The Isle of Skye (Middle Earth)
We had arrived at last, after two days and a diversion to Perth to pick up one of the group. The Isle of Skye greeted us with low cloud and rain. But it was a stunning place just the same. The scenery was just has it had been described in the article I had read the year before in The Mountain Bike Rider magazine. It said “Go and ride Middle Earth.” They were right; it did resemble some of the scenes from Lord of the Rings films.
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Our party was made up of me (Colin Crooks), Paul Groom and Ray Smith. We did not know it at the time but this weekend would leave us very wet, very tired but very happy and wanting to return and ride Skye again. |
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We continued up the road to Portree and our base for the weekend. We were greeted at the front door of the Almondbank guest house by the owner Mrs Nicholson and by our guide for the weekend Tim Francis who was from Wilderness Scotland, the travel company who had arranged the trip for us. We put our bags in our rooms and drove the short distance into Portree town centre for our evening meal and to get down to the business of sorting out the routes to ride the following day. |
Tim advised us that the weather for the next few days would make the ride along the Quiraing too dangerous so he had sorted out another more sheltered route on the other side of the island. We were going to ride a loop from Suardal through Boreraig up to the Stac Suisnish then back along the old cart track back to Suardal. He said we would sort out Sunday’s ride after this day’s route; the weather might change for the better by morning.
Day 1 - Saturday 21st April
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We were all up bright and early for a breakfast of porridge and kippers. Tim joined us and told us that the weather was going to be bad, so we had to put on our wet gear. So after we had finished we loaded up the van and drove to Suardal. Once there we got ready and started our first ride of the weekend. It was very wet and the wind started to get up but Tim said once we got over the first climb we would be more sheltered from the weather. We started out on a good track that slowly climbed up to go over Ben Suardal |
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We made good progress despite the rain and chatted, laughed and joked during the first few miles. The gravel trail soon gave way to grass and granite boulders. |
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I rode alongside Tim and he told me how the trail we were riding on was an old cart track. I looked back and thought how tough the old horses must have been. I also found that Paul and Ray had gone over to walking up the first climb. |
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The trail continued alongside a small river call Allt na Pairte, I say alongside about forty foot up. We began to descend down natural granite steps. I was flying down these and having great fun. The ideal way to ride this type of trail is just let the bike roll over the rocks and don’t try to brake too often. About half way down I stopped to take a photo of the others but the camera was not having it. The weather was cold and that just did not suit it at all. |
We eventually reached the bottom and the former village of Boreraig, this small settlement was a victim of the Western Isle clearances, we found also a pair of hikers who had set up camp and they waved and greeted us has we rode past. We now turned right went along the shore of Loch Eishort, over a couple of water falls along the rocky beach. The riding was tough but we were loving each second. We didn’t know that the real hard bit was yet to come.
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The cry of seabirds kept us company and the views were just out of this world. I for myself love this part of the UK. Soon we came along a bit smoother ground and the pace went up again |
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But the rocky ground came at us around the next bend. We rode a piece of single track that had a drop on one side and a cliff on the other; we found some shelter and stopped for lunch in the rain. |
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After we had our food we headed for the Stac Suisnish. Tim told us about this little climb we had to do. Well, you put your bike over your shoulder and climb up the cliff; this is mountain biking at its best. Paul looked at me and said nothing but his face was a picture. I followed up after Tim and got my camera out to find it was working again I took a shot of Paul coming up this small climb or cliff as it should be known. |
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As you can see this was no easy ride. Once we were at the top we headed back along a wide but rough track, over streams and past waterfalls we rode with the wind at our backs, wet but happy. An hour or two later we were back at the van getting changed and loading up our steeds back in the van. We were all tired but once showered up and clean we went with Tim back into Portree for food and some beers. Our first day had been top notch. Over the evening meal we were told about the next day's ride. We were going to tackle the Glen Sligachan. The ride took you along the river Sligachan valley then over the Black Cuillin Hills although hills is not a term I’d call them, and so after a beer or two we returned to our beds and slept knowing tomorrow was going to be another tough day.
