May bank holiday was approaching and the weather forecast was looking pretty good for the west so a plan was hatched. Bike of choice was the Mukluk as there was scope to do some beach riding. I'd also throw the blue pig in as I fancied having a go at the Lagan Wolftrax trail centre on the way home.
I left at the crack of dawn Saturday and after a leisurely drive arrived at Broadford at 9.30am. Annoyingly I'd managed to forget any kind of tools or puncture repair kit. There was no sign of a bike shop in Broadford or anywhere else. I found a industrial unit in an estate which seemed to be a bike hire and guiding business, but was closed. I phoned the number and a guy answered who suggested trying the hardware store. Sure enough they supplied a cheap multi tool and a puncture outfit. Next up was breakfast as I'd left the house without any. This came courtesy of the Broadford Co-op and then I drove a couple of miles along the Elgol Road and parked. Finally I was off!
My planned route was a fairly short circuit passing the two abandoned communities of Boraig and Suisnish via a loop of single track which a bit of geograph research indicated would go. As it happened the first section was a rough track which climbed away from the graveyard and over a low ridge.
View over Loch Eishort and the long since abandoned settlement of Boraig. I rode down to the shoreline and picked my way through the shingle to the beach. There was a bit of a path visible but the easiest way to go was to follow the shore, more fat bike fun! Ahead there was a cliff however so it looked like I might be in for a paddle....
Wah hey - what an ace trail. It had been cut into the bottom of the rock face and wound in and out of the shore line. Occasionally it faded into the beach but the fat bike rolled through it all. Eventually it climbed a short steep slope above steeper cliffs. I even manged to get up the climb!
Above the cliff the trail was still good and easy pedalling through the grassland and heather, reaching a track at Suisnish, another abandoned village. It was cool and fresh but sunny so I lingered along this route taking in the amazing views of the Inner Hebrides. The track took me back to the Elgol Road after a few miles. It was still early so I rode along this for a bit down to the shores of Loch Slappin to ride around for a bit and eat food. Then it was back up the road to the car.
I was camping at Sligachan so drove up there, checked in and got the tent pitched. It was quite breezy by now and the slig campsite is a famous wind tunnel but my tent has taken much worse so no worries. I went for a wander but there were some big clouds around and sure enough a few showers blew through and even some hail. Naturally I retired to the bar of the Hotel during this period. Thereafter the sun reappeared so I spent more time checking out the fabulous scenery.
After tea, I of course returned to the bar although it was quite busy. Skye is becoming increasingly over run with tourists and hots spots like this are a real draw. I managed to find a seat and sat reading and drinking Skye ales for the evening until it was time to hit the sack. Tomorrow would be a big day.
On that basis I had a reasonably early start departing soon after 9am. The sun was shining and there was a reasonable breeze from the south west. My aim was the well known trail up Glen Sligachan over to Camasunary bay, then back (hopefully) by another trail shown on the map.
Morning view of Sgurr nan Gillean. I climbed this on the aforementioned School Mountaineering club trip. We didn't set of until mid afternoon, topped out around 7 and made it back to the Slig for last orders. It was a stunning day and the views off the top were out of this world.
The trail is a good one. A bit wide and eroded at first as it is used to access various red and black Cuillin hills but it progressively narrows to a fine piece of singletrack. The climb is surprisingly gentle too, passing the watershed at a couple of wee lochans - one for each direction of the watershed. There is then a gentle descent to the bay via a couple of bigger lochans. Overall the trail is pretty straightforward with enough rocky bits to keep it interesting but nothing drastic. The fat bike flew through the lot.
Scenery (note Gillean peeping over the near ridge!)
A rather black cloud appeared over the Cuillins but lingered there rather than descend into the strath through which I was riding. I caught a brief sprinkle of rain before the sun came out once more.
Final descent to the Bay
Beach riding in the Cuillins, Rum and Muck in the distance
I stopped for food and to take in the fab views and sunshine. Eventually I pedalled back across the beach to pick up a steep track zig-zagging out out of the bay and over a low ridge to Kirkibost. I actually encountered people here, walking in the easy way to the beach from the road.
Top of the climb looking back over the bay
I pedalled up the road looking across to where I'd been the previous day. I was aiming for a single track that would take me back north to the main A87. In the event the start was obvious just over the bridge at the head of Loch Slappin. I'd read an account of someone else's passage over this so I was reasonably confident it would go. As usual the first section was easy but along the loch shore it deteriorated to a narrow trod with many a rock and tussock to catch you out. Wow, the fat bike just rode through it all. This confirmed what a mate said and I'd suspected, these things are the tool for the job for those marginal footpaths that are purely erosion lines. The term coined by (motorcycle) trials riders is nadgery - not entirely sure why but the term refers to these kind of trails where you have to pick your way through, over and round the obstacles, all at low speed and all great fun.
Full on sunshine now!
One bit did catch me out - I'd crossed a few peaty bits past the loch and they had all been dry, confirming what I'd thought - unlike home there had been very little rain here. One bit however swallowed my front wheel whole! It was totally saturated and therefore had no substance too it. I filled the resulting hole back in and washed the glop off the wheel in the nearby burn.....
Eventually I emerged at Luib, chuffed that I'd bagged another fine route. Back to the Slig was all on road in theory. The A87 looked worth a miss however as it drags up a substantial climb. Instead after a mile or so I turned off on what used to be the main road but now just serves a few houses. I'd ridden this on my rigid framed motorcycle the previous year and its amusingly wrecked. The council have clearly given up maintaining it and the whole surface is a mass of bumps, ruts, potholes and cracks. So perfect for a fatbike and with no traffic.
Looking back across to Luib and the strath I'd ridden through.
Red Cuillin
It rejoins the main road at Sconser where the Raasay ferry sails from. I rode along this road for a bit eyeing up Loch Sligachan and the receding tide. Eventually I couldn't resist riding down to the shore line. More fat bike fun - who needs roads when you've a nice rocky / silty beach to ride on. Unfortunately there was a rather deep channel preventing me from just riding straight across but I could pick my way round the shore until I was in amongst a maze of channels and salt marsh. I managed to pick a way through this crossing the river by degrees over various shallow bits. I then rode up the side of the rocky bed where it emerged from the glen. Finally I emerged and followed the path for the last section into the campsite.
It was mid afternoon so my epic ride had only taken about 5 hours or so. Obviously the only way to celebrate this achievement was a pint or two in the sun. I had a further wander around and up the trail that takes you to Sgurr Gillean for a bit, sat by the river and generally enjoyed the warm and sunny afternoon.
Classic shot of Gillean and Am Basteir plus the Basteir tooth
Then as per, cook and eat tea then retire to the Slig Bar for an evening of beers.
The next morning I was done. The tent was packed up and I headed east, destination Lagan. There wasn't too much traffic so this was done in a leisurely 2 hours or so. I rocked up at the car park and after a bit of bike juggling got the Ragley out. I rode wolftrax just after it was first built on my Orange and had enjoyed it. Today I rode pretty much all there was to ride but left feeling a bit underwhelmed. True the Ragley was a hoot round all the twisty stuff and the rocky bits offer a moderate challenge but compared to my expeditions in Skye, it was all pretty dull. I guess I'm done with trail centres, having ridden the Borders ones to death in the Late '90's and early '00's. There was plenty of folk there despite it being a weekday but after a cuppa and cake in the cafe, I was happy to leave. I'd also left the sun behind, returning to the grey and dreich that seemed to be clobbering everywhere south of the Great Glen. Still I'd had a good weekend and was happy I'd finally ridden some classic Skye trails.
