Trotternish Peninsula Tour
Sitting just to the north of Portree, this landscape offers a fantastic touring experience. Some of the most iconic and spectacular natural features that have evolved over millions of years sit on this dramatic island headland.
Lealt Falls
On the River Lealt there is a gorge where the river drops down over a series of falls on its way to the gorge floor heading to the North Atlantic. These falls are particularly impressive after a heavy rainfall and the water colours to a burnt orange from the surrounding peat hags. Great views from this point looking seaward over to Rona, Raasay, The Applecross Peninsula and Torridon Mountains in the distance.
Kilt Rock and Mealt Waterfall
The rock is a magnificent 90 metre dolerite (a crystallised textured rock) cliff face that resembles the pleats on a kilt and in a certain light it can look almost tartan.
The Mealt waterfall is also a stunning feature on this coastline – viewing this and The Kilt Rock are a favourite on the tour. The waterfall is fed from Mealt Loch and it drops straight off the cliff edge to the sea shore below. Very impressive after heavy rain raises the level of the loch.
Fairy Glen
Skye has a long history associated with the Fairies, most notably to Dunvegan Castle and their ‘Fairy Flag’. The Fairy Glen is in a similar vein to the Fairy Pools in Glenbrittle, where there is no documented or traceable fairy stories. It is the magical nature of the place that has inspired these tales and long may they continue, as families in particular love this place. There is a flat top rock and a small cave in the low cliff behind the rock and folklore tells us that pressing coins into cracks in the rock will bring good luck. I’m sure the locals are wise to this, so be careful with the £2 coins!!
The Old Man of Storr
This is probably one of the most photographed landscapes in the world. The Old Man of Storr and its equally stunning smaller siblings were created when part of the Trotternish Ridge became detached thousands of years ago as a result of a huge landslip. The 50-metre vertical rock is impossible to miss and is a landmark known the world over. On a fine day we can walk up to the pinnacles and savour stunning views, it’s a leisurely walk and you can be there and back in 75 minutes.
The Quiraing
The Quiraing is a stunning vista of natural beauty carved out from a series of ancient landslips, the same events that formed The Old Man of Storr. The area has plateaus, unique rock formations, tiny wee lochs and magnificent cliffs. There are many walking paths winding their way up the ridge to some of the finest views on Skye. The Quiraing circuit is a 2 hour walk but can be challenging unless you are a confident walker as there is some scrambling involved. We stop here at the North end for some wonderful photo opportunities.
"The views from the top of the island will stay with us forever …this is the most magical place that we’ve ever been…"
Bill and Ava – San Diego USA – April 2022