📌 Trotternish, Isle of Skye
★★★★
Translating as Cave of Gold (perhaps after the yellow lichen here?), this peaceful spot is fortunately easier to reach than it is to pronounce for non-Gaelic speakers. Like Fingal’s Cave – its famous bigger brother on the Isle of Staffa – perfect basalt columns surround the narrow opening, with shags usually populating nearby outcrops. You can’t usually get inside – nor is it safe – but the setting is a bigger draw than the cave itself, with views of the Western Isles interrupted by the odd fishing boat (or dolphin, if you’re lucky). The iron age broch of Dun Bornaskitaig can be visited with just a small detour, which also reveals lovely views south to Camas Mor.
📷 Chronological photo guide
🌍 Location
📌 Start / finish at minor road end north of Bornesketaig, Skye
🧭 O.S. Grid Reference: NG 378717
🛰️ GPS coordinates: 57.658544,-6.396573
🚌 Bus stops on A855 at Kilmuir (1 mi)
🚗 Car park
📝 Key info
▶ 3 km / 2 mi | ▲ 70 m | ⌛ 1 hr
Features: 🕸 Uamh Oir; ⭕ Dun Bornaskitaig
⬤ Moderate | First few metres churned up by cattle, then mostly pathless clifftops on short grass. Steep descent on grass to the shore / cave could be slippery when wet – care needed.
Download file for GPS➡️ Anticlockwise lollipop circuit with detour to cave viewpoint: start – Uamh Oir via coast cliff top (fence post attached to a large rock shows where to descend) – Dun Bornaskitaig – return by outward route or similar. Some past access issues reported, though none on our visit.
🥾 On our last visit
Wildlife: Hangout of shags near the cave, plus some other seabirds.
Weather: Moderate wind, pleasant sunny spells, temperature in mid teens.
August 2015
