Fastpacking the length of the (not so) Misty Isle

A chance discovery of a route map whilst browsing a secondhand bookshelf resulted in a 7hr drive north, a very friendly bus ride and 5 days of glorious weather on one of the Isle of Skye’s finest long distance paths.

Great believers in wearing running gear whilst walking so it at least looks like you’re going fast, James, Kat and Trixie the dog (not in running gear) took 4 and half days over this beautiful and varied 80mi route.

Here follows the 5 days of journal entries (whose length seems proportional to progress on the route) from those fabled days of summer in the Inner Hebrides.

DAY 1

Rubha Hunish to Trotternish Ridge

15km/650m

Late start to Rubha Hunish which has no business being quite as lovely as it is. Quick look in the old Look Out Bothy before a very warm walk inland and towards the start of the Totternish Ridge , where we were justly rewarded. Stunning views over Harris & Lewis from the bedroom . Possibly the finest wild camp ever.

DAY 2

Trotternish Ridge to Portree

42km/2,100m

A very long day. Packed the tent before the rain overtook us. A few hours of overly heavy drizzle saw us as far as Quaraing. Weird rock formations and even weirder tourists. Things started to pick up as we joined the Trotternish Ridge proper for the rollercoaster ups and downs with excessive drops always to the left. Cloud came and went, delivering a broken spectre along the way  as well as the ever-impressive Old Man of Storr.

A fox, several eagles and numerous frogs were also spotted. As was a pod of porpoises (at a guess) following a fishing boat.

The prospect of fish and chips, beer and a night in luxury (the Berlingo) was too tempting and the mere matter of a dozen or so miles of bog, heather and hills was overlooked. The ensuing death march took us over the last few hills, with perhaps slightly less appreciation than they deserved. The final view before we, and nightfall, both descended, was that of the Black and the Red Cuillin, towards which we head tomorrow.

Postscript: The Chippy and Co-Op were closed, cue takeaway curry in the back of the Berlingo.
Post postscript: No matter how knackered and rubbish you feel, you will feel a lot more knackered and rubbish if you don’t eat at least something. Force down some chips dipped in dhal for tomorrow’s sake.

DAY 3

Portree to Glen Sligachan

28km/560m

A late finish the night before necessitated a late start to Day 3, enjoying the luxuries of Berlingo life. Coffee, pastries and supplies bought; we left the Hotel Citroen and began with a walk out of town and along the shores of Loch Portree.
There then followed a very, very, very long tarmac section to the road’s end at Peinachorrain and back to the beach on the shores of Loch Sligachan with Glamaig looming over the water. A quick stop for several excellent open-air showers (waterfalls) along the way, did not require documentation. We eventually reached softer ground  and the main objective came into sight, the Slig.

Pints, chips and soup fuelled the last push on along Glen Sligachan, as the weather gathered around the Cuillin and we sought a midge-free(ish) spot for the night.
It’s always good to take learning points from experiences like this, such as putting your rehydrated meal pouch in your sleeping bag to both insulate the pouch and warm your bag or, similarly, learning not to then sit back down onto your sleeping bag and burst the entire ******* pouch of bean curry and rice all over the inside of your down bag and onto your mat. Oh, how we laughed…

DAY 4

Glen Sligachan to Loch Slapin

31km/1,200m

Early cloud leant a menacing feel to the morning for the crossing from Glen Sligachan to Loch Coruisk but the cloud soon did one and left us with an embarrassment of views and some very hot sun.

A general sense of awe was maintained throughout with far too much geology on show as to be decent. The Bad Step was, as ever, not bad and we rounded the Rubha to Camasunary with Bla Bheinn behind. A refreshing crossing washed away the dust and cooled swollen feet. There was no sign of Homeless Howard in the Bothy this time (a story for another time)

I was tempted to crop out the plastic that covered the beach at Camasunary but it deserves to be acknowledged. There was almost more plastic waste than pebbles and sand. Paradise lost and all that.

(Postscript: It turns out the beach had been thoroughly cleaned a few years previously but a single large Atlantic storm delivered most of the plastic waste we saw back onto the beach in one night!)

We left the crowds and depressing reminder of our destruction of the oceans behind, but kept the views of the Cuillin and began a very hot traverse of the coastline. The sun was relentless and the relief offered by the occasional patches of shady, overgrown sections was often outweighed by the stiflingly still air.

Increasingly mafting conditions made the stretch to Elgol seem fairly endless. We did however spot a sea cow and as we rounded the headland to Elgol, the last look across the bay was almost worth the near-fatal heat.

We had pinned our hopes on a shop and cafe stop in Elgol, with fantasies of ice cream, pop and filled rolls. As it was, the shop was shut. We’d eaten most of our bars etc and had no stomach for anything else sweet; craving instead the salts lost along the coast. Defeated, we lay in a patch of shade and dozed, dreaming of floury baps filled with the finest cheddar and pickle. Occasional sips of our dwindling chlorine-tinged water did little to help.

Once we’d rested a while, we mustered the energy to plod down to the harbour, leaving packs at the top of the hill. Here we found the takeaway van, complete with filled rolls, crisps and pop; open. After being dissuaded from passionately kissing the attendant, we loaded up and scuttled back up the hill to our shady spot to inhale the Squat Lobster Marie Rose roll (delicious) and crisps (delicious) and guzzle fizzy water (delicious).

The next leg was a fiery bit of tarmac that proved too much for some. Good progress was made however and as time moved on we rounded yet another headland to views of the Red Cuillin and Bla Ben from a different angle, making for an impressive backdrop. A roadside camp at the John Muir carpark, complete with midges and the luxuries of a composting toilet was sweetened yet further by zero incidents of me sitting on my dinner.

DAY 5

Loch Slapin to Broadford

24km/520m

A quick getaway from our carpark pitch for the final day, saw us start the long road section to Torrin under low cloud. Unaccustomed to such thing as cloud, we were relieved to have a break from the beating sun of the day before. We reached the end of the road at Killbride and joined a very good bridleway that kept our pace healthy.
Views back across Loch Slapin, showed yesterday’s route but the cloud hid the Cuillin beyond. By now we were all getting the hang of the 2×4 method* and making the most of our breaks. A rough bit of coastal path brought us to the remote feeling Boreraig complete with abandoned crofts and fields. A good track over our last hill was good going and a brew-up at the top was a welcome break.

By now the tough conditions underfoot and daily mileage had worn the dog to a nub and so there was a little extra weight training required, with her perched on top of the pack for much of the final 5km. We crested the last hill to more views of the Red Cuillin and some interesting marble quarries. A cracking track led down to the last bit of road into Broadford and the end of the walk.

Chips, deep-fried cheese, milkshake and coffee whilst waiting for the bus that didn’t allow dogs, led to a sort of weird relay back to Portree. Eventually, we were reunited for pints on the Sleat Peninsula.
10/10 Would recommend.

*The 2 x 4 method is my semi-foolproof method of maximising rest and effort: 2hrs on/15 or 30min off/2hrs on/1hr off/2hrs on/15 or 30min off/2hrs on/stop – with option to add more rest and stop cycles as necessary but the basic method allows for 8hrs of continuous movement [no stops during the 2hr ‘on’ period!] with adequate resting.