• Friday 29th June – Sunday 1st July 2018
• Skye, Loch Coruisk

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Skye was calling us again with temperatures reaching 26 degrees so we decided this time to head to Loch Coruisk by boat and wild camp.

The drive to Skye is as always amazing with such beautiful scenery to be seen, you can never get bored by it.

We drove down to Elgol, ditched the car and caught the boat over to Loch Coruisk which in itself is a lovely scenic boat trip. Many people actually do this without even getting off the boat.

We saw the Islands of Eigg, Rum, Soay and Canna in the distance, places I would like to visit in the future.

The last time we payed a visit here we had basking sharks swimming beside our boat. Unfortunately this time we never saw them or the dolphins but the seals were out enjoying the sun.

Once on land we looked for our perfect pitch and found it on a hillock overlooking both the sea and the Loch surrounded by mountains, we had it all. I forgot just how special this place was. With no-one around it was truly tranquil.

John Muir once wrote “Everyone needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in, where nature may heal and give strength to body and soul”…this is that very place.

We spent some time walking round the Loch, cooked some dinner then hiked to a view point to watch another sunset before calling it a night.

When we arose next morning temperatures were already high. We set off to hike up to what we were told was another amazing view point on top of Sgurr na Stri. We took a slow and steady hike up passing several wild deer.

On reaching the viewpoint it was the perfect sight. Amazing views out across the ocean on the left and to our right the whole of Loch Coruisk and the main Cuillin Ridge. This must be the best view on Skye, it is truly awe-inspiring.

The shortest river in Britain is right here, can you see it right beside my left knee in the picture below, this is the River Scavaig which runs from Loch Coriusk in the centre of the Black Cuillin of Skye to the sea in a mere 250 yards.

The colour of the sea was spectacular. We sat for a while just taking it all in not knowing where to look…I could have stayed up here for hours….

You cannot stay on the summit forever; you have to come down again. Some might ask so why bother in the first place? Just this: When your above you know what is below, but when your below you do not truly know what is above. When you climb, you see, when you descend you see no longer, but you have seen. Pictures can only capture a tiny bit.

We took a slow hike back down and stopped off at a river running down the mountain and had a dip, it felt nice and warm, just what we needed.

Back at camp we made some dinner then headed to the sea for a dip in the ocean…we had a few local noseys checking us out – the seals – but we enjoyed their company. Again the water was warmer than expected.

As the evening was coming to a close we headed back to camp and relaxed for a bit outside on our natural veranda before ‘turning out the lights’.

The views, the hikes, the fresh air, the peace and quiet; you can’t beat wild camping in the mountains….it’s utter perfection.

Sadly next morning we packed up camp and headed back to Elgol by boat.

We had met a very young American boy the previous night wild camping near where we were. He was over in Scotland back packing from the States for a couple of weeks so we gave him a lift back to Portree where he was going to do The Old Man of Storr, we shared a few ideas of other places he should visit. He was truly loving his first time in Scotland and hitting all the best spots.

On the drive out we wanted to check out Plockton. On driving through this picturesque Highland village that sits on a sheltered bay with stunning views overlooking Loch Carton, I know I will now have to come back to explore this ‘Jewel of the Highlands’.

So where to next…let’s check out that weather!