Walk: Skye solace at Loch Sneosdal

📌 Trotternish, Isle of Skye
★★★

Warning: this is one of the boggiest walks on Skye – and on SOBT – thanks to a single frustrating kilometre on approach to Loch Sneosdal. It’s worth the reward however – a hidden loch nestled dramatically beneath vertical cliffs, and views across the Hunish peninsula and across to the Western Isles from the crags above. The section to the loch is a waymarked route but apparently little-travelled (why might that be?!). Somewhere to escape the high season crowds then, but wait until after a dry spell or bring a snorkel!

📷 Chronological photo guide

🌍 Location

📌 Start / finish at track junction, minor road 0.5 mi east of Kilmuir, Skye

🧭 O.S. Grid Reference: NG 394701

🛰️ GPS coordinates: 57.645354,-6.368654

🚌 Infrequent bus stops on A855 at turnoff to walk start (0.5 mi)

🚗 Space for a couple of cars only – don’t block access. More parking in Kilmuir (0.5 mi)

📝 Key info

▶ 6 km / 4 mi | ▲ 350 m | ⌛ 3-3.5 hr

Features: 💧 Loch Sneosdal; △ Suidh a’ Mhinn (357 m)

⬤ Tough | Good track to transmitter mast, then very boggy track then path to loch. Steep, grassy ascent, traverse and descent of crags with faint path in places, then straightforward ground to return to start, again on intermittent path. A couple of fences to cross.

➡️ Clockwise circuit: start – radio transmitter – Loch Sneosdal northernmost tip – follow loch shore east then ascend slopes to Creag Sneosdal – Suidh’ a’ Mhinn – west to flat ground then north to start

Download file for GPS

🥾 On our last visit

Wildlife: Lots of windblown sheep.

Weather: Extremely windy (almost strong enough to be blown over), but 25°C on return to car! Soon sunny but very hazy.

August 2015