13 Mar 20: sunny Cuidrach - Step it Up walk

Thanks to Charlie for an excellent Step It Up Walk into the depths of Cuidrach and outer Earlish.

Sunshine wall to wall, when was the last time we could say that.

Great company and blather and stunning views.

Thanks to Charlie again for arranging for refreshments at the Uig Hotel.   A passing comment that we would be popping in for coffee and perhaps some scones and jam resulted in us being greeted with a stunning feast.

As can be seen Charlie enjoyed dipping into the clotted cream .... time and time again.



Thanks to all concerned.

11 Mar 20: Eynort Forest (in three seasons) - walking group

A great day was had by all on this excellent all weather walk .... which was well proven today.

1 We started Dry.

2. We ended Dry.

3 We saw some sunshine.

What more can you ask? 

Really great company, social isolation at its best.  In the middle of nowhere eating lunch in a blizzard

which we watched coming in from the Hebrides.

Just what the Skye U3A is about.

Thanks, folks, for another great day. Thanks too, Christine, for great shortbread and tea.

10 Mar 20: Waterloo bird-spotting - March nature walk

Five hardy souls met up at Broadford car park and set off to walk down Waterloo looking for bird life.

We almost immediately spotted a Common Gull, a pair of Greylag Geese and a Mallard.

Further along there were 2 Curlews, several (Rock?) Pigeons, a pair of Oystercatchers, more Gulls and the ubiquitous Hooded Crows.

Reaching the end of the road we went through the gate and started along the track. However, a rather nasty squall came through and we reluctantly?? turned back. The squall passed and, not far from the gate, we found a bench where we stopped for lunch. After that we returned along the road to the cars and the sun came out.

 After the walk we retired to Cafe Sia for delicious coffees and a chat.   It turned out to be not a bad walk in good company.

6 Mar 20: Loch Barcasaig - Step It Up

A record number (14)  of very damp walkers braved the elements today.

We walked through almost continuous rain, down to the beach at Loch Bharcasaig.

The rain eased, and finally ceased as we made our way back to our cars at Orbost Farm.

Everyone beat a hasty retreat to the Dunvegan Hotel for coffee and cakes and an interesting discussion about what other outings we would like to participate in.

 Despite the weather, everyone seemed to enjoy the afternoon. Thank you Charlie once again for organising

As well as the largest turnout so far, this was arguably our wettest walk in the Step it Up history.   This was not a shower, this was hail, with a bit of rain, yet Ray still managed brilliant photos and we all still managed brilliant blether, oblivious of the elements.

19 Feb 20: Loch Cuithir walk

From WalkHighlands

Well we all expected to get wet but luckily our timing was just about perfect for a very interesting walk on a reasonable though puddled pothole track.

The original road was used by the trucks which took the diatomite/algae to dry in Uig from the 1940's when the earlier rail-transit set up was deemed redundant until the 1950's.   More history here



Sgurr a Mhadaidh Ruadh or the Peak of Red Fox stayed clear for most of the walk in

so we had some excellent views up the glen at the end of the track.

Conditions off the original road  were squidgy, so we kept to the road and missed the can-be -interesting loop of the old railway line.

Remnants of the Line of the original working horse-drawn railway as it loops up to the Cuihir Lochs to the right beneath Sgurr a Mhadaidh Ruaidh (Hill of the Red Fox). It meandered eastwards from here down to Inver Tote.

The line of the original rail-track system is still clear today.  It was used for horse-drawn braked open wagons on a rail-track to get the diatomite dredged from the lochs down to Inver Tote where the kilns were in full swing until the late 1930's-mid1940's.  More history and early photos here.





Back in the 1970s, the rusting remains of a crane and a truck could still be seen by the industrial ruins at the largest loch, now all gone

Jessie saying “can we have our lunch now please”

We had a lunch stop by the last of the lochs before heading back.

What was once a proud running Austin A30 with 803cc A-Series BMC engine slowly returning to nature

The forecast was for the storm to hit at 14.00 hrs and surely enough it did but we were only about 10 mins or so from the cars on the way back so got away with a short dousing as the wind picked up.

Timing was perfect as we had a very wet drive home.

14 Feb 20: Uig Woods - Step It Up

This afternoon, several hardy folks gathered together in Uig Village Hall car park

to make an assault on Uig Woods.

The woods along the shore.

We started along the woodland path parallel to the shore of Uig Bay.

perhaps Turkeytail bracket fungi

Several Fungi and Mosses were seen, but not identified.

River below Conon Bridge.

We emerged from the woods at the Conon Bridge, which we crossed,

Old Mill wheel ironwork.

and then proceeded down the road past The Old Uig Mill.

The NEW Old Mill

The Mill was rebuilt after the disastrous flood of 1877 which washed away the Uig Graveyard and destroyed the mill. It is now a holiday Cottage.

Uig Bay Waves.

Shortly after passing the Mill we were hit by a sudden rain sqall, which only lasted a few minutes. The view over Uig Bay showed the boats in the bay bobbing up and down in the waves..

Path up River Conan Woodlands.

Retracing our steps we then entered the woodlands of Glen Conan, 

The ruined weir on River Conon,and the rope which no-one would volunteer to use to cross the river.  Can't think why!

where we walked up the path as far as the ruined weir. No-one would volunteer to cross the river via the rope provided so we had to turn back.

Steps leading down to the waterfall. River Rha.

A little further along the road we entered the woodland path leading up Rha Glen 

as far as the waterfall. 

This must be one of the most spectacular waterfalls on Skye, yet so few people know about it.

After returning to our cars, we retired to the Uig Hotel where scones with cream & jam, tea, coffee & soup awaited us. Much blether.

Thank you Charlie, once more, for organising such an interesting walk. Most enjoyable.