Over The Hill

From the Glen Brittle hut to Coruisk is just under 8 kilometres as the crow flies; we made a 2 hour car journey followed by a 1 hour boat trip to get there, such are the complexities of getting from one side of the Cullins to the other. We left the car at Elgol and boarded the Bella Jane, taking a mixture of passengers, about 25, most on a round trip to see the seals, and if lucky, some whales or basking sharks. Some of us though, were being off-loaded at the tiny landing stage at Coruisk, a beautiful enclosed rocky bay leading the Loch Coruisk, and the single dwelling place, the Coruisk Memorial Mountain Hut, a real remote location from which to start our coastal walk back to Elgol.

Leaving the landing stage we crossed the Scavaig River at the outflow from Loch Coruisk and as we crossed the sandy bay of Loch nan Leachd we came across 2 kayakers just about to set off on the same journey as we were, a return to Elgol, only they would be making it all at sea level. We were to met them again as the day progressed.

As coastal walks go,this one has it's challenging moments, the first of these is within a kilometre of the start, the renowned "Bad Step", a section where we had to cross a rock face about 20 to 30 metres above the sea with only a narrow fissure to get the toe of your boot into, and a few cracks about head level to get a finger hold on. It was an interesting couple of minutes, but thankfully, as my picture shows, we got across without taking a plunge into, what I am sure, would have been very cold waters.

There then followed a beautiful walk traversing above the shoreline on a mixture of path and rock as we rounded the small headlands that lie between Coruisk and Camasunary, a broad, low-lying sandy bay on which there stands a MBA bothy and a single estate cottage. Our kayakers had already beached their kayaks and were sitting outside of the bothy, and so we joined them once again while we took a break and just enjoyed the sun and a moment of remote relaxation.

Our route beyond Camasunary held one more challenge for us as we rose high along a section of steep cliffs above the rocky shoreline below; the path suddenly narrowing and running directly above the sheer cliffs for quite a considerable distance. There was not a lot of talk among us as we made the traverse; there was however a good deal singing and humming a tune, funny what people do to concentrate the mind at times!

Arriving back at Elgol, we once again met up with the kayakers with whom we had crossed paths a couple of times throughout the day, and, with another twist, after driving back to Broadford and stopping off at the Co-op for yet some more supplies, who should we met in the food isles, yep, that's right, the kayakers. Small island!

A day with a difference, and a great, and at times challenging coastal walk.