Saturday

With a bag on our backs and a carrier bag of additional food each, we headed to Waverly to renew our YP railcards and catch a train to Inverness and hence to Kyle of Lochalsh. This was my first trip on the Inverness to Kyle line; I found the scenery rather pleasent. From Kyle we took a bus over the bridge to Skye, in fact right along to Sligachan to stay at the campsite there.

Sunday

Staying a second night at the campsite, we took a day walk up the "Beinn Deargs". A marshy splodge took us to a ridge up which we walked, to Beinn Dearg Mheadhonach and on to Beinn Dearg Mhor, with only brief glimpses of views through the cloud. We descended probably steeper scree than required to the bealach, before more pleasently following the burn down, and finally splodging back to the start.

Monday

The firmest objective of our trip was to take a visit to Loch Coruisk. We would find that this indeed defined the week.

The walk out through Glen Sligachan over Druim Hain follows a well worn path through a small number of boggy patches, a couple of stream beds, a sloping slab or two and a generous surrounding of impressive scenery, to arrive above Loch Coruisk, at the heart of the mighty Cuillin ridge. We easily crossed stepping stones over the river (outflow from the loch) to camp looking over the bay opposite the loch.

Tuesday

After a night of continual rain and unceasing wind came a day of continual rain and unceasing wind. Andrew wished to escape from the remote location, and since the river was uncrossable (no sign of the precious stepping stones) we mad e an ill-advised attempt to go around the loch, and hence back the way we came.

Persevering in difficult conditions, we made it almost to the end of the near side of the loch before turning back due to uncrossable waters coming down off the hills. The net effect of the day was, in addition to our utter bedragglement, a short move to a better (but not sheltered) camping spot beside another pair of tents, and in view of the tent of a pair of sea-kayakers.

Tuesday night

After erecting our tent with difficulty in the endless rain and increasingly gusty wind, we endured a somewhat sleepless night in what one might term testing conditions. I am pleased to say that our Tadpole stood up to the test, and was stood all night with no repegging or rejigging required (but some support during the strongest winds). We later learned that water facilities were taken out at the campsite, and caravans were threatening to topple in the strong winds...

Wednesday

Mostly good weather greeted us on Wednesday, with the storm having blown itself out during the night. I spent much of the day reading Sir Ernest Shackleton's South, the story of the Endurance expedition, trapped in the Antarctic ice; we wandered over to the stepping stones throughout the day, but the river was still in spate, and would require a wet and possibly tricky crossing. We hoped for a sight of the boat from Elgol taking tourists for a day trip now that the waters were calm, and an easy lift back, but it did not show, and so we were to spend another night by the loch.

Thursday

With little rain overnight, we were able to make our escape, and walked back the way we came in brilliant sunshine. We were rewarded with spectacular views of the impressive geography which had kept us huddled in a tent for days, and I enjoyed the walk back (including detour up Sgurr Hain for a nice view), not needing the additional motivation of the few pints to come in the pub later to spur me onward.

Photos

There are many more photos in this gallery, and that is just a small sample of the many I snapped.