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Dun Beag and Dun Mor, Struan

Dun Beag

Dun Beag

Dun Beag (the small fort) is the best known, the best preserved, and the most accessible of the 50 or so brochs on Skye. Access is from the main Dunvegan - Sligachan road at NG337385, where there is a small car park, a signpost and an information panel. From there a short and easy walk up a slope of sheep-cropped grass takes you to the remains of the broch itself. It has massive walls, still mostly intact to more than 2m high. In them you can find lots of detail, including a gallery, the entranceway, a stairway and a security cell.

Trotternish - Sgurr a' Mhadaidh Ruaidh

Sgurr a’Mhadaidh Ruaidh

This is a fine hike of around 11km to the best viewpoint on the Trotternish Ridge. Including two summits, and easy options of two more, it is an interesting and scenic outing, with little or nothing in the way of navigational challenge. The total climb involved is around 900m. Sgurr a’Mhadaidh Ruaidh (The Peak of the Red Fox) juts out east from the main line of the ridge, giving a clear view north towards Beinn Edra and the Quiraing, and south past Baca Ruadh to The Storr. At 593m, it offers commanding views to the Scottish mainland as well.

Camas Daraich

 Camas Daraich

 

Camas Daraich, at the far south of Skye, is one of the best places on the island to spend a warm, sunny day. It's a bit of a hike from the nearest road though....

Island overview

Northwest from Sgur na Stri

The Isle of Skye lies close to the north-west coast of the Scottish Highlands. It is the largest and the furthest north of the islands in the Inner Hebrides. The name ‘Skye’ is probably from the Norse words Ski (cloud) and Ey (island). In Gaelic it is normally referred to as An t-Eilean Sgitheanach, which translates as The Winged Isle - from the wing-like shape formed by the two northern peninsulas of Waternish and Trotternish. The island is marked on old Roman maps as "Scitis". In English it's sometimes referred to as the "Misty Isle" (Eilean a’ Cheo, in Gaelic). That one seems a wee bit too romantic for my taste. And there’s more…but that’s enough to confuse anyone already.

Skye is a romantic place though. The history, the legends, the scenery, the weather, the music and the poetry combine to produce something very special indeed. It is that peculiar magic that draws visitors to the island from all around the world, and makes it Scotland’s biggest tourist destination after Edinburgh. It has been said that Skye is conclusive proof that, sometimes, God was just showing off.

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