Day 2 - Sunday 22nd April
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Morning found us enjoying porridge, kippers and the rain hitting the window of the lounge where we sat. Our gear had been washed and dried by Mrs Nicolson ready for us to get wet again on the trail. She was a god send for us with cups of tea and cake when we got back from our rides. She runs a top place. So again after breakfast we set out for the Sligachan. |
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We arrived to find that the rain had stopped and that the cloud had lifted so instead of a dark gloom we had a bright one instead. We posed for photos before we set off. Tim said that if the weather turned bad he’d have to stop us riding. The Sligachan was not a place to get stuck in when it’s nasty. We looked at each other and laughed; a truly tough place to ride. |
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We started out on a short road section to warm up but were soon met by a set of granite steps up to the trail. You go from wet rock to loose shale; the change in riding is different over just a few feet, great stuff. We rode along bunny hopping over drain gullies and crossed fast flowing streams. |
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Soon, though the weather took a turn for the worse. Paul said he was going to head back to the van. He was still feeling sore from Saturday. Ray and I said we would not go on without Paul. We had gone quite a way along the trail but it turned out the Coast Guard were pulling people off the valley due to the bad weather that had just, all of a sudden sprung up. A helicopter flew low along the river and Tim said it was best we turned around and headed back to the van, the weather had won. The conditions on the way back were very hard. This is why the sport of mountain biking is one of the toughest forms of cycling around. |
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Back at the van, Tim said he knew another route close by that would again be better to ride for the conditions we were having now. We all nodded in agreement and set off for a place called Orbost. This trail would be short steep but good fun to ride. We would set off from Orbost House carpark, through Beinn na Moine forest then on up to Idrigill Point and the views of the Macleod’s Maidens. The first part was made up of a fire road through the forest this we did a fast pace. Paul was with us and was feeling better now he was out of the bad weather but, it was still raining hard. At the end of the fire road it went to a steep rocky single track that became very tough. |
Trying to get grip was a nightmare but we found it some where because we kept going up. But half up the first climb, Paul hit the wall. His body was going no further. He said sorry and took the van keys from me but he told Ray and me to carry on. He said it was not fair on us two to miss out on the rest of the ride, so reluctantly we carried on. The route turned out to be a little cracker. Through forest and moor we rode on ever climbing, crossing over streams and falling off at every turn. At the top was another of the villages that had been cleared. The people who had lived there must have been a hardy bunch because the rain was now driving into our faces. We rode on.
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We reached the end of the trail, but the mist had come in and the Maidens were hidden. You could hear the waves crash against the cliffs and the cries of the gulls but that was all the scene was just fog. We stood there for a while, had some food then headed back to the waiting Paul at the van. The return was down hill all the way. I crashed into a bog coming up with a clod of moss for a mask; lucky for me the other two did not have the camera. |
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The track was a dream to ride along now and we made good time. We bunny hopped, and jumped over countless gullies. |
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As we rode on the rain began to ease and that made it even better. At one point though, we had to climb down a waterfall, which was something different...... |
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.....but soon enough the last ride of the weekend was drawing to a close. With tired limbs we tackled the last few miles with smiles wider than the English Channel. It had turned out to be a great last day. |
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Our trip to Middle Earth had been a very special weekend. All three of us shall return to The Isle of Skye one day and try our hand at the trails we missed out on and those that had beaten us. |
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Here are some more photos of our trip to Skye!
View from the guest house |
The Hobbits |
“Where’s the nearest pub from here?” |
The Western Isles of Scotland a stunning place |
The views on the way home........ |
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We’d like to thank Mrs Nicholson and Tim Francis for all their help to make our trip a great one.
Useful contacts for trips to Skye.
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Almondbank Guest House |
Wilderness Scotland |
Tim Francis |
Off-Road Secretary
Colin Crooks
