Beinn Eighe

July 28, 2010


To the Isle of Skye, the Winged Isle. All one has to do is look at a map and see how it got this very descriptive name. There just aren't too many places on Earth as beautiful as Skye.



Before arriving there, though, we stopped at Eilean Donan Castle, which is quite striking in its placement out in a loch with a commanding view of the area.

our little red van - that wasn't so little until between these behemoths!

We set off from the car park towards the Beinn Eighe National Nature Reserve, the top we couldn't see because of fog, but we were soon on a path that was beautifully designed, built, and maintained http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beinn_Eighe The lower part was quite green with tall heather and other plants that weren't grazed by sheep, thus adding a lushness to the hike.

magpie moth

sphagnum moss

starting the hike - I liked all the little footrests on this rock

steps were hand-cut out of the granite

This trail was truly a work of art. Pink quartz and granite juxtaposed with grey, steps carved out of the rocks where it was too slick to hoist oneself up and over - really nice. Naturally crushed quartz covered the path and the ground was so saturated that there were puddles, even on the hills. Some of the granite was very slippery, pink in places, opalescent grey with labradorite overtones.

The mist came down into the loch and was quite dramatically present in varying concentrations along the valleys.

Cairns indicating elevation greeted us every so often and my mad math skills could have sworn that the signs were underestimating the climb by say, a factor of 10... But we made it to the top and relaxed for lunch, watching the clouds go in and out of glens, covering part of Loch Maree and then exposing parts of the summit area around us. You are constantly teased by the weather when hiking in Scotland.

traipsing down from the summit


summit of Beinn Eigheview of Loch Maree from the summit (in between cloud cover and clearing)

There was a slight traverse at the top, and we crossed a stream at Lunar Loch. It was misting heavily now and I was happy for my waterproof pants. Lovely waterfalls accompanied us on the descent and we stopped for water at one of them.

Caledonian Pine Forest

This is the location of the remains of the great Caledonian pine forest, and these trees are very beautiful. There was something bonsai-esque about them, and their bark vividly contrasted with their needles. I really like these trees!

bog asphodel along one of the streams

view from less wooded to woods to loch
halfway down

The mist let up on the way down and I stopped to take pictures of the trees. I listened to waterfalls and the occasional bird song. It was very peaceful.

Back to Portree where we ate dinner at the Cuillen Hills Hotel overlooking the charming harbor. Everyone sampled the local whiskey, Talisker, and after dinner went back to our B&B that had another view of the harbor. Just gorgeous!