Walking to Vaternish Point

There a some walks in my life time that will always remain a favourite, the type that you walk over and over again delighting in the seasonal changes and the views.

Then there are some walks that fill my heart and soul with such power and immeasurable pleasure that I feel completely consumed by the all encompassing beauty.

Vaternish Point did this to me.

On the furthest north wing of Waternish on Skye is a small lighthouse with eye-filling views of the sea and the sky as well as the islands of Lewis and Harris. We started our walk from the small hamlet of Trumpan (which deserves a posting all of it's own) and ....well, let my photos do the talking...

Just a word of warning- it is a photo heavy posting :)

On the way to Trumpan, our starting point, 

we stopped just to gawp
at the blueness 

and vastness 

and beauty of it all.

A small spit of land seemingly held just by a slender thread of land to Waternish.

Trumpan seems to have had it's fair share of clan fighting with the most disastrous results. 

I do recommend reading THIS to find out it's dark and murderous past.

We set off, following the hamlet's narrow tarred road.

It seemed that nearly every second house was a holiday home,

the whole area had a feeling of a ghost town.

However, alongside a house with a garden riotously filled with flowers

was this dark wooden stall,

just inviting to be opened.

And inside were fresh breads and biscuits,

jams and an honesty box.

We bought ginger biscuits and Himself chose a jar of gooseberry and elderflower jam.

A happy man:)

Our purchases stashed safely in our haversacks,

we carried on.

Our gaze dragged out to the sea

watching the sky

watching the water

watching the yacht 

Silently it slipped through our view

Then, when my eyes were almost aching with the beauty of the blue.....

...something moved in the water.

Something absolutely enormous.

Whales? Had we? Did we? See actual real live whales?

We stood and stared

Our eyes beseeching the water to reveal more.

Then the dark shadows vanished.

Did we imagine them?

Then, more obvious and everywhere

were the magpie moths.

Hundreds and hundreds of them.

Our track became more wild and stony.

Along the way we visited the ruins of highland blackhouses, 

left from the days of the highland clearances. 

Dark days.

We also discovered a large cairn in honour of Roderick MacLeod of Unish, 

who died during a battle on Waternish in 1530.

Enroute we explored two brochs - historic dwellings - the first with large and impressive remains where we stopped for lunch and the second - Dun Gearymore which was smaller and more tumble down but with a surviving access passage way.  Within moments of discovering it, Himself, the boys and Girlfriend squeezed in and disappeared from view. Ergh - not for me!

I chose to take photos of the view, the broch and the beautifully coloured rock while I tried to imagine what it was like to have lived here 700BC during the Iron Age.

Eventually the broch spat my family out and we continued towards Unish House - a huge and imposing stone farm house. All along the route were stony mounds - evidence of ruined blackhouses.

At the farm, we discovered ruined outbuildings, so we explored and imagined life.

Through the doorway of one such building

I spied the lighthouse.

Our destination.

I zoomed in with my camera and was delighted to also capture a small ferry.

And....

was that a dark mark in the water?

To the left of the lighthouse?

YES!
A whale a whale a whale!

In fact - two whales. 

Two Minke whales.

We all stood absolutely delighted!

I zoomed in and scanned the sea

look what popped into view....

We hurried down to the lighthouse for a better view and for the next hour we the only witnesses of feeding and surfacing. Each surfacing was punctuated with a gentle fuff of air from the blowhole.

Himself brewed up mugs of steaming tea, 

the purchased homebaked ginger biscuits were munched 

as we sat spellbound.

Then, when the whales had quietly slipped into the distant, seals and seabirds captivated us.

The teenagers dropped down off the cliff edge and climbed down to the water's edge.

A large seal seemed very curious and kept bobbing up high to have a good look at them.

 

Eventually the air cooled and the sun lowered

Time to return.

We still had a fair walk back to the car.

And the track was long.

Finally, six hours after we set off,

we returned to the car

foot sore

but heart happy.

Then in the last of the evening light, 

as we arrived at our campsite nestled below the range of hills,

a cloud 'table-cloth' slid up and over the brow of the hill.

Magical.

And Himself's gooseberry and elderflower jam?

Well.

Eaten the next day for breakfast on toasted bannock buns.

What better way to start the day?

This walk keeps invading my memory

making my heart both sing and feel sore.

I would love to return to this wonderful peninsula

to walk

to watch

to be

Until then, I shall just have to enjoy the memories

look at the pictures

and

dream.

Thank you for joining me xxx