3rd September 2024 - Ardmore and Waternish Points
Walk Details
Distance walked: 9.9 miles
Total ascent: 1165 ft
OS map used: 407 - Skye, Dunvegan
Time taken: 5 hrs
Route description: Trumpan-Ard Beag-Aird Mhor-Ardmore Point-Trumpan-Unish-Waternish Point-Unish-Trumpan
For my second day on Skye I've travelled to Trumpan on the west coast of the Waternish peninsula. The weather forecast heavily influenced my decision on where to go, rain clearing east during the morning with improving conditions arriving from the west. I had two walks marked in my guidebook for doing. The first was to take in the Ardmore peninsula and its southernmost tip Ardmore Point, then if the weather was still looking alright I'd visit Waternish Point at the northern tip of the Waternish peninsula. Both walks started from the picnic site opposite the ruins of Trumpan Church. The first one to Ardmore Point was definitely the best, great coastal scenery done in sunny spells. By the time that I'd decided to go ahead with the second walk to Waternish Point the skies had largely clouded over, but at least it did stay dry. The only disappointment was not being able to get all the way to the lighthouse at Waternish Point because of the terrain underfoot.
After parking my car at the picnic site opposite the ruins of Trumpan Church I walked south down the road to a left hand bend, where I left it for a track that leads down to an electricity sub-station and then along the shore of Ardmore Bay to Ardmore House. From the junction of tracks below I made my way north by a fence, passing the electricity sub-station, to reach the northern shore of the Ardmore peninsula. I then made my way up onto the headland of Ard Beag, then south to Aird Mhor and Ardmore Point. To return to the picnic site I made my way north across Aird Mhor and down to the track to Ardmore House, which I followed along the shore of Ardmore Bay and up to the road above, and a walk up this took me back to the picnic site opposite the ruins of Trumpan Church. For my second walk of the day I walked northeast along the road from the picnic site to a right hand bend, where I reached a track on the left. I took this, and followed it north across the moor to the ruins of the settlement of Unish. I tried to reach the lighthouse on Waternish Point but the bogginess of the ground defeated me, so I retraced my steps back to Unish, then south along the track and back to the picnic site.
Total ascent: 1165 ft
OS map used: 407 - Skye, Dunvegan
Time taken: 5 hrs
Route description: Trumpan-Ard Beag-Aird Mhor-Ardmore Point-Trumpan-Unish-Waternish Point-Unish-Trumpan
For my second day on Skye I've travelled to Trumpan on the west coast of the Waternish peninsula. The weather forecast heavily influenced my decision on where to go, rain clearing east during the morning with improving conditions arriving from the west. I had two walks marked in my guidebook for doing. The first was to take in the Ardmore peninsula and its southernmost tip Ardmore Point, then if the weather was still looking alright I'd visit Waternish Point at the northern tip of the Waternish peninsula. Both walks started from the picnic site opposite the ruins of Trumpan Church. The first one to Ardmore Point was definitely the best, great coastal scenery done in sunny spells. By the time that I'd decided to go ahead with the second walk to Waternish Point the skies had largely clouded over, but at least it did stay dry. The only disappointment was not being able to get all the way to the lighthouse at Waternish Point because of the terrain underfoot.
After parking my car at the picnic site opposite the ruins of Trumpan Church I walked south down the road to a left hand bend, where I left it for a track that leads down to an electricity sub-station and then along the shore of Ardmore Bay to Ardmore House. From the junction of tracks below I made my way north by a fence, passing the electricity sub-station, to reach the northern shore of the Ardmore peninsula. I then made my way up onto the headland of Ard Beag, then south to Aird Mhor and Ardmore Point. To return to the picnic site I made my way north across Aird Mhor and down to the track to Ardmore House, which I followed along the shore of Ardmore Bay and up to the road above, and a walk up this took me back to the picnic site opposite the ruins of Trumpan Church. For my second walk of the day I walked northeast along the road from the picnic site to a right hand bend, where I reached a track on the left. I took this, and followed it north across the moor to the ruins of the settlement of Unish. I tried to reach the lighthouse on Waternish Point but the bogginess of the ground defeated me, so I retraced my steps back to Unish, then south along the track and back to the picnic site.
Route map
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The ruins of the church at Trumpan
From the car park opposite the church I walk down the road to the left hand bend below, and the track which will take me down to Ardmore Bay
On the shore of Ardmore Bay
On the opposite side of the peninsula the rocky shore rises to the headland of Ard Beag
Looking north along the coast of Waternish
and across the shore to Ard Beag
On Ard Beag. The scattered settlement of Trumpan and the hill of Ben Geary to the east on the other side of the bay.
The west coast of Waternish
Looking south across Ardmore Bay
and across Loch Dunvegan to Dunvegan Head
I follow a fence south down to the rocky shore..
Looking back to Ard Beag
After a climb up onto the cliffs on the other side of the shore, I follow them south, passing the Ardmore Arches..
Looking back to Ard Beag
Heading south and the islands at the entrance to Loch Dunvegan come into view
Looking across Loch Dunvegan to Dunvegan Head
and south from Ardmore Point to Loch Bay, the hill of Beinn Bhreac, and the islands of Clett, Mingay, and Iosaigh
The grassy moorland of Aird Mhor
The cliffs of Carnach Mor, and the settlements of Lower Halistra and Hallin further south down the coast of Waternish
From Aird Mhor I've returned to the fence to follow it back north and down to Ardmore Bay
Looking across Ardmore Bay to the cliffs of Carnach Mor, with Ardmore House in front of the hill of Beinn Bhreac
Onto the track that will take me back up to the road to Trumpan
One last look south across Ardmore Bay
Onto the track that will take me north towards the abandoned settlement of Unish and Waternish Point
Looking back to Trumpan
At the Clan MacLeod Memorial Cairn
Following the track north across bleak and boggy moorland
To my left, a cruise ship heads south
Passing the ruined broch of Dun Gearymore up on the right
Looking back south along the track
The track comes to an end when I reach the abandoned settlement of Unish, with its ruined walls and green pastures..
I make my way north towards the lighthouse on Waternish Point
So close, yet so far. The bogginess of the ground defeated me. Wearing hiking shoes and not having my trekking poles with me stopped me from getting to the lighthouse.
I can make out the Outer Hebrides on the skyline from here
Heading back south along the track
The sun comes out for taking in the view across to the Outer Hebrides
Returning south and the hills of Duirinish come into view in the distance, along with the settlement of Trumpan...
A view of Aird Mor and Ard Mor as I make it back to the car park
A shower passed through as I was starting on the drive back. Passing through Hallin I had to pull over and take a photo of the view across to Beinn Bhreac as the skies cleared and the sun returned.