Skye

[Jez Hellewell]

Neilly/Jez.... can you advise where I pick the path up for Ben Tianavaig....? Is it from the Portree side, the road, or the south? Doesn't seem to be a path shown on OS. (and I haven't checked my Harvey map)

Or can I just blast across country and make my own way?

What he said! We stayed at the Beach House at Camustianavaig, so that's the same route I took. First time I did it you couldn't see more than 20 feet due to the clag & I didn't get lost, so you'll be fine. Incidentally, the Beach House is an incredible holiday home. You have to actually drive on the beach to get to it.

[Jez Hellewell]

P.S: Have a great time..............

[Travs]

Thank you Jez, i will report back on my return (and i'll probably keep the training thread updated with what i get up to as well!)

[Travs]

Well it was a wonderful week, possibly the best I've ever had Hill-wise.

Such a wild and tough place. I can't really pick a favourite. The run out to Loch Coruisk and Camasunary probably edges it... absolute remoteness and wildness (I guess the weather conditions helped). The Trotternish Route was like being in another world. Rasaay was a huge surprise and deserved more than one day. Away from running, Neist Point was amazing, and a good shout for Coral Beach as well, managed to time my visit there with a warm sunny spell... beautiful.

If there's one (tiny) disappointment, it's that I didn't really get to see much of the Black Cuillin. I caught fleeting glimpses and it looked foreboding enough, but 95% of the time it was obscured in the darkest of dark cloud. Even the tops of Glamaig and the Red Cuillin were very rarely seen, and my run up there was rerouted due to absolutely shocking weather conditions.

The weather is a major factor... it didn't necessarily bother me, I was prepared for poor conditions, but it is brutally wet and boggy underfoot... if you don't like wet feet then you're in for a shock. And the wind... well I've probably endured similar winds a couple of times in the Lakes up on the summits, but on Skye it was often as severe down at 1500ft.

The wind left me a parting gift last night... it was incredible overnight, and kept me awake for long periods... went out to the car this morning to find my rear windscreen completely smashed in... evidently something has been uprooted or blown in off the Loch, straight through the windscreen. It was a breezy 9 and a half hours back to Coventry today!

Thanks Neilly for all the advice on routes etc... and thanks Jez for the Cafe Sia recommendation.... I think I've kept them in business for a good while with my Pizza intake last week!

I've never been hugely drawn to Scotland in the past... I think there's just so much choice that it seems overwhelming.... particularly when there's still swathes of Snowdonia (my favourite place) that I've still yet to explore... but the week on Skye, and also the long car journeys through Rannoch, Glen Coe and Kintail have given me the bug. Kintail in particular was stunning, and can see why it is attractive for big rounds.

I may well be back to Scotland later in the year (neither Skye nor Kintail unfortunately) for something I've been kicking around in my mind for a bit... this past week has certainly made me think seriously about the toughness of being out in the wild parts of Scotland.