This is a continuation from Sept 12th, Part I.
We arrived at the crowded carpark for the Quiraing at 3:15pm, and loaded up my pack with camera gear, warm clothes, and water. I had hiked this 8 years ago with my mom and sister, and we were all mesmorized by the fairy tale nature of the landscape. The Quiraing is one of my all-time favorite hikes ever, and I was excited to embark on this adventure with Wendy. With perhaps the best weather forecast for the rest of our time on Skye, I wanted to spend it on the Quiraing. Wendy and I had been hiking in Colorado this summer, preparing for hikes on Skye, and to me, this moment was the ultimate reason for the prep. This would be our 2nd hike of the day, at 4.25 miles and 1100' gain. We had no doubts about it. We started the hike under mixed clouds, and were treated to a wee bit of drizzle as we began the ascent up the grassy slopes. I decided to hike this in the opposite direction this time (clockwise), beginning with the climb. With fresh legs, we made great time up the pathless grassy slopes, avoiding the rougher heather patches, and encountered some sheep once we reached the shelf. By this time, the sun was in full force, and there would be no more rain the rest of the day.
We wore our rainjackets in the light drizzle, and crossed some boggy ground...
Soon the sun emerged and lit up the landscape. Lots of purple heather on the hill...
Wendy takes a pause during the climb...
I love the slanty mountains...
We forged out way up some steep hillside...
Eventually we found a trail, and sheep...
Steep grassy slopes...
Wendy to the third power!
Black-face sheep are considered the "classic" Scotland sheep. A look out towards some small crofting plots...
The ascent took about an hour before we reached the cliffs above the Quiraing. I was fiddling with my camera when I heard Wendy exclaim "Whoa!" as she peered down at the warped grassy landscape for the first time.
We continued hiking up along the cliff side, marveling at the terrain...
We stayed close to the cliffs, and watched The Table emerge, along with The Needle. Several sheep with thick coats were grazing.
A close-up of The Table, with some sheep (white specks) far to the left...
And the deep blue ocean only adds to the fantastic atmosphere...
A look down at some sheep grazing on the table (with telephoto lens). Looks like they missed a couple shearing cycles. Not surprising, as it's pretty remote up on The Table. 2nd pic: Cool pinnacle near The Table. I remember popping up next to there when we hiked to The Table 8 years ago...
Sheep on The Table...
Before starting our descent down the backside, we hung out for a good 30 minutes, admiring the views. I got my tripod out and worked on some compositions. Wendy set up her stool and enjoyed watching the sheep graze below. We both could have stayed up there all day… Certainly one of the most spectacular sites on this planet.
14er cards visits the Quiraing. Wendy relaxed on her travel stool while I took photos...
A tripod shot...
Eventually, we packed up our gear, and began the long descent to the north, keeping an eye on the trail in the valley below. I reminisced how 8 years ago, while hiking up this hill (in the opposite direction, my mom kept asking, "Are we there yet? The answer has to be YES."
At this point Wendy asked for a snack, and I realized I had forgotten to bring any food! Fortunately, we weren't hungry. I had been used to lots of little hikes lately, and forgot about bringing food. Wendy must really have been enjoying the hike, cause she didn't get too upset by this…
The wind was picking up a bit, making it a wee bit chilly, but the sun still battled the clouds...
We would be returning along the valley below...
We reached the valley, and Wendy remarked how this looked like a battlefield for a fairy tale. She loved the grassy "fairie mounds", and of course the sheep.
Some people were setting up camp next to this grassy pond. Good thing the midges die down in September...
We passed more sheep and cows in the valley...
The rest of the hike back was a pure delight. We had the place all to ourselves at this point, and the evening shade smoothed out the colors of the green grass, black rocks, brown dirt trails, purple heather, and white sheep.
1st pic: Looking up at the Needle (and a route to reach The Table). 2nd pic: Dreamy pic of the Quiraing, and our return path under the mountain...
Looking back at the Prison and Needle...
Wide view from the trail. We hadn't seen anyone on the trail since we started the descent...
Of course we saw sheep on the trail...
Wendy likes making them run away...
The purple heather was gorgeous. The Incredible Hulk would like these colors...
More heather...
We returned to the car at 7:18pm, after 4 hours on the Quiraing, thoroughly satisfied. I'm so greatful for an opportunity to return here, to the most magical place on Earth, and share it with Wendy.
We continued on the one-lane road to Uig, and checked in to our B&B along the bay. This is a 4-star B&B, the most deluxe on our itinerary, and it certainly deserves it. The bay views out the bedroom window are beautiful.
After listening to the welcome talk, we drove back to the pier and ate dinner at the local bar. Wendy had a cheeseburger, I had fish and chips. The pub only had packets for the condiments, so we had to grab a ton for our meal. It was satisfying having been on our feet for two hikes today.
Once back at the B&B, we drank lots of tea and hot chocolate in our room, and discussed plans for the 2nd week in Scotland. We need to decide tomorrow what to do.
We had the heat turned up so high that Wendy had to escape into the unheated closet to cool down after her hot shower.
Our bathroom. We enjoyed some tea (Wendy) and hot chocolate (me)...
The weather on Skye is going to be awful tomorrow and Friday morning. So not sure what we'll do these next couple days. But with a successful Quiraing hike in the bag, I'm 100% content.
Wendy quote that sums up the trip so far, "I really like sheep".