Portree Day 3 - May 12, 2019
Renewed after a good night's sleep we set off on another brilliantly shining morning to hike The Old Man of Storr, one of Skye's most famous walks. We clocked a distance of 5.51k in a time of 2 hours with an elevation gain of 340 metres. The Old Man of Storr is a collection of powerful rock pinnacles set against a background of the sparkling blue ocean of the Sound of Raasay on one side and rolling grassy hills on the other. It is not a difficult hike, starting out on clear hilly paths which become rocky, and steeper as you reach your reward. We took the alternate path back to the carpark and weaved our way along the side of a small lochan through a hillside of brown, grassy tufts. The scenery in Scotland never disappoints! The sheer grandeur of the rock, the serenity of the ocean, and the quiet and peacefulness of the hills on the return fill you with awe.
We ate lunch at the Cafe Sia in Broadford, and then drove down to the most southerly point of Skye, Point of Sleat on the Sleat Peninsula! Don't you love the names? For me they conjure up all of the magic that this part of Scotland holds. When we started down the peninsula, we were amazed by the vast deserted plains, that is deserted by everything except sheep!! There are pockets of life on this attractive peninsula in seaside towns such as Teangue, Kilmore, Armadale (where the ferry leaves from for Mallaig on the mainland), and Ardvasar. Gaelic is very popular in this area.
We started this hike from a farmyard, trying hard not to make "eye contact" with the two bulls who seemed to be roaming the hills! It was a much easier hike but longer: 7.54 k in 2 hrs 17 minutes, with an elevation gain of only 172 m. The path was either farm road, or on grassy trails, with a few rocky patches. There were two main attractions on this hike: first a sandy beach with beautiful aqua sea waters. Unfortunately the tide was in when we were there so we didn't get the full benefit of the sandy beach, but it was a beautiful little cove, protected by rocky cliffs, and filled with waters from the Atlantic Ocean. The second attraction was the lighthouse. Certainly not the most attractive lighthouse (it is fully automated and reasonably new) but it was a destination to aim for. Unfortunately, we were running out of time, and didn't get too close, but nonetheless, we seeped in the beauty surrounding us before heading back along the path we had come, and yes, eying those two bulls with lots of caution, to the car. A beautiful hike to end our visit to Skye.
Renewed after a good night's sleep we set off on another brilliantly shining morning to hike The Old Man of Storr, one of Skye's most famous walks. We clocked a distance of 5.51k in a time of 2 hours with an elevation gain of 340 metres. The Old Man of Storr is a collection of powerful rock pinnacles set against a background of the sparkling blue ocean of the Sound of Raasay on one side and rolling grassy hills on the other. It is not a difficult hike, starting out on clear hilly paths which become rocky, and steeper as you reach your reward. We took the alternate path back to the carpark and weaved our way along the side of a small lochan through a hillside of brown, grassy tufts. The scenery in Scotland never disappoints! The sheer grandeur of the rock, the serenity of the ocean, and the quiet and peacefulness of the hills on the return fill you with awe.
We ate lunch at the Cafe Sia in Broadford, and then drove down to the most southerly point of Skye, Point of Sleat on the Sleat Peninsula! Don't you love the names? For me they conjure up all of the magic that this part of Scotland holds. When we started down the peninsula, we were amazed by the vast deserted plains, that is deserted by everything except sheep!! There are pockets of life on this attractive peninsula in seaside towns such as Teangue, Kilmore, Armadale (where the ferry leaves from for Mallaig on the mainland), and Ardvasar. Gaelic is very popular in this area.
We started this hike from a farmyard, trying hard not to make "eye contact" with the two bulls who seemed to be roaming the hills! It was a much easier hike but longer: 7.54 k in 2 hrs 17 minutes, with an elevation gain of only 172 m. The path was either farm road, or on grassy trails, with a few rocky patches. There were two main attractions on this hike: first a sandy beach with beautiful aqua sea waters. Unfortunately the tide was in when we were there so we didn't get the full benefit of the sandy beach, but it was a beautiful little cove, protected by rocky cliffs, and filled with waters from the Atlantic Ocean. The second attraction was the lighthouse. Certainly not the most attractive lighthouse (it is fully automated and reasonably new) but it was a destination to aim for. Unfortunately, we were running out of time, and didn't get too close, but nonetheless, we seeped in the beauty surrounding us before heading back along the path we had come, and yes, eying those two bulls with lots of caution, to the car. A beautiful hike to end our visit to Skye.
1 comment:
Great blog.
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