Day 207: Drumfearn to Torrin
Distance: 11.32 miles
Ascent: 1452 feet
Weather: OVercast with Light/Medium Rain
Accommodation: Skye Hobbit House, Torrin (Kindly Complimentary)
I woke up this morning and before I had even looked out of my tent I thought how glad I was that I had done the Ord to Drumfearn stretch last night as it would have been horrible to start a day with a part that tough.
To my surprise instead of the dark skies and rain that had been forecast when I opened my tent flap about 6:30 it was quite clear and even sunny outside. So to try and ensure I depitched in the dry I got a wiggle on and by not long after 7 I was all packed up and ready to leave as the first rain drops started. In fact this light rain only lasted a very short while before it became dry again but the sky was pretty ominous.
My first part involved following the edge of Loch Eishort along the pebbly shore right to its head which was fairly straightforward. At the head I had a river to cross and as expected it was wide enough and deep enough that I would have to take my boots off and wade across though I easily made the other side. With the boots back on I started heading back down the other side of the loch still off piste. The rain started again so I put on my waterproofs but hardly needed them as the rain was so light and stopped fairly quickly.
I can't actually remember if it was before or after Hestea that I came across more cows and after passing 3 groups with calves yesterday without any issue on the beach I had built up some confidence. But one of the cows had different ideas, when I got to within about 50m it stood bolt upright and as I took another few steps it charged 3 or 4 strides towards me, so i backed of and it stopped, I waited a bit and could not work out another route around so had another go the same thing happened. I decided all I good do was wait for them to amble slowly of the beach and after about 15 minutes they had ambled far enough that I could get by.
I made it to Hestea a small village having run out of water (and the streams were to slow this close to the saltwater loch to fill up from), and knocked on the first door and a woman kindly filled my water up for me. She had a small Jack Russel cross which had a very strange habit of pinning down the chickens by laying on top of them but without actually hurting them.
From here there was a core path signposted to the deserted village of Boreraig, and though I struggled to find an actual path I did find a quadbike track that took me a fair amount of the way which made the going a little easier. Boreraig is a collection of deserted ruined buildings and was deserted as part of the Clearances when Lord Macdonald forcibly evicted the tenants to make way for sheep, and most of the people removed emigrated abroad. Just as I was arriving a group of 7 sea kayakers happened to turn up, the first people other than getting water I had seen all day.
From Boreraig I joined part of the Skye Trail (possibly the only bit I will join) and it was an actual path, I repeat an actual path and my pace soon picked up as I slowly climbed up to the top of the cliffs. It was now that the heavens decided to open with heavy rain but probably only for 30 minutes or so and as I was now on a proper path I didn’t care so much. In fact it was a lovely path and at Suisnish (presumably a collection of now mostly derelict crofts) it became a gravel track which would take me all the way to the edge of Torrin.
At the carpark I carried on across the edge of the shore to a lovely beach in front of Torrin and then found a track which luckily took me right to my finish location of the day. I was very fortunate that Skye Hobbit House, Torrin had kindly offered us (my friend Al will be joining much later this evening) one of there Hobbit Houses. These are so beautiful and handcrafted by Paul himself and even kinder Becky made me a lovely pizza for dinner.
I did though have to get supplies for Alistair and myself, which would involve my first ever UK hitchhiking. It was raining when I first went out and 30 or so cars went by and no one stopped so I went back inside, and when it stopped raining I headed back out and about the 10th car stopped and a lovely French couple took me up to Broadford about 4 or 5 miles up the road where the shop was. After getting my shopping it was only about the 3rd car that stopped and a Spanish couple on holiday gave me a lift back
All in all a good day, even though as every day is at the moment the terrain was tough in places, and glad to arrive and dump my bag before the heavy rain hit. The hobbit house is lovely and hopefully as long as Al arrives safely will give me a good nights sleep.
NB I - As I am publishing this after the event, unfortunately Al's flight got cancelled so he was unable to make it up which was a shame. This is unfortunately the second time he has been thwarted as the last time he planned to visit was in the heavy snow in February when the train got cancelled.
NB II - due to rain my camera remained in my rucksack.
