📌 Inverarish, Isle of Raasay
★★★
Poor Raasay! This elongated, sparsely populated island off the east coast of Skye is too often overshadowed by its celebrity neighbour. The result for visitors is glorious isolation: barely a mile of ocean ensuring year-round solace compared to summer chaos. Spend a day (or longer) and you’ll discover a truly beguiling corner of Scotland with wonderful natural scenery, climaxing in the diminutive yet dramatic summit of Dùn Caan. This long-extinct volcano commands a panorama across the entire island, beyond which there are grandstand views of the Applecross peninsula on the mainland and of Skye’s Cuillin Hills. The full day circuit described below begins from the CalMac ferry terminal, and also conveniently passes all of the island’s main historic sites; Raasay Distillery is also reachable by a further 5-minute detour off the route. Don’t say we don’t spoil you!
📷 Chronological photo guide
Arriving on the ferry 
Coast path to Inverarish 
Inverarish 
Bridge over Inverarish Burn 
Raasay Free Church 
Dun Borodale 
Loch a’ Mhuilinn 
Open hillside 
The ascent route passes several small waterfalls 
Inverarish Burn 
Good views of the Cuillin from the ascent 
Dùn Caan & Loch Mna 
Loch na Meilich – Here be dragons! 
Climbing above Loch na Meilich 
Approaching the summit 
Dùn Caan summit, looking south 
Dùn Caan summit, looking southeast 
Dùn Caan summit, Cuillin Hills beyond 
Descent path, Trotternish in the distance 
Road return 
Coast road at Oskaig 
Looking northwest from Oskaig 
Raasay Pictish Stone 
St Maol-luag’s Church 
Churchton Bay
🌍 Location
📌 Start / finish at the main ferry terminal, Raasay
🧭 O.S. Grid Reference: NG 545362
🛰️ GPS coordinates: 57.350527,-6.082018
🚢 Ferry from Sconser, Skye – which is in turn served by buses
🚗 Car park at ferry terminal – but if just coming to Raasay for this walk, leave your vehicle at Sconser, Skye & take the ferry as a foot passenger
📝 Key info
▶ 17 km / 11 mi | ▲ 610 m | ⌛ 5.5-6.5 hr
Features: 🏠 Inverarish; ⭕ Dun Borodale ★★; 💧 Loch na Mna; 💧 Loch na Meilich; △ Dùn Caan (444 m, sub-2000′ Marilyn); ⛰️ Raasay Pictish Stone ★; ⛪ St Maol-luag’s Chapel ★
⬤ Tough | Varied. Mostly clear paths with some boggy areas for ascent; better path, minor roads and tracks for return.
Download file for GPS➡️ Anticlockwise circuit with extensions to Dun Borodale & Dùn Caan: start – Inverarish by coast path – Inverarish Burn – path junction at 🧭 NG 556361 – Dun Borodale – path junction south of Loch a’ Mhuilinn – Loch na Mna – Loch na Meilich – Dùn Caan – return to Loch na Meilich – join minor road at 🧭 NG 561406 – leave minor road at 🧭 NG 553387 – join coast road just south of Oscaig Lodge – Raasay Pictish Stone – St Maol-luag’s Chapel – Raasay House – start
🥾 On our last visit
Wildlife: Red throated divers on Loch na Mna, possible eagle sighting above Temptation Hall; speckled wood butterflies, cows.
Weather: Sunny early and late in the day, cloudy for the middle period. Dry, fairly light winds.
August 2019
