We decided at the end of winter to take a camping (yes, camping!) trip to the Isle of Skye and Applecross in March of last year (2018).
Check out our YouTube video here
Given the season and that we are getting older now (47 + 51) some pre-requisites were:
- A bigger tent that you can sit in, cook in, and stand up in (bargain Vango 500) bought for apx £150 from Millets in the out of season sale – here is a link to a very similar one on Amazon (newer model)
- A spare tent pole – I thought Paul was being over-cautious on this idea, but we did need it! The day we left Skye it was blowing a gale and one of our tent poles broke (yes the wind was that bad!) before we even started to try to take the tent down
- A “toilet bucket” (for someone who pees a few times a night this was essential and a Godsend!) – put in a bin liner; add some cat litter, sorted! No smells! (Leisurewize Need A Loo Portable Toilet from Amazon apx £18)
- A bed that you don’t have to “roll” on and off (bought the “crème de la crème” of airbeds, the Aerobed, built-in electric pump, from Amazon for apx £130), just like a real bed!
- An electric blanket!!!! (bought from Aldi, apx £15)
- An electric heater (we bought a low-wattage caravan heater, to get it helping to warm us, we had to place it under our camping table with a blanket over the table and our legs – this trapped the heat in and warmed us, otherwise it would have been pretty useless in such cold temperatures and in such a big tent)
- A tent carpet for extra insulation and comfort (not essential but very nice) – here is a link to the ones we bought (we needed 2 of them, one for the lounge and one for the bedroom)
- And of course, for all of this to work, an electric hook up pitch!!! (only an extra £5 a night – bargain!)
So after researching the best campsites with the best views & the best locations, we decided on the campsite at Dunvegan http://www.kinloch-campsite.co.uk/ – lovely owners, good facilities, great view! Maybe not as central as Portree, for example, but it is in a beautiful setting, so that swung it for us. And it worked for the places we had planned to visit, hikes we planned, and there is a small village with a store and a couple of places to eat to break up the “camp meals”. We particularly enjoyed a meal at the Old School Restaurant – http://www.oldschoolrestaurant.co.uk/
If camping isn’t “your thing” there are some excellent self catering options on Skye, try searching Airbnb.
Next is the weather….. In Scotland there really is no good or bad time to visit, you always just take your chances. It can be awful during months you would expect to be good, and vice-versa. Certainly many people might think we were taking our chances in March, and believe me, it was bitterly cold… BUT with the exception of just one day, we had absolutely glorious weather – clear skies (or at least dry 90% of the time) & lots of sunshine. In fact, the day we took the boat trip to Elgol (more later) we had the most fantastic weather! The boats had only just started running again as it was close to Easter, and the boatman told us that the previous year they hardly ran any boats due to so many weather based cancellations! So we felt very blessed!
So basically, I would not like to say that any particular time of year is the best time to go. But I will say that overall we do lots of Scottish holidays “out of season” Oct/Nov – Feb/March and although it’s never 100% guaranteed, we are very often lucky with the weather. The thing with Skye & Applecross is that they are stunningly beautiful in any weather, although of course if you are lucky enough to miss the rain, then you won’t want to leave!
We decided on 6 nights on Skye and 3 in Applecross, this worked out very well for what we wanted to do, and also built in a day where we did very little, that one day when the weather was wild, wet & windy!
Well, we have talked about our “camping essentials”, how we chose our campsite in Skye (in Applecross there is only one!) and the weather. Now time to tell you a bit about what we did, where we took out best photos and videos, the best hikes, beaches etc. I will relate these to our video which you can view here Skye & Applecross Video
I’ll start with Skye. The trip there is in itself awesome! You have 2 options if coming from the South – go to Kyle of Lochalsh and drive over the bridge to Kyleakin, or go to Mallaig and tale the ferry to Armadale. We did the former. This also takes you very close to another popular tourist destination, Eileen Donan Castle, which you can visit en-route. And let’s not forget the drive via Rannoch Moor & Glencoe! One of the most dramatic parts of the Scottish mainland, Glencoe is also very popular with hikers and skiers (they have their own ski resort). If you decide to go via the Mallaig ferry, you will also see Glencoe, but please don’t miss the chance to stop off at the beautiful “silver sands” at Morar and the beach made famous in the 80’s film “Local Hero”, Camusdarrach. Just a very short 1.5 – 2 mile detour, well worth it!
PLACES WE VISITED FOR HIKING AND PHOTOGRAPHY:-
SKYE
The Fairy Pools, on the way to Glenbrittle, at the foot of the Black Cuillins – a short walk up to and along the small waterfalls and pools, much photographed, stunning in good weather with the mountains looming behind the pools (worth noting that a new parking charge has been introduced, pretty steep at £5, however there is a possibility of parking for free on the roadside fairly close by if you can find a space, or further along if you don’t mind the walk back up the road to the start of the Fairy Pools hiking trail opposite the car park)
Talisker Bay, near the village of Carbost – this is another short walk, about 1 mile each way from the parking spots, the beach is surrounded by cliffs, and when we visited, one had a huge waterfall pouring down. This is also a popular spot for dog walkers. For whisky fans, be sure to stop off at the Talisker Distillery in Carbost village.
Dunvegan Castle, which is just on the outskirts of the village of Dunvegan. If you prefer not to pay to visit the castle or gardens, then drive past along the rough single track road round the coast, and you can look back to see the castle from a distance. Continue on to Coral Beach at Claigan, approximately another 4 miles further on. The beach as you approach looks like pure white sand, with the turquoise water, however as you get closer you will see that the beach is actually made from crushed white coral, hence its name. It’s an easy walk to the beach, taking around 25-30 minutes at an easy pace.
