Tarskavaig Church, 10th June

Five intrepid Explorers braved the gentle smirr to walk to Tarskavaig Church and explore the headland. Despite the forecast, the weather wasn't too bad and we scouted out lots of picnic, swimming and beachcomber spots for another (sunny) day. 2.5 miles, if that, but very enjoyable nonetheless. We repaired to our house for our picnic lunch in the dry! With Rhona Campbell Verity Giles Andrew Giles and Sue Merrick

Hallaig, 21st May

Lovely walk to Hallaig on Raasay with Explorers today. About 5 - 5.5 miles. A bit wet and windy at times but mostly good with patches of blue sky. Two eagles, lots of wildflowers and mosses and, of course, the ruins of the cleared village.
Thank you for your company Rhona Campbell Lorraine Taylor Colin Taylor Jonathon, Sarah D Boone Alexandra Williams We even saw a dolphin from the ferry!

Glen Elg 30th April

Really super Explorers Walk to Gleann Beag, Caisteal Grugraig and Loch Iain Mhic Aonghais (well, we saw it!)

Around 6 miles in glorious weather which prompted a swim in the river. Fabulous views in this beautiful glen and great company as always. We even managed a beer at Dun Brewing.

Umachan ruined village, Raasay.

We had a wonderful day out in almost perfect weather. Eight of us walked from the end of Calum's road and up over the hill past the turnoff to the ruined village. Four of us ventured down to overlook the beautiful wee glen where the houses were, leaving close inspection to another day. It looks well worth further investigation. The whole walk was heavy going as it was mostly uphill and rough but such a sense of achievement. In true Explorers style we saw eagles, a furry caterpillar, beautiful mosses and lichens as well as the outlying stones of the ruins - and the scenery was amazing. Great company!

The Old Man of Storr, 18th February

Explorer's tackled the Old Man of Storr on a perfect day - cold, windy and icy. There wa no rain so all in all we couldn't have asked for better. Before we tackled the steep path, we first had to negotiate the only slightly less steep car parking fees. After that it was a walk encompassing probably the most iconic view that Skye has to offer. The way down was sore on the knees - but the pain was eased by chatting to those on the way up. The more childish members of the party (that would be all of us) may have told them they were almost there (when near the start) or less than halfway (when near the top)

Brothers' Point on the 21st of January 2026

We finally managed to do this walk after weather conditions forced a cancellation in November. We had lovely weather, brilliant for walking, and Sylvia filled us in on the possible derivations of the name - robbers, fishermen, tragedies, religion and millstones all featured in the possibilities. Lovely views and excellent company.

Ruins of Diabaig on the 22nd of October

This walk was postponed from the previous week as many people were unavailable. As a result we had a large turnout of walkers and dogs who enjoyed an invigorating walk to the ruins of the village. Talla was there to provide a valuable insight into the history of the village and lunch was enjoyed amongst the remains.

Dun Eyre and the Romesdal Waterfall on the 24th of September

Nine explorers headed to the precviously unexplored badlands of Eyre to search for the fabled source of the river Romesdal.

We started by bulking up on coffee and biscuits in the mansion like setting of Aird View before ascending, fully fueled, to the remains of Dun Eyre.

A reasonable path took us some of the rest of the distance before giving way to boggier ground along the Romesdal river. At last we arrived at waterfall and swimming pool, where two idiots hardy souls went for a dip.

After lunch we headed back, admiring the pygmy goats and horses, before yet more coffee.

Loch Duagrich and the fearsome midgies on the 20th of August.

Hardy souls donned walking boots, avon skin care and set off for the legendary Loch Duagrich. The weather was unfortunately pleasant - FOR MIDGIES! with low wind and weak sunlight. However, even they couldn't ruin an extremely pleasant gentle walk to the loch. The views were relaxing and beautiful and although lunch was necessarily short - we were in danger of becoming lunch ourselves - we all had a great time. No-one was brave enough to risk the tics and rough terrain to visit the souterrain but we did spot it and I think that will do nicely.

The Trig point at Ben Volovaig on 16th of July

Eight intrepid explorers walked to the Trig point on top of Ben Volovaig. The day started misty and it was touch and go if the sun would manage to burn off the clouds and the midgies - and whether we would get any views or not. In the end it worked out perfectly - the clouds started to break up almost as soon as we left the coast and we got fabulously atmospheric hints of he Trotternish Ridge and Rubha Hunish as the sun and clouds battled it out. Eventually the sun won and we returned walking into bright sunshine with the delights of Trotternish ahead of us all the way back. Amanda was determined to examine every piece of fauna in detail and fell over went above and beyond on several occasions to get a close look at the ground.

The Ascent of Dun Caan on the 18th of June

Explorer's bravely donned wet weather gear, passports and bus passes to make an exciting trip abroad to Raasay. Our plan was to ascend Dun Caan by the west face. The historical records do not show whether this plateau has been previously conquered and there was some talk as to what we would find there. Expedition leader Paul "Professor Challenger" Farr posited that an isolated colony of dinosaurs could have survived the ice age, provided they had evolved midge protection. We were joined by Carol, a u3a member who had travelled from far flung Wales for this chance to ascend to the lost world of Dun Caan.

Things got off to a rocky start as our guide, expert tracker Steve, managed to become the first man to get lost on the labyrinth of Raasay roads. However, after that the party headed for the top without further incident.

The Toravaig Trig expedition, 15th April

Six intrepid walkers braved the light showers and light winds to ascend the 1000ft high cliffs just north of Portree.

We started at the Toravaig road end and had spectacular light, enhanced by the odd shower as we made our way up. The views to the Storr, Ben Tianavaig, McLeod's Tables, the mainland and the Cuillin were all breathtaking as light and shade played around with our senses.

Well earned coffee, tea, scones and sandwiches set us up for a fantastic trip back - walking into surely the most spectacular vista on Skye

Armadale Forest walk, 18th March.

This was a 6km walk which started off with a long uphill stretch through the woods to a hilltop with spectacular views to Knoydart, the outer isles and the Cuillins. There was little wind and fleeces were removed in the hot, hot hot March sun

Eyenort Forest walk, 18th February 2025.

This was a 10km walk which took place following a really nice spell. Unfortunately we got some wind and rain but we still managed to enjoy some good views and the tress provided shelter

Dun Skudiburgh, 21st January 2025

A rather muddy expedition to Dun Skudiburgh to examine the ancient hill fort. The rain mostly held off and we got some nice views at the top. Talla explained the history of the site. A grand day out for January and our first walk of the year.