The Isle of Skye. Terry Marsh
This path leads through agreeable woodland and emerges briefly beside the road. Ascend immediately left to rejoin the Red Trail, now followed through light woodland to another broad trail at a deer gate – White Gate – once more just above the main road.
Turn away from the road, through the gate, and onto a steadily rising track, which until 1823 was the main road linking Sleat with the rest of Skye.
The track climbs initially through trees, and then through a more open landscape to a gate at a bend, where the route swings left to pass a convenient bench with a fabulous view across the Sound of Sleat. Onward the track reaches a gate close by Armadale Home Farm. Immediately through the gate bear right and pass in front of the farm to gain a track (now the Blue Trail) for Armadale Hill. With improving views across to the mainland, the path eventually forks just after a bridge.
Turn right here into a plantation, a little gloomy but short-lived, and soon reach a gate onto open moorland. The small pond on the right was built to supply waterpower for farm machinery.
Onward, a broad track, muddy in places, heads straight for the hill ahead; this is Armadale Hill (Cnoc Armadail), a small outlier of the marginally higher Cnoc an Sgùmain to the south-west. You can leave the track as you reach the base of the hill, and walk easily up to the summit. The view is stunning, taking in the Black and Red Cuillin, the distant hills of Torridon, the mainland from Lochalsh to Knoydart.
Retrace your steps to the path junction near the bridge, and now turn right, heading for the Keeper’s Cottage, a run-down place with steel pens that used to be dog runs. Take care in the vicinity of the cottage not to turn onto the wrong track. Ignore the cottage (and the Woodland Walk) altogether, and, from a signpost, go left, descending through woodland for the Castle Gardens. The descending path crosses a farm access road, and continues ahead to reach the edge of formal gardens near the castle. Turn right to return to the start, but explore the gardens first.
WALK 1.4
Sgurr na Coinnich
| Start/Finish | Bealach Udal (NG753207), limited parking |
| Distance | 4km (2¼ miles) |
| Total ascent | 460m (1510ft) |
| Map | OS Explorer 412 |
With its near neighbour, Beinn na Caillich, Sgurr na Coinnich lies in a rough corner of Skye, the first aspect of the island seen by visitors arriving via Kyle of Lochalsh. A better view is to be had from Glenelg, across the Sound of Sleat, and it is from this direction, by way of the Kylerhea ferry, that strong walkers might come to effect a quick sortie on the tussock grass and heather flanks of these craggy, infrequently-visited hills.
You can park at Kylerhea, cross the Sound as a pedestrian passenger, walk up Kylerhea Glen to Bealach Udal, tackle the summit from there, and return to Kylerhea by way of Beinn Bhuidhe; not a prospect for the faint-hearted, but a good and satisfying round that will require between 5 and 6 hours once on the island.
The untracked ascent from Bealach Udal is initially very rough and crag-ridden, but can be eased, slightly, by setting off from a little lower down Kylerhea Glen, from the point where the road starts to descend steeply towards Kylerhea. From here you can reach the south ridge, though it is not very prominent as such, by keeping to the left of a conspicuous buttress (due south of the small lochan at NG760209, for which you should first navigate). Once round the buttress head for the south ridge and another, larger lochan at NG759220, from where you can gain the summit ridge and so the top of the hill. As you climb, you leave much of the difficult terrain behind, moving rather more easily on short turf, which comes as a fine reward for the effort lower down.
The summit view is quite spectacular – a phrase that could be used for almost every mountain top on the Island – embracing the kyles at your feet, the mainland peaks, and the great thumb of the Sleat peninsula. The speediest return is by your outward route, though the ascent of Sgurr na Coinnich is usually combined with that of Beinn na Caillich (see Walk 1.5).
KYLERHEA
Glenelg and the surrounding area was believed to be one of the main strongholds of the mystical race of giants called the Fiennes. Kylerhea is named after one of the Fiennes called Mac an Raeidhinn, who, racing back to Glenelg to defend it from attackers, failed in his attempt to leap the Sound at this point.
The kyle is a valuable sanctuary for wildlife, especially otters, seals and the wide variety of seabirds that visit these coastal waters. Sharks, too, pass this way from time to time.
WALK 1.5
Beinn na Caillich
| Start/Finish | Continues from Walk 1.4 (Sgurr na Coinnich) |
| Additional distance | 2km (1¼ miles) |
| Additional total ascent | 320m (1050ft) |
Said to be named after Grainnhe, wife of Fionn, chief of the Fiennes, Beinn na Caillich has rather more shape to it than its sibling, Sgurr na Coinnich, and is both a worthy companion and a logical extension of the marginally higher summit. It lies 1km (½ mile) north-east of Sgurr na Coinnich across much the same awkward terrain.
Beneath Grainnhe’s grave on the summit of the hill is reputed to lie a large crock filled with gold and jewels, for so great a lady was she that at her burial every man of the Fiennes cast their rarest jewels into an earthenware crock to do her honour.
Between the two summits, the Bealach nam Mulachag necessitates a descent and re-ascent in the order of 160m (525 feet), which needs repeating if you are returning to Bealach Udal. Although Beinn na Caillich is predominantly rocky, sufficient oases of grass appear to ease progress, best achieved in a north-east direction from the bealach. Take care on the return not to be drawn towards the hill’s steep western face, which can be confusing in misty conditions.
The summit has unrivalled views of the hustle and bustle at Kyleakin and the Kyle of Lochalsh, and the new road bridge that links the Plock of Kyle, Eilean Bàn and Skye, above which it maintains a respectable distance. Walkers retreating to Kylerhea should return to Bealach nam Mulachag, and then strike south-east over Beinn Bhuidhe. Those heading for Bealach Udal should simply retrace their steps.
WALK 1.6
Ben Aslak
| Start/Finish | Bealach Udal (NG753207), limited parking |
| Distance | 4km (2½ miles) |
| Total ascent | 420m (1380ft) |
Ben Aslak rises on the south side of the Kylerhea Glen, to which it presents a rugged northern face; the southern aspect, spilling down to the Sound of Sleat,is rather less interesting.
The easiest approach is from Bealach Udal, and involves first tackling a minor top, Beinn Bheag, reached across heathery, crag-punctuated slopes. Go south and south-east from this top to gain a narrow col, before ascending to a small lochan, and from there pulling up more heathery slopes, aiming slightly closer to south (right) as you approach the summit. Ben Aslak has two summits about 400m (1300 feet) apart, the higher being that to the west. Both, however, are good viewpoints: the higher summit for views of the distant Cuillin, while the eastern top gives appetising glimpses into the rough mainland ground of Knoydart beyond Loch Hourn.