After Wednesday's recce, an ass-assessment and a back-check we thought we'd see if I was up to carrying a daysack up and around The Quiraing. The day was forecast to be fair until late afternoon so we went for it. As usual, while waiting for the others I managed to get some pics from the front garden:
Here's a snap of the northern end of the Quiraing picking up a bit of morning sunlight:
The last post
Here's the route that we would take:
We were soon installed in the upper car-park and the walk-in to where we reached the day before was straightforward, I didn't take any pics during this stage. Beyond that, however, the scenery just kept getting better and better:
Waterfall
On the approach to the step
It's only when you're beyond the step that you really get a proper sense of the scale and proportions of the place. The further you go the smaller you feel, and without a distant horizon in sight it's hard to tell when you've got the camera level. It's a very disorientating place!
Approaching The Prison
Towers, spikes and buttresses
The Prison
The track to The Prison
Sheltering behind a dyke
Looking up
Here's a thing that'll play with your eyes... mouseover the following pic to see Ella on The Prison... twice:
Hide and seek
Needles
Beyond The Prison, looking across to Staffin
Those three allegedly-wise monkeys again
Camo Girl
Hangover
Eventually the path climbs out of the trough and gains the ridge via some mild zig-zags near Fir Bhreugach. We had a breather here in the fresh breeze. Here's the view from there northwards towards Kilmaluag:
Looking northwards
The path follows the escarpment as it rises to the shoulder of Meall na Suiramach (543m), and the views over the edge are immense:
The view towards Dùn Mòr and Staffin
The Table, viewed from the north
Sròn Vourlinn and Leac nan Fionn
Chris on the edge!
The southern end of The Table
Humps and hollows
The southern end of The Table again
Anna forging on ahead
The final leg was down the steepening grassy slope of Maoladh Mòr to join with the outbound path above the upper car-park. From there it was a short drive back to the cottage.
The rest of the afternoon was spent winding-down. Showers out at sea provided some odd rainbows...
... and the hunting in the fields provided more opportunities for bird-watching:
The back and the butt had held up well to the outing, I felt that I might be on the mend but I knew that I'd need a few more days like that. I certainly slept well that night.
To be continued...
