Category: Skye
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Another final battle between the Macdonalds and MacLeods
The A863 road to Dunvegan, where it crosses the head of Loch Caroy, is quite speedy and most drivers accelerate to maintain their momentum as they ascend the Harlosh Peninsula. Drivers therefore will overlook the two significant stone mounds on the left, situated above the brown moorland. According to tradition, this magnificent location was the…
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Tràigh a’ Chorail
We last visited Tràigh a’ Chorail, also known as Coral Bay, in 1998, exactly twenty-five years ago. I can vaguely recall that visit, with me carrying a one-year-old on my back. However, I can’t seem to recall the stony track we encountered today, which has made it suitable for cycling the final two kilometres. Instead,…
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Confrontation at Glendale—Gunboats, Troops, and the Resolute Crofters
My knowledge of the Highland Clearances assumed it began the 18th century and pretty much over by the mid 19th century. But it really ended with the Napier Commission and the passing of the Crofters Holdings (Scotland) Act in 1886, ensuring security of tenure for crofters. My understanding of the Highland Clearances was that it…
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Macleod’s Tables
Once the ridge of the Black Cullin is behind you, your eyes are drawn to Macleod’s Tables, Healabhal Mhor and Healabhal Bheag. These distinctive peaks stand as isolated remnants of the vast basalt plateau that once covered the isle of Skye. The name “Healabhal” is believed to originate from the Scandinavian term “helgi fjall,” meaning…
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St Maelrubha’s Churches, Eynort
Seal watching at Loch Eynort, but unfortunately, I didn’t have my telephoto lens with me. As a result, the seals’ heads appeared as mere dots amidst the vast expanse of water. However, further up the loch, nestled in a delightful wooded spot, stand the remains of two churches. The smaller one, likely older in age,…
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Fiskavaig
Another day spent leisurely pootling the tranquil narrow lanes of the Minginish Peninsula. This is Fiskavaig, a scattered community that comprises a mix of renovated houses, contemporary Scandinavian-style new builds, and the occasional working croft. In the near distance is Ardtreck, featuring its captivating galleried dùn. In fact, if you examine that photograph closely, on…
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Coire na Creiche
This north-west facing corrie of the Cullin hills is known as ‘the hollow of the spoil’ in Gaelic: Coire na Creiche. It earned this name due to its reputation as a preferred hideout for those seeking refuge after successful raids. However, our exploration yielded no valuable spoils; instead, we stumbled upon a trashed tent flysheet…
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Another day, another dùn
Yesterday, I was unaware of the term “galleried dùn,” but today I came across another one. This is Dùn Ardtreck and is located at Ardtreck Point, near the entrance to Loch Harport. I must say, it is even more remarkable than yesterday’s. To be honest, I’m not entirely sure about the difference between a galleried…
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The “Viking Canal” at Rubh’ An Dunain
After yesterday’s lapsus calami when I misidentified a whole mountain ridge (see Mark’s comment), I thought I had better be extra attentive. The Rubh’ An Dunain is a remote headland located approximately 6km south of Glen Brittle. It is renowned for its notable feature, the “Viking Canal,” which connects Loch na h-Aide with the Soay…
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The stupendous Black Cuillin Ridge
From a distance across Loch Slapin, the Cuillin Ridge appears as the most extraordinary cluster of mountains in the nation, with a rock landscape of unmatched magnificence and astonishing proportions. Their immense size is overwhelming, both frightening and captivating to behold, as if they possess a magnetic pull on the eyes. This range encompasses every…