Beinn An Sguirr

10 April 2010 - a nice sunny day with some wind
Start: OS Landranger 23 GR267596; end of the road at Gillen nr Geary, Waternish, Skye

Set off: 1300
Return: 1430
Duration: 1hrs 30mins. Distance: 6km
Total Height Climbed: 150m

A fairly straight forward walk which involves walking along a CLIFF EDGE hence great care required - Note walking can be dangerous and this route involves walking along a cliff edge.

An area of Skye we've not seen before, the Waternish peninsula is lovely, especially on a sunny day. We started at the end of the road at Gillen which you get to from the Geary road from Hallin. Go through the gate and follow the track, staying on it as it heads uphill and round to the right - you pass what looks like a wooden portaloo - dare you to check if it is! Follow the track as it rises gently through a quarry like area and straight on until just before the track starts to descend, take the track on your left next to the piles of cut down trees. Follow this track through the cut down woods, check out the uprooted trees on the left all along here and keep an eye out for large birds as we spotted a golden eagle out to the right over the trees.

Near the top of this track you'll see a signpost saying cliff top walk pointing left and a rough path - if you take this you'll drop down again and have to climb back up onto the cliff top, my advice is stay on the big track as it heads back down through the woods. From the higher point you can look right to see the Cuillin in the distance and ahead you'll see across to Trotternish and Uig. Keep on the track as it heads downhill for a way and then veers sharply right, you'll see a wee cairn which is the start of a wet, rough and boggy path which takes you to the cliff top near the eastern end, it's only about 150m away. At the cliff top the path heads left and follows the edge with lovely views down the crags and gullies as well as out to see and up the coast.

We stopped just past the highest point for lunch and I enjoyed some of dad's sarnie and crisps as well as some water he'd brought for me. We then followed the cliff top path onwards and downwards - be careful as it does get very close to the edge with the trees almost pushing you over! Loch Losait comes into view and once you get back onto the main track again, you can go right and down onto the bay although we just turned left and headed back towards Gillen and finally back to the car.