The treasure trove of hiking

The treasure trove of

hiking :
Isle of
Skye,Scotland
By Aarav Dixit

Published on 7/12/2023

pic : (isleofskye.com)

Isle of Skye, is that a

new video game ?

The Isle of Skye, might be an odd name to

all of us non scottish folk but that form of
name is quite common in that area, Isle
meaning island which mainly resides in
the northern part of the UK. Isle of Skye
may look like an ordinary island, one with
no flare or intrigue and maybe just one of
those you pass by on the highway
because your parents took your phone
away, but ignoring the demons in your car,
when you look deeper into Skye you can
truly see the magic which resides in it.
Also they have a delicious caramel ice
cream named after it which i highly
recommend! But putting that aside it is
mainly known for its incredible hikes and
scenery.

scottish (ag, (“Flag of Scotland”, wikipedia

Portree, Isle of Skye, Scotland (TimeOut)

The treacherous
aspects of the lovely
Island

First of all I'd like to put up a quick warning

sign, if you think you can go to Skye in
white sneakers , take a tiny hike and grab
a couple of photos and come back home
you're very wrong, unless you want those
sneakers as brown as coffee I suggest a
little bit more gear. Skye is known for its
notorious weather and even more spotty
cell service (Williams and Hipp). I know
that one text could have changed your life
but I think waiting a few minutes to reply
isn't gonna hurt anyone. It is also
extremely cold so to even go there and
make it out without becoming a popsicle
stick you'll need proper clothing like a
jacket, fleece and hiking shoes! (Williams
and Hipp). I cannot emphasize the
importance of proper hiking shoes, it is the
difference between having a good time
and falling off a cliff, literally. Fun fact,
many scenes from popular movies could
have been shot at Skye (Williams and
Hipp). So you can always remember that
Stan Lee did not want you to be Skye-
man. But to those folk who are like the
avengers, braving the elements the sites
are worth it.

Image of hiking shoes (New York Post, 2023)

4 hours of beauty
and hell of the
Quirang

Hiking on Skye is one of the greatest

pleasures and displeasures to ever grace
the Earth, one such hike for me was the
Quiraing rated as a difficult hike and
between 7 to 11 km, bog and dangerous if
attempted in bad weather it's a tough hike
but worth it (All trails : Williams and Hipp).
I had personally gone with my family and 2
cousins to Skye over the summer and of
course like the true believers we are we
decided to climb Quirang’s harder route.
Except my mom she chickened out after
she saw the narrow path and likeliness to
FALL! Anyway as we went along my
cousin brother decided to get cocky and
always ended up going ahead of us, he
was a real douchebag but surprisingly not
that bad of a climber. As we slowly started
our ascent it only became clearer to us
how hard it was, narrow path, giant drops
and passers by who if you angered could
easily just push you over, and on top i
didn’t have hiking shoes. As time passed
by we kept on going higher and higher
thinking it would never end. Pro tip DON’T
GET LOST, I did. Once we realized we
were no longer on the path we decided to
take the “true” path or so my cousin
brother claimed, where I was forced to
climb like a monkey so as to not get
seriously injured. The humiliation grew by
the fact a french couple were drinking
coffee and watching us with a slight smug,
the french truly are cruel. After finding our
way somehow we went to the different
peaks around the Quiraing and battled
enormous and harsh winds almost making
my jacket a magic carpet ride, A Whole
New World! Finally we took part in the
Scottish ritual of placing a stone to create
a pile representing the completion of the
hike and started our descent back. But it
wasn't over, the way down was worse! As
we went through maze-like tube shaped
paths, one of which I almost took a ride
on. After beating the dangers of the
Quiraing all i wanted was food. But still, it
was an amazing experience for all of us.

Parts of the quirang open for free hiking

Mountain ranges of the Quirang souroundings

The safer option of a

Lightouse

Of course , we’re not that crazy which is

why we also visited some scenic routes,
which was the neist point trail walk. The
length of the walk is 2.7 km and is rated
medium on all trails but personally I would
classify it as easy, its popular site which
leads to many tourists and takes about 60
mins to complete but the walk is beautiful
and has a scenic view of the ocean and a
lighthouse which is located at the edge of
the rocky shore (all trails). You will also
see free roaming goats in the area as
many farmers let their sheep eat near
there so don’t be alarmed by them, they
won't hurt you and will go along their own
way (all trails) . The walk allows you to
follow different paths and you may explore
other cliff areas nearby as well (all trails). I
personally stood there to enjoy the view as
the smell of the salty sea brushed by me
and the winds carried away my worries
and I relaxed watching the sun set over the
horizon,as the waves crashed by and
landed on rocky shores and surrounded by
the people I care about. It was perfect!
There is also a zen garden where you can
build a zen rock statue out of rocks nearby
to symbolise your visit to the amazing site
and tranquility. My cousins and I built one
from some scattered stones and then
decided to take some pictures. Until my
cousin's brother broke it by throwing a
stone at it. At which point my brother
became Usain bolt and bolted off the hill
with a smug face to get away from a mad
man.

Lighthouse at Niest Point, opened November 1st 1909

My cousin brother and the zen statue we had built for the zen

garden (one in front of him) with veiw of the zn garden

In the end the memories and travels I had

in Isle of Skye will always be with me, the
hikes, the people and going there with my
family is one of the most meaningful
times of my life. It was a relaxing time for
me and opened me up to my interest in
hiking and it allowed me to bond with my
cousins who I had not seen for many
years prior to that adventure. Skye's views
are out of this world and I don't think I
might ever see something so spectacular,
overall Skye has had an everlasting impact
on me as I am sure of every other person
who has visited it.

We think you might like this :

https://sites.google.com/bis-
school.com/paliouri-greece/home

Works Cited

Photos :

Isle of Skye Scotland. Visitors Guide & Skye

Accommodation,

https://www.isleofskye.com/. Accessed 7

December 2023.

“The 12 best hiking shoes for women and men

in 2023, with expert tips.” New York Post,

5 June 2023,

https://nypost.com/article/best-hiking-

shoes-for-women-men-with-expert-tips/.

Accessed 6 December 2023.

“Flag of Scotland.” Wikipedia,

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag_of_Sco

tland. Accessed 6 December 2023.

“Isle of Skye 2023 | Ultimate Guide To Where To

Go, Eat & Sleep in Isle of Skye | Time

Out.” Timeout,

https://www.timeout.com/isle-of-skye.

Accessed 6 December 2023.

fact based information :

“Neist Point, Highlands, Scotland - 398

Reviews, Map.” AllTrails,

https://www.alltrails.com/trail/scotland/hig

hlands/neist-point-trail--2. Accessed 7

December 2023.

“The Quiraing Circuit, Highlands, Scotland -

2,000 Reviews, Map.” AllTrails,

https://www.alltrails.com/trail/scotland/hig

hlands/the-quiraing-circuit. Accessed 7

December 2023.

Williams, Gareth. “Why the Magical Isle of Skye

Should Be Your Next Hiking Adventure.”

57hours, https://57hours.com/review/isle-

of-skye-hiking/. Accessed 7 December

2023.

author contact info :

dixit.aarav1304@gmail.com
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