Hiking on Skye or Mull without a car. Which is a better choice?

I've only driven across Mull so cannot comment sagely about hiking there, but have visited Skye on several occasions. The problem is that Skye is larger than you'd think and getting about without a car could be difficult. I think I'd be looking to base myself around the Sligachan or Glen Brittle areas, which have access to the coast and the Red and Black Cuillins. The Black Cuillin is the only true alpine style climbing in Britain and is rough, tough (the gabbro Rock shreds your boot soles!) and not for the inexperienced. That said there are some amazing places within it - my feeling is that there is a case for hiring a mountain guide and tailoring your walk in that area to your abilities and preferences.

The Quirang and Trotternish areas are further north and would require relocation. These are easier to access and negotiate but are remote from 'civilisation'. Some research into the public transport options might be in order to see if it's feasible - I've only travelled on Skye by car or on foot previously.

In summation, Skye would be my choice, but I think it would be a sight easier with a car. Extensive Internet research on your behalf my prove me a liar.

Good luck, I wish you fair weather and a great time!

Ian

Hi, Mary,

One of the best hikes my wife and I ever did on Skye (me = mid 60s; wife = early 60s at the time) was from Loch Coruisk to Sligachan. To get to the beginning, you need to take the Bella Jane from Elgol to Loch Coruisk. Once you get off of the boat, cross over the River Scavaig on the stepping stones, and follow the east shore of Loch Coruisk until you come to a path leading up the hill to your right. If you come to a stream, you've gone too far.

Follow the path up the hill. It disappears at times, but it's easy to find again. Your goal will be a saddle between two hilltops. As you climb, you'll see a small lochan on your left. This is Loch a Choire Riabhaich, which feeds the stream that you didn't cross. Once you reach the top. which is Druim Hain, you'll come to a cairn. Turn left at that cairn, and go about 100 yards to the next cairn.

The second cairn marks the start of the path down to Glen Sligachan. From the top of Druim Hain, it's about 5 1/2 miles to the Sligachan Hotel. It's a very well defined path, and the hotel will be in sight most of the way. If there has been a lot of rain, you will probably have a couple of stream crossings. My wife and I made the trek in sunny and dry weather. The Sligachan River had almost dried up. You can reward yourselves at the end of the hike with a meal and a drink at the hotel.

The only really rough patch on this hike is the climb up Druim Hain. It's steep in places, and if you lose the path, you have to make your way across huge flat rock slabs to find your way back. The hike is eight miles. When we made the trip, we had missed the last Portree to Broadford bus, so it was a 45 pound taxi ride. :( I'm pretty sure there is still a Broadford to Elgol post bus, so if you time it right, you can do it all by public transport and boat. If you're staying in Elgol, it makes it all the easier.

There are alternatives to this hike. You can hike to Camasunary from the church at Kilmarie, which is about two miles north of Elgol. You'll be hiking over the Am Mam. Once you get to Camasunary, follow the east shore of Loch na Creitheach, and you'll eventually meet up with the Coruisk to Sligachan path. You can also hike in from Elgol to Camasunary, following the east shore of Loch Scavaig, and then follow the above path through Glen Sligachan.

All of those hikes are outlined on Ordnance Survey Landranger map 32. On all of these hikes, you'll be heading north in Glen Sligachan between the Red and Black Cuillins.

On Mull, the Carsaig Arches is a popular walk, but is difficult. It's eight miles round trip, The hike starts from near Pennyghael, and follows the south shore of Mull. An easier walk would be the Aros Park walk from Tobermory. Some of the best low level hikes on Mull are actually not on Mull. They're on the Island of Ulva, which is accessed by a small ferry (five pounds round trip) from the hamlet of Oskamull on Mull's west coast. There are also some decent walks (not hikes!) on Iona. I'd recommend getting a copy of the small book "Walks Isle of Mull Coll & Tiree," by Paul Williams. It's published by Hallewell Press, and runs around three pounds. I got my copy from Amazon.co.uk.

