint path climbing away from the burn and then contouring grassy slopes to reach the ruins of Hallaig.

Stage 5

The evocative remains have an idyllic location on a series of grassy terraces, with views up to Dùn Caan and down to the sea. It is possible to continue along the line of an old path all the way along the east coast of Raasay to link to the cleared village of Screapadal - also the subject of a Maclean poem. However this is a long and rough one-way walk - the path has fallen into disuse and at a couple of points has collapsed in landslides into the sea, necessitating tidal boulder-hopping.

Stage 6

Instead, after you've finished exploring, our route traces your steps all the way back to the start. When at the memorial cairn note the fine waterfall below Hallaig tumbling into the sea. The final stretch back to North Fearns offers particularly stunning views to the Cuillin on Skye.

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