Elgol & Loch Coruisk – the drive from Broadford to Elgol is just awesome! Stunning views all the way! Apart from the wonderfully scenic drive there, most people visit Elgol to take in the gorgeous views looking out over the white sand and turquoise sea to the Cuillins. Many then take a boat trip round to Loch Coruisk, which is a stunningly beautiful trip with plenty of bird and wildlife, especially seals. You have time to do some walking once you arrive (we did the 3 hour trip, which gave us around an hour or so at Loch Coruisk). If you plan to do more extensive hiking, such as venture to the infamous “Bad Step” then allow much more time. We did our boat trip with Misty Isles, and would definitely recommend them.
We were very lucky with the weather the day we visited, as you can see from the photos & video. I am told, however, that it can also be very atmospheric in poor weather; however the boat trips are unlikely to run in bad weather, so plan carefully!
Sligachan, gateway to the Black & Red Cuillins – the bridge at Sligachan is a fantastic place to get great photos of the black & red Cuillins, and to see them pretty close up. On this occasion we only visited for photos and a drink at the hotel, but there are also stunning walks to be done from here. I like the look of this one, maybe next time… https://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/skye/sgurrnastri.shtml
The hotel at Sligachan has a pub / restaurant and its own brewery. They also do whisky tasters and good food. In addition they have hotel rooms, self catering and a campsite, which we have used before, although not on this particular trip.
Neist Point Lighthouse on the Duirinish peninsula near Glendale, this makes for another easy & short walk, with good photography opportunities https://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/skye/neistpoint.shtml
The Fairy Glen near Uig, on the Trotternish Peninsula, with its little cone-shaped hills is worth a look and a wander around, especially on a nice sunny day. It is easy to combine with other walks / attractions on the peninsula such as the Quirang and Kilt Rock.
Uig is a small, pretty port with ferry links to the isles of Uist and Harris. Just off the main road on the hill as you approach the village, and worth a look (from the outside only as the inside is not open to the public) is Captain Fraser’s Folly.
The Quirang is our favourite walk on Skye and has stunning views in all directions in any weather. You don’t even have to do the full walk to benefit from the views & great photography opportunities, just walk a couple of hundred yards in and already the most amazing views have opened up! It’s an easy walk, with the option to make a loop, or just do as much as you want and return back the same way. If you do the whole loop it’s around 4 miles.
Kilt Rock & Mealt Waterfall are worth a stop while you are on the Trotternish Peninsula. The waterfall is what most people come to see, it falls 60 metres into the sea below. It is easy to find, just a few steps from the car park.
The Old Man of Storr is another very popular walk and viewpoint on Skye. The ‘Old Man’ is a large pinnacle of rock that stands high and can be seen for miles around. It is not a circular walk, same way up & down, approx 1.5 hours in total. I have a bad knee and I found this walk pretty tough, not helped as it was pretty muddy in places, despite the dry weather we had. Some of the walk is also pretty steep. There is plenty of parking available. https://www.isleofskye.com/skye-guide/top-ten-skye-walks/old-man-of-storr
APPLECROSS
Plockton – although this is not near Applecross, if you are travelling from Skye or Kyle of Lochalsh, this is a very pretty place and makes a worthwhile side trip! Plockton is a small village on the shores of Loch Carron often referred to as “The Jewel of the Highlands”, with stunning views overlooking Loch Carron and the mountains.
Bealach na Ba (“Pass of the Cattle”) is a single track road (with passing places) and is known to be one of the most dramatic roads in the country, with amazing views over to Skye and beyond from the car park at the top of the road. It forms part of the new North Coast 500 (NC500) route. This is the most popular route in to Applecross.
Applecross village & Hartfield House – I wanted to mention Hartfield House, just outside the village, as this is where we both met! We were both on an outdoor skills course with Fairbridge Drake and Hartfield House was the base that Drake used in Applecross. It is therefore close to our hearts, as are Applecross and Skye where we did all our outdoor training & activities. For anyone interested here is a link to some information on Fairbridge Drake https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fairbridge_(charity)
The Applecross Inn is a great place for a drink and a good meal.
Coral Beach near Culduie – definitely worth the easy walk for the views & serenity of these 2 lovely coral beaches, one is a little bit muddy to get to, wellies would be a good idea. The beach that is easier to get to (Ard Ban – see photo below) has great views over to Skye and the Cuillin mountains https://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/torridon/Coralbeach.shtml
Sands beach is approx 4 miles north of Applecross, a big stretch of sandy beach backed by a huge sand dune, that also has great views to Cuillins on Skye
APPLECROSS TO TORRIDON & THE APPLECROSS PENINSULA
You can make a loop for the most part of this drive, but it’s worth continuing on to Torridon first as you will pass some spectacular scenery & photo stops, and quite possibly see some deer. Head over the Bealach Na Ba for Sheildaig and then continue your drive on to Torridon village. Return to about 1 km past Sheildaig, then turn right to continue your drive round the coast of the Applecross Peninsula and returning back to Applecross village.
Highlights of this drive, and some good stops for photography, include:-
· Loch Kishorn (just after Bealach Na Ba)
· Loch Dughail
· Sheildaig (a very picturesque little village)
· Torridon & the Torridon mountains
· Inverbain (a picture perfect photo stop – see the photo below)
· Applecross Smokehouse (just before Kenmore) – great smoked fish, cheese etc
· Kalnakill (views to Skye & Cuillins, golden seaweed, highland cows)
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