Distance: 5 miles                          Time: 3 hours                         Type: There and back

The Quiraing is one of the most famous and beautiful spots on the Isle of Skye: a totally unique and rugged landscape strewn with interesting rock features (which all bear their own names). It lies at the northern end of the Trotternish landslip, a massive landslide that runs almost the full length of the peninsula, and on a clear day affords views across to the mainland. 

 

Unfortunately, when we visited the weather was quite poor. Very poor, in fact. But at the end of the day, this is Scotland - if you come expecting wind and rain then you will be pleasantly surprised if you get anything better! 

 

Route:

The most popular access point is from a parking area to the west of Stafainn off the A555 (marked on Google as 'Parking for Quiraing'). It can get quite busy here but if all the spots are full you can simply park further along the road and walk back to the trailhead. 

 

There are numerous trails along and around the ridge and you can essentially walk for as little or as long as you like. Most people only walk a few hundred metres from the parking area. For a full loop, follow the bottom of the cliff and return on the top (or vice versa). During our visit, heavy clouds persisted on the top of the ridge so we just stuck to the lower path. 

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The route is fairly obvious but it's worth taking a map or phone in case the visibility becomes poor. At the far end of the ridge path it's worth continuing on as the path reaches a cliff edge which commands fantastic views back to the ridge and across to the sea beyond.