The breath-taking Isle of Skye is the largest of the Inner Hebrids Archipelago.
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Connected now to the Western Ross region by a bridge, this island is long 76 Km and 5 to 40 Km in breadth. Not suited for the unexperienced climber, the Cuillins mountains are the dominating shape of the Skye's landscapes. With more than 20 peaks (the highest is Sgurr Alasdair, 992 mt) the horse-shoe group is a real challenge, expecially for the rapid change of the weather. |
| More indicated for walking is the 35 Km long Trotternish peninsula, which begins from the isle capital of Portree and is circled by the
wonderful coastal road A855.
The peninsula offers a distinctive ridge, with impressive rocks and amazing sites over Skye, the ocean and the other Hebrid Islands. The starting point is the car park about 7 Km from Portree, besides the two lakes of Loch Fada and Loch Leathan, and ends in Sron Vourlinn, right after the Quiraing. The Tourist Office of Portree has plenty of detailed maps and guides to help you plan the walk.Shorter walks can be made to the the most prominent slips of the ridge, like the Storr and the Quiraing.
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The Storr
About 10 Km from Portree, on the costal road A855, is starting point of the shortest way to the Storr.
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Leave the car at the parking place beyond the lochs (Fada and Leathan) and follow the trail that enters into the wood. This can be rather muddy, so an alternative way is to border the wood on the right side and follow the fencing until the upper side of the wood is reached. Both ways take 30-45 minutes. As always in Skye, the panoramic view from this point is incredible. |
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Now you can see the Storr and the needle of the Old Man of Storr, which is the standing 49 mt rock. The trail leads directly to the base of the Old Man of Storr, in another 30-45 minutes. The heigh was climbed first in 1955, and it is of medium difficulty if the weather is dry. Around the Old Man stand several peaks and rocks called the Guardian of the Sanctuary. |
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Beinn Edra and Quiraing
On the road connecting Staffin and Uig is the starting point to other 2 walks, the one to the top of Beinn Edra and the one to the Quiraing. Leave the car at the parking place at the pass; the path to Quiraing is on the side of the hill to the right (if you come from Staffin), the one with hundreds of German tourists walking in line.
The trail to the Beinn Edra (611 mt) is instead on the left, just after the steep turns of the road, and it is not so crowded. Follow the trail (if it not visible, is the left side of the ridge, going southward) until the first height, then continue to the pass of Bealach nan Coisichean and the pass of Bealach Uige. The summit of Beinn Edra is easily reached crossing the meadows and pastures. |
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The way to the Quiraing is easier and well tracked. Just take the trail going northward from the car park, and continue until you see the Prison (a rock vaguely looking like a fortress), the Needle (a smaller Old Man, 37 mt). The trail continues until the Sron Vourlinn, end of the Trotternish ridge. In alternative you can reach the base of the Needle and follow the path to the Table. |
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