Skye Trail Day Four

Day  Four Portree to Sligachan

We wake up about 7.15 am under a soft duvet.  Had a good night sleep The bed was lovely and then down to a cracking breakfast. Fuel us up for the day. The weather does not look too bad outside.

Portree with The Old Man in the Background

So after breakfast its packing the rucksack, which I now have a slight problem in that two days before the sea to summit rucksack liner started to leak. |The taped seams started to pull away and the water started getting in on my things.  Portree outdoor shop only sold day sac plastic liners.  So had to buy two of them but they not the right size.  A little on the small side. So things are going to be hard to pack.

We then drove back into Portree to leave the car in the long stay car park.  Picked up some lunch from the local bakery in the square and then we set off again.  Today walk will mainly be on a small country road and the last 3 miles along a loch.  The first 2 miles out of Portree is along the main road, which we had to be careful of the traffic. Evan when we stepped back onto the verge, some of the coaches were very close and did not slow down. Once off the main road we could head for The Braes.

 One place we passed on the main road was the Aros Centre, which shows the life and history of Skye plus a Sea Eagle exhibition.  Hoping today we may see one. The B/B told us you can see them in Portree harbour and don’t need to take boat trips.

We cross the bridge over the Varragill River with good views back to Portree with the Old Man in the distance. We now on a single track road, but we must had a late rush hour as the first 2 miles we having more cars whizzing passed us.. To the left is Ben Tianavaig 413m. Known spot for nesting sea eagles. 

Soon we turn and the coastline comes into view and what a lovely coastline The Braes is.  The road is 10k long to the end and we past many old croft houses. The road is tree lined in places and each of the small pockets of croft houses makes up tiny settlements of upper Ollach, Gedintailor, Lower ollach and The Braes at the end.  Each little settlement has a small post-box and few times the post van went past. 

Sometimes you think how life was down here before the car came in the harsh winters. Even now you must have to stock up as there no corner shops just to walk out too.

As we walk down the road you have good views of Rasssy and you can see the small ferry going back and forth. Soon we reach the end of the road and small turning area. Then high above us is a bird of prey. Looks like an eagle but the light is not showing its white tail, so I put it down as a Golden Eagle.

We leave it soaring high in the Skye hunting out its prey as we follow the sign east to Sligachan along the shores of Loch Sligachan to the campsite 5km.  We drop down onto the beech as the tide is out and walk among the stones and seaweed. Sometimes you surprised on the rubbish that is on the beech. From old plastic bottles to old nets and ropes. Bottle tops faded white in the sun. All washed up in the sea storms that must crash in the winter.

Further on the path heads back onto land and we can look across to An Leitir ridge of Ben Lee. Soaring up from sea level. Ahead of us the campsite comes nearer as so the Cullins.  Jagged dark silhouette ageist the Skye. Looking forbidden and hard. The last few hundred yards to the campsite you have a few small burns to cross and today we glad they were low

We find a spot on the campsite and its not too busy. £6 a night with good free showers. Very clean and plenty off hot water. Washing machine if you need one.

We than had over to the Siligachan Hotel to the Public bar where we settle down to a meal and a few of their own beers. Brewed next door.  You also can get free wifi, which helped us with the weather forecast.  Must say it did not look good for the night with heavy rain due before midnight.

So we head back to the tent and into the sleeping bags and it wasn’t long before the weather hit us hard.