We're currently planning our 21st. trip to Scotland. We've actually been there more than we've been to our local beach, so you can see that we love the country! If you decide to hire a car, most of the roads that you'll encounter aren't as narrow as those in Cornwall. They've been doing a lot of road upgrading, and also you won't encounter a lot of narrow roads between hedgerows like you have in the south of England. When we started visiting Scotland in the 70s (1970s, I should add), just about every road north and west of the Caledonian Canal was a single track road with passing places. It is so much better now! (But not as interesting. :))

Have a wonderful holiday!

I have only been to Mull of the two locations, but it did have an excellent transit system. You could take the bus to many places on the island to begin/end your hike. A quick ferry ride gives you all of Iona to walk around or Staffa to visit Puffins.

Hi again, Mary,

If you're going from Ft. William to Skye, the best way to get there is by train. The train goes through some of the most beautiful scenery in Scotland, and you'll be tempted many times to ask to be let off "right here"!

The train journey ends in the small village of Mallaig. Mallaig gets short shrift in many of the guide books, but we really enjoy it. If you enjoy the sea and fishing boats, and just a charming location, it's a good place to be. There is a small, well-stocked supermarket near to the train station, and near to the ferry terminal, if you need to pick up provisions. There is also an excellent used book store in the Fisherman's Mission just up from the supermarket. We've had some good finds there.

As you're not driving, you won't need a reservation to travel to Skye. The CalMac ticket office is between the main street and the ferries. There are eight or nine ferries per day, so you don't have to rush. Once you get to Armadale, the buses meet every ferry arrival, so you'll be able to go to Broadford and/or Portree right away. Stagecoach Buses operate most of the bus services on Skye - you should check out their schedules and website before you go. There is a bus schedule from Broadford to Elgol, if you want to visit Loch Coruisk or Camasunary. A lot of the isolated communities on Skye are serviced by postbus, which is basically a minivan operated by the local postie (mailman). If they have room, you can ride on the postbus. I don't know how much they charge now - it has been years since we used that service.

While you're in Mallaig, if you are interested, there is a great walk from Bracorina to Tarbet, along the west shore of Loch Morar, which is the deepest freshwater lake in Europe, and reportedly the lair of Morag, who is Nessie's cousin. You'd need to take a taxi to Bracorina, which should cost about 15 pounds. From there, the path is well defined, although it can be muddy after a rain. There is one small section of rock scrambling when the path goes down to the loch shore. It's about five miles to the isolated hamlet of Tarbet, where you'll meet the 3:30 p.m. Bruce Watt boat out of Mallaig. The boat returns to Mallaig by way of Inverie on the Knoydart peninsula. If you go, be sure to reserve a spot on the boat.

Knoydart is another great location for hikes. It's only accessible by boat, or by a 16 mile hike in from Kinlochhourn. There is no public transportation to Kinlochhourn any more, so you'd need to take a taxi or find a friendly Scotsman or Scotswoman with a car.

As you're traveling early in September, the midges will most likely still be out. I'd recommend wearing some sort of head covering with a fine mesh screen, and wear long sleeves. I've heard that Avon's "Skin so Soft" is an effective repellent, but I've never had the opportunity to try it.

If you're interested in bird watching, Mull would be a better bet. They have sea eagle watching tours on the west and southwest coasts, but you'd really need to have a car to get there. Unless your accommodation offers a guided tour. The Caol-ithe guest house in Fionnphort is one such place. Buses regularly run to Fionnphort from Tobermory via Craignure and Salen.

p.s. If you're in Broadford and looking for a good place for supper, I'd recommend Cafe Sia, which is near the post office. The food is great, and reasonably priced, although the service can be slow if they're really busy.

Enjoy your travels!

Hi again, Mary,

There is an excellent book available on Amazon.com which includes six hikes on Mull and Iona, and 11 on Skye. The author is Andrew Dempster, and the title is "100 Classic Coastal Walks in Scotland." Some of the hikes which I mentioned in my earlier post are in this book.