5 Short Walks on the Isle of Skye

Walking on Skye: Gentle Hiking on Scotland's Misty Isle

Jun 25, 2009

Sometimes all you need is a short walk to stretch the legs, with a chance of seeing some wildlife and fantastic scenery. That's easy on the Isle of Skye.

The Isle of Skye contains so many opportunities for walking that it can be difficult to choose on any given day. Sometimes all you need is a short walk to stretch the legs, with the chance of seeing some wildlife and fantastic scenery. Here are 5 of the best that won't take you all day.

Uamh Oir Cave Near Bornesketaig

An easy going walk of a couple of miles along the top of a cliff, with a remarkably manmade looking cave, and a basalt walkway reminiscent of The Giants' Causeway.

Park at the end of the most easterly of two parallel roads running through Bornesketaig in the north of the island (NG 378 717) from where you can walk straight out onto the cliff, turning west, and following the line across grassland and through a kissing gate. Gaps in the cliff reveal perfect blue water below, and a host of seabird life.

Uamh Oir is at the biggest of these gaps (NG 370 719). Take a steep grassy scramble down to the rocks and the cave is a clamber round to the right (you cannot get into the cave). To the left is a wide walkway that goes a short distance round a corner of the cliff. And in the middle is a perfect spot for lunch and to watch the gannets, gulls and occasional seals.

The Fairy Pools at Glen Brittle

Glen Brittle is bounded on one side by the Cuillin Ridge and this two mile walk takes you into the shadows of some of its outlying peaks, past a stunning sequence of waterfalls and pools.

There is a Forestry Commission car park at NG 423 258 and the well-defined path starts across the road, dropping further into the valley. Looking ahead the point of Sgurr An Fheadain shows you where you're aiming, staying to the lower right path when it forks in two (the higher path heading on to Sligachan).

After one river crossing at the bottom of the valley the water starts to increase in pace and noise as you pass waterfall after waterfall, with the pure clear waters wearing away the rocks into wonderful forms. There are numerous points to stop and take it all in, and scrambling around the rocks grants you some fantastic views.

If you're feeling energetic you can keep following the path into a coire to get completely amongst the mountains.

McLeod’s Maidens Sea Stacks From Orbost

This is a slightly longer route than the previous two, at around 10 miles, but is worth it for three superb sea stacks, known as McLeod's Maidens. It starts from Orbost House (NG 257 431), where the marked car park also has a map of the walk, which begins heading down a farm track. This gradually becomes a forest track as you pass a wide open beach and enter the trees.

There is every possibility of seeing Golden Eagles or Sea Eagles here, so take you time and keep your eyes open as you come to the end of the main track and take up a small path past a ruined village. From here the going is a little harder, with the path growing indistinct at times. As long as you keep the sea to your left, however, you can't really go wrong as you head towards Idrigill Point and a perfect view of the Maidens (NG 243 362).

This is an out-and-back route, so simply retrace your steps (remembering to look out for the eagles) to return to Orbost.

The Dramatic Quiraing Near Staffin

Forming part of the spectacular Trotternish ridge, the Quiraing is a playground of scrambling and exploration. It will also be one of the busier walks on the island, so it can pay to get there early (before the burger van opens up!) to have it to yourself as much as possible.

Starting from the car park (NG 439 679) the path is clear, and fun. It weaves about in the side of the hill, with rocky stream crossings, and views across to the mainland, as you make your way towards descriptive landmarks such as 'The Needle' and 'The Prison (NG 451 689). And if you're lucky in your exploration you might even happen up 'The Table' - a perfectly flat patch of grass on a raised section of rock (NG 450 693).

To return to the car park you can either retrace your steps, or carry on a little further, where the cliff to your left drops down to meet you. There is a clear crossing to allow you to ascend above the Quiraing, and the views from here of the whole of the Trotternish peninsula and beyond are breathtaking.

Neist Point Lighthouse Past Glendale

A simple, if steep, little walk to finish, out to the most north-westerly point of the island. Take the road from Dunvegan to Glendale, and carry on following the signs to the end of the road a few miles further on (NG 132 477). The walk starts by taking you past what appears to be a now defunct cable-car engine room (the car appears to have been for luggage and goods rather than people), which hints at the fact that there's a steep hill you will be walking down.

The whole way is laid with a concrete path, so the going is easy despite the incline, and leads to Neist Point lighthouse (which can now be booked as a B&B). Most carry on past the lighthouse, where for unknown reasons people have taken to stacking stones, with here now being hundreds of little towers.

It can be more interesting, however, to turn right to go between the lighthouse and a crevice, to some very easy scrambling down step-like rocks. From this clifftop vantage point you can watch black guillemots and all sorts of other seabirds virtually undisturbed by anyone else.