📌 Kinloch, Isle of Skye
★★
This woodland ramble explores Skye’s gentle Ardnameacan peninsula, on which sit the overgrown and abandoned buildings of Leitir Fura. The ruined township – named after an old oak tree which used to grow there – was left vacant in the 19th century following the voluntary relocation of residents, whose descendants now live in Nova Scotia. In this sense, Leitir Fura is therefore not a typical Clearance village, though harsh conditions imposed by the landowner on the tenants was likely a factor in their decision to leave. Today, reaching the settlement is by a decent path, with excellent views across the Sound of Sleat to the mainland largely compensating for fairly unremarkable immediate surroundings. P.S. we had a wonderful bar meal at the Hotel Eilean Iarmain in nearby Isleornsay in 2022 – recommended!
📷 Chronological photo guide
🌍 Location
📌 Start / finish at Kinloch Forestry & Land Scotland car park, off A851 at Loch na Dal, Skye
🧭 O.S. Grid Reference: NG 704161
🛰️ GPS coordinates: 57.178158,-5.800320
🚌 Bus stops on A851 at Kinloch Lodge Hotel turnoff (0.5 mi)
🚗 Car park
📝 Key info
▶ 7 km / 4 mi | ▲ 170 m | ⌛ 2.5 hr
Features: 🏚️ Leitir Fura abandoned settlement
⬤ Easy | Fairly level track for much of the route. Good path for remainder, with one section each of ascent and descent.
Download file for GPS➡️ Clockwise lollipop circuit: start – leave track at 🧭 NG 711155 – Leitir Fura by upper path – start by lower track. Route waymarked in yellow & on map 🔗 here (Leitir Fura Trail)
🥾 On our last visit
Wildlife: Small birds and butterflies. Quite a few annoying flying insects: midges, clegs, flying ants, bees, hoverflies…
Weather: Sunny start but clouding over, with an approaching thunderstorm which fortunately didn’t arrive until just after the end of the walk. 22°C, quite humid, light winds until near the finish.
August 2019
