This spectacular walk takes you into the heart of the Quiraing, a fantastic landscape of rocky pinnacles and cliffs. The Quiraing is a 36km eroding landslide that creates an impressive geographic divide across the northern peninsula of the island. The whole of the Trotternish Ridge escarpment was formed by a great series of landslips. The Quiraing is the only part of the slip still moving. Hiking the Quiraing was high on our list for our trip to the Isle of Skye.
OUR HIKE TO THE QUIRAING ON SKYE
Hiking the Quiraing on the Isle of Skye is a marvellous hike, allowing you to get in amongst some spectacular scenery.
On the day of our hike it was bitterly cold and there was snow and ice on high ground. As we emerged from the car it was bitterly cold and the wind was blowing hard, so we promptly put on all the clothes we had and rapidly set off. Luckily as we hiked we warmed up, although we all wore five or six layers the entire time!
We planned to hike the entire Quiraing, a 4.5 mile loop taking us up and through the spiky pinnacles. With the weather being so cold and windy, hiking the entire way proved impossible, but we did manage to get up as far as the the Needle and Prison of the Quiraing.
Apart from the cold, this hike is spectacular with amazing views of the dramatic landscape. It is a must do hike while on the Isle of Skye.
HIKING THE QUIRAING
There is a 4.5 mile (7 km) circuit you can do through the Quiraing. This hike takes you up and over the pinnacles, for amazing views of this spectacular landscape. Allow approximately 2 hours for this hike. The path is rocky, and at times narrow, with some steep drops. This hike is suitable for anyone who is relatively fit. It may however, be unsuitable for young children, due to the steep drops down the mountain side and the narrowness of the path. Our children were 9, 11 and 14 at the time of hiking and had no issues.
The start point for this hike is at the parking area at the top of the pass on the Staffin to Uig road. Here you are at the edge of the escarpment that makes up the Trotternish Ridge. Cross the road and take the path on the other side. Follow this path as it heads towards the pinnacles that make up the landscape of the Quiraing. The path follows a steep slope and then crosses a small gully with a short rocky section. This section requires care, particularly after rain, as the rocks are wet and slippery.
The path continues to traverse along the slope and soon you can see the impressive Prison, a large rock feature. The path continues uphill towards the gap between the Prison and the main mass of the Quiraing. The Needle is high up ahead, an obvious detached pinnacle. To get closer to the Needle, it is a bit of a steep scramble uphill.
Beyond the Needle, but out of sight, is the Table. This flat grassy area in the middle of the Quiraing, surrounded by rocky towers, was meant to have been used to hide cattle when raiders were spotted. To reach the Table is a difficult ascent and descent on some very steep, eroded ground and requires great care. We didn’t do it on this occasion as it was too cold and the ground was icy. Everyone was just keen to get back to the car!
The full circuit should only be attempted in good weather. Wet, icy conditions make the complete circuit dangerous. This hike is best in clear conditions, so you can see the dramatic views across the landscape.
For a more detailed guide of the entire hike, visit the Walk Highlands website.
THE QUICK WAY TO SEE THE QUIRAING
The Quiraing is located on the Trotternish Loop on the Isle of Skye. To get to the Quiraing, take the single track road connecting Uig with Staffin. This narrow road can become quite congested with cars during peak times, so take your time.
There is a large car park at the Quiraing. If there are no spaces available, then drive on down the road towards Staffin, where there are several smaller parking spots.
It is worth getting out of the car and walking just a short way up the main trail, about 200 metres, to see some of the best of the Quiraing. Once a little way from the car park there are some spectacular views across Skye. This is what coach parties tend to do – stop for thirty minutes for people to walk a short way and take in the views.
Make sure to hike the Quiraing on any trip to Skye. It is beautiful.
Have you hiked to the Quiraing on the Isle of Skye? Tell us about it in the comments below.
FOR MORE ON SKYE:
Top 6 Family Family Friendly Hikes on the Isle of Skye
Hiking the Old Man of Storr on Skye
Top 12 Things To Do on the Isle of Skye with Kids
FOR OTHER GREAT HIKES FROM AROUND THE WORLD:
- New Zealand: The Tongariro Alpine Crossing with Kids
- South Africa: Climbing Table Mountain in Cape Town with Kids
- Bhutan: Hiking to Tiger’s Nest Monastery in Bhutan
- China: Hiking the Great Wall of China with Kids
- Wales: Hiking Snowdon with Kids
2 Comments.
I see your post is dated June 2018. Is that when you were there? We are going mid April and I’m just wondering about the weather and how cold it will be. Thanks!
Hi Lisa. We were there in April last year, in the easter holidays. You’ll need plenty of warm clothes and rain coats. Have you checked out the other Skye posts? You’ll see we were well dressed up. We had snow, hail, driving rain and then some lovely sunny days…a bit of everything! There was snow on the high ground last year and we hiked the Old Man of Storr in a fair bit of snow.