Ben Tianavaig is a very distinctively shaped, almost pyramidal, hill to the south-east of Portree. It is a prominent sight from many parts of north Skye, but it is only when viewed from the north or the south that you notice most of the east side of the hill has collapsed. The same landslip activity that created the pinnacles of the Storr and the Quiraing has been at work here too, resulting in an ascent route that follows the edge of a wonderful escarpment above the Sound of Raasay.

Looking south from Ben Tianavaig.
The hills on the horizon are Beinn na Caillich, Beinn Dearg Mhor,
Beinn na Cro, Glas Bheinn Mhor, Belig and Glamaig

The climb is neither long nor arduous - it makes a good half day leg stretch. The views up and down the Sound of Raasay are very good from the summit, and it is also a great vantage point for Portree and Loch Portree.

Navigation is easy enough once you are on the hill. The biggest challenges can be near the start. I have read several different opinions on the route. My first advice is to ignore any suggestion of starting from Penifiler. That is a route for masochists only, with pathless and difficult ground for a lot of the way. For a pleasant walk, you should start, and finish, at the very pretty bay at Camastianavaig – NG508389. There are several options of how to get onto the hill from here. This is the one I much prefer.

From the picnic tables by the beach, head north-east along the road. Just after the first house on your right, take an ungated track that has a small sign reading ‘Hill Path’. At the end of the track, a path continues through a narrow gap in the fence and onto the hill. Immediately, you are faced with a left/right choice. Go left, taking the narrow path that climbs at an angle away from the garden you have just passed.

This path continues up to a breach in the crags at NG51143927. This is an important place to be able to find again if you want to come back the same way. If you are not carrying a GPS, have a good look behind you as you go beyond it, so that you can recognise it on the way back. This is the only easy way through the line of crags at this level.

The path is less clear from here, but you can choose your own sheep track to take you to the escarpment. Aim for the point marked on the photograph below - it is NG51514012. As you get close, you will pick up the line of an old wall that gives easy walking for the last bit of this section.

Aim to meet the cliff edge where marked

When you reach the cliffs the going becomes excellent. Just follow the obvious line up the sheep-cropped grass to the trig point and the small cairn on the top.

Going back, the simplest way is to retrace the outward route. An alternative way back is to continue north from the summit, following the edge of the escarpment until it is safe to descend to your right. NG51234123 is the top of correct slope. Go down and head back southwards through the boulder fields and pinnacles until you pick up a path, just above the shore, that leads you round the point and onto the beach in Tianavaig Bay. The path is the most prominent of the sheep tracks, but if in doubt, set a GPS to find NG51523897. That will put you in the right place to get round the headland.

The sheep track at  NG51523897

Whichever return route you choose, stop a while by the beach to watch the wildlife, on land and in the water. There’s usually plenty to see.

Pinnacles on the east side of Ben Tianavaig