Climbs 67
Rocktype Dolerite
Altitude 51m a.s.l
Faces SE
Pippa on Grey Panther (E1 5b), on the amazing Kilt Rock, Isle of Skye, Scotland © Jamie Moss
Crag features
Kilt Rock is a spectacular promontory on the long sill of columnar dolerite that stretches from Staffin to Valtos on the east coast of Skye's Trotternish peninsula. It is a popular tourist attraction, though the car park and viewpoint is fortunately far enough away to ensure that one does not feel too much of a spectacle when climbing. Kilt is home to some of the most classic climbs in the area, which have the benefit of southerly exposure to catch sunshine and breeze. Also included here are the adjacent Ellishadder Wall and the sectors of the cliffs to the north which are more quickly approached from here than from the Staffin slipway.
These cliffs offer long and sustained vertical pitches, usually following cracks and grooves of varying widths. The majority of the good routes are E1 and above, with a handful of exceptions. A hefty rack of cams of appropriate sizes is generally useful, as is some aptitude for jamming!
The most classic routes are Grey Panther, Internationale and Edge of Beyond, though many others are more or less equally as good. The rock is generally quick to dry, and this part of Skye gets a lot less rain than the Cuillin.
Approach notes
Park at the Kilt Rock viewpoint car park and walk along the side of the main road, passing the Staffin Dinosaur Museum and a layby with a phone box and postbox. About a hundred metres further on, hop a five bar gate on the right, and follow a fenceline eastwards. Where the fence turns north, cross it and follow a slight path north-east to meet another fence that runs parallel to the cliff edge. Cross the fence just beyond a boggy area. Nearby is the top of the descent gully, from which climbs on Elishadder Wall and routes as far as Russet can be reached. Routes on the main promontory of Kilt Rock are accessed by abseil from stakes or a pair of boulders on the headland. Routes at sectors further north are generally accessed by abseil.
Access Advice
Do not park in the layby containing the phone box. Although this is a public layby, it is also used as a turning circle for the croft next to it and has caused friction with the crofter. Also do not cross the fence to approach the crag directly from the car park within sight of the tourists.
| Do not park in the space suggested in the SMC guidebook, I received a parking ticket after parking there on 15/5/23 finnusmcinnus - 16/May/23 |
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| Two good new(ish) looking stakes 10m back from the edge of the descent gully above Secret Service/Clandestine. Just as fast/faster to set up an abseil to avoid the down climb of the gully which isn’t that much fun. Nathan Adam - 25/Sep/20 |
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| \"Wide Eyed\" E2 5b is a top climb where you just have to trust your feet due to poor handholds, its 40m of vertical rock with twin cracks, the left one opening wide enough to do a whole body jam! But try not to do this as you won\'t want to come out! Mark Falcus - 14/May/02 |
Climbs at this crag
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