13-14 August 2024
Raasay Island, a twenty-five minute ferry ride from Skye, only measures fourteen miles by three miles but nonetheless there was plenty of opportunity to have various adventures over the couple of days we spent there.
We enjoyed fabulous views over Skye on the ferry trip, seeing the Trotternish Ridge where I had been on the previous two days as well as the Red Cuillins. We could also see Dun Can, the distinctive flat-topped highest point on Raasay and the imposing Raasay House Hotel, where we would be staying. If I had been on my own I would have wild camped…. The hotel was originally the seat of the MacLeod chief of Raasay after he moved from Brochel Castle which is located towards the north end of Raasay and provided a strategic stronghold to control shipping on the Sound.
My husband drove me to the very north end of the narrow, rough, single-track public road at Arnish, passing crofts, the castle, hills, moorland and sheep.
My first trek was on a track then rough path to reach the tidal causeway to the island of Fladda. Unfortunately the tide times during our visit weren’t compatible with walking over to Fladda. I ate lunch looking across the tidal channel before walking back on a higher path towards my start point.
The outward path I had taken crossing a steep rocky hillside was built by Calum MacLeod and his brother during three winters from 1949 to 1952. Calum later put to work much of what he had learned from making this path during his work on the more well known Calum’s Road that I had already been driven along to Arnish.
I continued to walk south along the road from Arnish, traversing the entire length of Calum’s road to where there is a monument to commemorate his achievement.
I continued, passing the ruined Brochel Castle, old seat of the MacLeod chief.
I turned off along a small path obscured by heather and bracken. This path eventually met a track which crossed two small bridges. Wild raspberries growing by the trackside provided a veritable feast!
The track ended and I crossed a field then a path hidden by head high bracken to some stepping stones over a stream. A further stretch through more overgrown bracken and a climb uphill over grassy ground led me to the ruins of the houses of South Screapadal. An impressive rock towers above the old settlement. I counted ruins of at least twelve buildings and looking across the stream towards North Screapadal there seemed to be a similar number. The Highland Historic Environment Record states that these townships were probably depopulated by Mr Rainy of Edinburgh, who bought the island of Raasay in 1846, sending large numbers of the inhabitants abroad, and to Rona (a small island off the northernmost end of Raasay). A sad but familiar story of the Scottish clearances.
All that remained was to walk back through the overgrown bracken and along the track to the road, where my lift awaited me.
My walk the next day was a circular one from the Raasay House Hotel, taking in much of the island and climbing to its highest point. The summit, at 443m, isn’t high but does provide a sensational viewpoint as there’s no other higher top close by.
I left the hotel just as the ferry was arriving and leaving to make my way along a coastal footpath to the main village, Inverarish. Preparations for a craft sale later in the day were underway at the community hall and the post van was just leaving on its rounds as I passed the community run shop. Even the Raasay House Hotel is run as a not for profit organisation for the community.
I passed the sign to the “North Pole” and took a path into the forest past the Number 2 mine, a relic of the iron stone mining heritage of the island. The path named Burma Road is however a reference to its construction by forestry workers during the 1950s when they encountered a jungle of trees.
The path reached open land where it was distinct at times but then almost disappeared. I headed in a steadily upward direction across the moorland and past a couple of lochs before arriving at the base of a steeply climbing zig zag path leading to the flat and rock strewn summit of Dun Caan, geologically a volcanic plug.
This was indeed a superb viewpoint – I could see the Cuillins, Trotternish and, in the other direction, the mountains of the Scottish mainland. Unfortunately there wasn’t anywhere sheltered from the wind to sit and eat lunch so I walked back down to the reservoir, Loch na Meilich.
Until then I hadn’t seen anyone else since I had left the village but while I was eating lunch, I saw another walker heading for the summit and a group on the escarpment above the reservoir. I took the clear main path off the moor to the minor road towards the west of the island. There were quite a few people heading up on this route.
Although this is the main road between the south and north of the island, it’s very quiet so there was no problem walking down it. However soon I turned off on to a track before arriving at an even more narrow lane.
I was tempted by the sign to climb Temptation Hill. This is a small hill reached by a path near a Pictish standing stone. It’t quite a pull up for the end of a day’s walk but the views are excellent and worthwhile.
All that remained was for me to pay a quick visit to the walled garden behind the hotel (another community interest project) before returning to the hotel.
There are still many potential adventures waiting to happen – kayaking, wildlife watching including for golden and white tailed eagles, crossing to the tidal island, exploring the north end of the island, beating a trail up the east coast, to mention a few. This small island will definitely be worth visiting again.
Where's Kathryn? 