Activity Type:
Train Journey, Walking and camping.
Location :
Edinburgh, Skye, Edinburgh (Scotland).
Dates: Long Weekend, Friday 24th of May 2019- Monday 27th of May 2019 (Potentially extendable by a day or two).
Cost:
£100-£200.
Equipment:
You will need - walking boots or good walking shoes, waterproof jacket and trousers, backpack, with space for dry clothes, food, sleeping mat and sleeping bag. (Sleeping bags, mats and tents will need to be organised within the group).
Personal Requirements: We will be doing some hard walking over rough terrain, so you will need to be reasonably fit and be able to deal with inclement weather and heights.
Numbers:
Maximum of six people, plus myself.
The picture at the top of the page is the view looking down from Sgurr Na Stri, in the heart of the Cullins. Like to be there? Read on..
First off, I can't gaurantee the weather, we can get there, but on the west coast of Scotland the weather is always a lottery. The view from Sgurr Na Stri has been described as the best view in Scotland, but I've spent a week on Skye before and never even seen a mountain.
Walking The Highlands give Sgurr Na Stri a rating of 4/5 for difficulty, it's a tough walk, but doable and will be at the heart of this adventure, six to seven hours of tough walking, possibly the best views in Scotland or no views at all, wet feet, and cold. Still interested? keep reading..
https://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/skye/sgurrnastri.shtml
So for Into The Cullin 1.1, I propose a 4-8 day adventure, taking advantage of the Scottish Grand Tour Rail Ticket, which allows for 4 days of rail travel over an eight day period and costs £89.
https://www.scotrail.co.uk/tickets/combined-tickets-travel-passes/scottish-grand-tour
The core of the adventure will be on the Isle of Skye, over a long weekend from the 24th to 27th May (If you do take advantage of the Grand Tour rail ticket you will have a couple of additional days to play with - see later).
Friday 24th May
Catch the train from Edinburgh to Mallaig, leaving Edinburgh at 11.30, getting into Mallaig at 17.43, with a change at Fort William. I think this should be a magnificent train journey and includes the Jacobite line (across the 'Harry Potter' viaduct) from Fort William to Mallaig.
You will get the ferry across to Armadale and I will meet you at the pier and drive you to Kilchrist, from where we will walk an hour and a half into the cleared village of Boreraig, where we will camp for the night.
https://www.isleofskye.com/skye-guide/top-ten-skye-walks/boreraig
Saturday 25th May
Saturday will be a big day of walking. We will walk an hour and a half out of Boreraig and then take the van to Elgol and have breakfast and a toilet stop at the Elgol Post Office. We'll then take the boat into the heart of the Cullins. From there, we'll walk round Loch Coruisk (7km, 3-4 hours) and then another 3-4 hours up and over Sgur Na Stri to Camasunray Bay.
In Camasunray Bay there is Bothy (a hut with basic sleeping facilities, no showers, no toilet) where we will spend the night.
Sunday 26th May
Sunday we have some flexibility. We can stay at Camasunray, walk out to Sligachan and camp there, or depending on numbers, head up to the north end of the Island, take in the Old Man of Stor, and camp at the north end.
I propose a fresh caught seafood and Talisker whisky feast for Sunday night, wherever we might be.
Monday 27th May
I will get you to the Kyle of Lochalsh train station for 12.08, where the train will take you, via Loch Carron and Inverness, back to Edinburgh at 18.26. This should be another amazing train ride, although you may sleep all the way home..
Showers and toilets
On Skye, we will be mostly wild camping with no available toilet facilities (except a spade to dig a hole with). There is a toilet at the Elgol Post Office and toilet and shower facilities Sligachan campsite, when we come out of the mountains.
Variations
With the Scottish Grand Tour Ticket, you've potentially got another couple of days to play with. You could come up on the Thursday, spend the night in Fort William and take the Jacobite steam train out to Mallaig on the Friday. You could have a night in Inverness, another night on Skye, or Plockton is also a possibility.
https://www.westcoastrailways.co.uk/jacobite/dates-times-prices-jacobite-steam-train.cfm
Costs
I am not charging anything for Steve's Excellent adventures at the moment, just doing it for the Grand Craic.. your main costs will be the train ticket (£87), the boat trip into the Cullins (£17) , any equipment you might need (Speak to me, I might have spares I can lend you). Also food, maybe some camping fees and a contribution towards diesel for the van.
If on your return you find you have indeed had a Most Excellent Adventure, you might want to give something to charity, but it's entirely up to you. Here's some possibilities.
https://www.outwardbound.org.uk/
https://www.mountainbothies.org.uk/
https://www.scottishmountainrescue.org/
https://www.wateraid.org
Liability
We will be walking through some wild country, so you should be competent and confident in your ability to do that. I have been through this part of the Cullins four or five times, so I know it quite well and am happy to lead and be a guide, but we will be responsible for each other as a group, supporting each other in and out of the mountains. Ultimately, of course, you are responsible for yourself and the decisions that you make.
