Isle of sky last week November

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 E-daly 31 Oct 2021

Going walking isle of Skye end of November. Looking for some moderate route, a few hours long, not too difficult to navigate in case weather turns. Any recommendations or tips? Anyone know a guiding service? Will get map and compass but not much navigation skills in the hills and conscious the weather changes quickly and could be easy to get lost. Also any pubs recommended? Thanks very much. 

 Trangia 31 Oct 2021
In reply to E-daly:

https://skyeguides.co.uk/

It took me about 5 seconds to find that

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 Tringa 31 Oct 2021
In reply to E-daly:

Can't recommend particular walks but have a look at the walks section on the WalkHighlands site.

It has lots of walks all over Scotland(including about 100 walks on Skye) everything from gentle short strolls to mountain ascents and all have descriptions and photos.

Dave

BTW At the end of November there are only about 7 hours of daylight in Skye.

scotthldr 31 Oct 2021
In reply to E-daly:

At the end of November in Skye, you’d be better off looking at the Trotternish area of the island, especially if nav skills are limited and the short days. The Fairy Pools from the Glenbrittle road would be another option.

Post edited at 10:42
 jethro kiernan 31 Oct 2021
In reply to E-daly:

Keep your options open, Skye guides very good and will be flexible

Le Sapeur 31 Oct 2021
In reply to E-daly:

Best guides in Skye.

https://www.skyeadventure.com

 Lankyman 31 Oct 2021
In reply to E-daly:

Check your tides and do some coastal walks. A visit to Spar Cave is interesting. Not sure if Dunvegan Castle is open then.

 lpretro1 31 Oct 2021
In reply to E-daly:

Be very aware that there are big swing variations in compass in the Black Cuillin (lots of iron inrock) making it very unreliable. Lots of 'deadend' paths and false ridges making it difficult to navigate especially in cloud. The gabbro rock is vey grippy in the wet but the basalt is just the opposite so care needs to be taken.  It can take a lot longer to navigate a section of ridge than you might anticipate so heed the above advice about daylight hours in November. And you need to be aware of the limited escape routes if weather turns. Its a wonderful place but needs to be treated with respect and care or it can bite. Some sections are needing a rope. Sometimes it just nice to go up into one of the Coires - Coire Ghrunnda is brilliant and beautiful and you can fairly easily scramble up onto Sgurr Du na Da Bheinn. Though if the cloud comes right down you can find it difficult to find your way back out! Coire Lagan is worth while too. I'd recommend doing a lot of reading about the place and there are loads of You Tube video as that will give you an idea of what to expect.

In reply to E-daly:

Favourite pub on Skye is The Stein Inn. Carbost Inn also ok. Most climbers/ walkers gravitate to the Sligachan 

Post edited at 18:24
In reply to E-daly:

If you don't feel  up to the. Black Cuilinn  especiallyl in November but want to do a hill I can strongly recommend Marsco.One of the best viewpoints anywhere. Belig And Gharbh Bheinn are a good  round with a bti of scrambling. Raasay is worth a visit. MacLeod's Tables are nice Relative Hills. The Storr and Hartaval give a good walk. As others have said there are plenty of options depending on the weather.

 Dave Hewitt 31 Oct 2021
In reply to The Watch of Barrisdale:

> If you don't feel  up to the. Black Cuilinn  especiallyl in November but want to do a hill I can strongly recommend Marsco.

Agreed. I went up it the day before (and while a bit anxious about) the In Pinn, and it felt like the loveliest hill on Skye. A great viewpoint as you say, and a very pleasant summit generally with a nice easy bit of ridge leading to it. Also very good value - and smaller and nearer to a road - is Ben Tianavaig south of Portree. And as others have said, the north end is excellent - and often gets better weather than the rest of the island.

 goose299 31 Oct 2021
In reply to Lankyman:

> Not sure if Dunvegan Castle is open then.

It shut mid October 

 wercat 01 Nov 2021
In reply to Dave Hewitt:


Nightfall on Marsco
Cuchullin in sheets
This world of Maclean's words
Around us like spirits released
I came to love you
I came to drink
Though dancing in darkness
I'm cup running over and drunk


Darkest of prisons
Oldest of nights
For the dawning 'round Garsbheinn
In patience, we wait for the light
I am a climber
I am a thief
Oh, kingdom of Gabbro
Your strong chains won't hold this love

 nigel n 01 Nov 2021
In reply to wercat:

Ah Runrig - sorely missed

 henwardian 01 Nov 2021
In reply to E-daly:

https://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/skye/

Has a lot of nice walks. The directions are pretty good and you can even navigate by opening up the page with the map for the walk on your phone and enabling gps so it shows you exactly where you are in relation to the route.

Before I get horrendously villified, I should point out that relying completely on your phone is a bad idea in case you get out of signal, water gets into it or battery runs out.

The Trotternish Ridge is a definitely an option, though at 22 miles or so you probably only want to do a section of it. There is a bus service that goes from Portree, round the Trotternish and back into Portree, so you can use that if you want to do a point-to-point walk and get back to your car.

Blabheinn is probably the easiest munroe on Skye but it's still not excessively straightforward if the clag comes down.

I run a glamping site so let me know if you are looking for accommodation.

 henwardian 01 Nov 2021
In reply to Lankyman:

> Not sure if Dunvegan Castle is open then.

No, it's closed. I think it closed mid-October at some point.

OP E-daly 01 Nov 2021
In reply to E-daly:

Thanks everyone for all the help!! Cheers

 magma 03 Nov 2021
In reply to E-daly:

lots of ideas in The Black Ridge by Simon Ingram eg Ben Cleat.

His guide Matt (Skye Adventures) seemed very competent (although i think his climbers maxim 'don't do two things at once' is simplistic...

 fmck 12 Nov 2021
In reply to E-daly:

One of my favourite wee walks on Skye is at Portree. Ben Tianavaig is an amazing walk. The views are incredible. The front cover of "Scottish island bagging" book is the view part of the way up. Incidentally the guy from Walkhighlands used to use my picture from the same spot. He later went to the same spot and recreated it with himself in the picture for the book. D#ckhead!

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