📌 Trotternish, Skye
★★★★
This route shares its start with the trailhead for the extremely popular Quiraing. The crowds head north, but walk south instead (perhaps attracting a few puzzled glances) and you may soon be on your own. None of the world-famous landforms along the spine of Trotternish are exactly conventional, but the topography here around Bioda Buidhe seems especially out of place. The conveniently photogenic clusters of spires at the Quiraing gradually become a distant speck behind you, replaced by landslips which are disjointed and messy; the limpet-like lump of Cleat is cast adrift from the main ridge, while Druim an Ruma consists of bits of Bioda Buidhe that have fallen off over the millennia. Quirky, unique – it’s quintessentially Skye. The summit of Bioda Buidhe itself is nothing special but makes a logical point at which to turn around (and is another box to tick for hill baggers).
📷 Chronological photo guide
🌍 Location
📌 Start / finish at the top of Quiraing pass, minor road 3 mi west of Staffin, Skye
🧭 O.S. Grid Reference: NG 439679
🛰️ GPS coordinates: 57.628245,-6.291808
❌ No public transport within 1 mi
🚗 Car park (charge, gets full)
📝 Key info
▶ 4 km / 2 mi | ▲ 230 m | ⌛ 1.5 hr
Features: △ Bioda Buidhe (466 m, sub-2000′ Marilyn)
⬤ Moderate | Grassy & occasionally steep paths along cliff edges. Better path sometimes keeps further back from cliffs.
➡️ Out-and-back walk with variation for part of return: start – Bioda Buidhe via cliff edges – return by main path, cutting corners
🥾 On our last visit
Wildlife: A few sheep. Too windy for anything smaller!
Weather: Sunny and hot (25°C), but extremely windy – disfiguring cheeks & rendering conversation impossible!
August 2015
