Locality

"Gairloch View" is situated on the North East coast of Skye, in the quiet crofting township of Digg. It nestles beneath the Trotternish Ridge and the Quiraing hills, with views over the North Sound of Raasay to Gairloch and the Torridon mountains.

This is one of Skye's most popular walking areas, a place where some of the most spectacular rock formations of the 20-mile long Trotternish Ridge are within easy access from the road. Gairloch View is an ideal base for walking, with The Old
Man of Storr, the Quiraing Mountain Walks, the Trotternish Ridge, Rubha Hunish, Brothers Point to name but a few in this area, there are three pairs of sea eagles nearby and you can usually see dolphins, minke whales and basking sharks in the waters around this area.

There are plenty of other good walks available without going into the hills. From our house it is a short stroll down to the shore, and you can then walk round to Staffin Bay with its sandy beach. A little further on, coastal cliffs take over and you can get wonderful views of these from the Kilt Rock viewpoint, with its famous waterfall and good views of nesting seabirds.

This area of Skye is designated as an area of special scientific interest in regard to its flora and fauna, local geology, fossils and unusual stones. Bird watching is a popular activity and the Quiraing area is renowned for Golden Eagles and many other birds of prey, as well as Ring Ouzels, Golden Plover and other mountain birds. The Sea Eagle also nests on the Trotternish sea-cliffs.

Sea and loch fishing are available at Staffin, and there are regular day tours to Uist and Harris that leave from Uig ferry port (around 8 miles away). Canoeing and windsurfing are available at Whitewave Activities in Kilmuir.

Within a few miles of Staffin are two fascinating museums, the Geological Museum which has displays of the dinosaur bones and other fossils which have caused so much world-wide interest in this area, and the Skye Museum of Island Life, a place where you could happily spend all day absorbed in the relics of our distinctive past way of life. In the same area are the Flora MacDonald monument, the ruins of Duntulm Castle, and many other archaeological sites including brochs, chambered tombs and standing stones.

Ten minutes drive towards Portree takes you to the Old Man of Storr, a 160 ft basalt pillar dominating the local landscape, and further afield Skye has an endless number of other attractions, including Dunvegan Castle, the Talisker Distillery, the Clan Donald Centre, and numerous fascinating small craft workshops, historic sites and spots of scenic beauty. A short drive west from Staffin will take you to Uig with its picturesque bay, from which a variety of day tours to the Western Isles are available.

At the weekends there is often traditional music to be enjoyed at Duntulm hotel. A good place close by for a meal or a cup of coffee is Columba 1400, Staffin, complete with internet access. There are several other good places to eat in the area and there is nearly always a ceilidh on somewhere in the island.

This is all too good to keep to ourselves. We want to share it with you!