Upcoming trip to Skye, info needed

[mountainmummy]

Hi all

Funnily enough we were thinking about a Skye or Glen Sheil trip for the jubilee weekend. Just a bit concerned in case it's too busy.

Also which is the best campsite for Bongo and tent? Glen brittle?

Sara

[Driver+Passengers]

Bob, do you have dates for your trip, yet?

If anyone else is thinking of heading up shortly, I'll be further north than that next weekend and may see if there's any way I can stay north for the following weekend, too. Sara/Donald - let me know if your plans firm up for the Jubilee weekend.

Matt.

[MountainGoat]

If hubby is wanting to bag a Munro or two then Glenbrittle is the perfect place, it is always overun with Munro Baggers. When I was last there many moons ago there was very little for the children to do, the midges were bad and it is a very long way to the nearest pub in Carbost. There are more child friendly and quieter campsites available on Skye but if Munro bagging is the most important then Glenbrittle and Sligachan are the best locations. I don't know what the later is like these days as it was a wild camp last time I stopped there and very bad for midges, but it had the advantage of being just across the road from the Sligachan Hotel. Campsites in the north of Skye around Dunvegan appear to be less prone to midges but are some distance from the mountains.

This brings back the memories of my black labrador who climbed over 250 Munros with me. He spen most evenings under the ciggarette machine in the bar of the Sligachan Hotel gawning a bone supplied by the hotel chef.

Tony

[Bongopoet]

Sligachan is good these days but can be very windy. (But that keeps the midges down)
They have nice showers and toilet block.
http://www.sligachan.co.uk/sligachan-campsite.php

David and I are occupied for next few weeks so won't make it for anything in the near future

[helen&tony]

Hi
I heard the midges are bad, but never imagined they were as bad as I read on the Forum here....I've never encountered them on my trips to Bonnie Scotland...There is a good midge outfit, though:
http://www.imdb.com/media/rm1849399296/tt0114069
Cheers
Helen

[MountainGoat]

It depends on the time of the year and the part of Scotland you are in Helen. The midge season is usually between late April / Early May and Mid September and then they are usualy only out in early morning and late evening. The most affected part of Scotland is the North West Highlands, you will find few if any midges in other parts of Scotland and not all of them are of the biting variety. In the Scottish Borders you will find non around the towns and maybe a few in remote countryside. I've not been bitten anywhere in the Scottish Borders but I have been many times in the North West Highlands.

Ian's wife was bitten very badly at the Scottish Bongo bash held in Fort William a few years back. Had a very bad reaction to it so they had to go back home to Sheffield early. It often depends on the person, some people are midge magnets and midges never go near others. I believe that it is something to do with the pong that you give off.

Tony

[dave_aber]

The most affected part of Scotland is the North West Highlands, you will find few if any midges in other parts of Scotland and not all of them are of the biting variety. In the Scottish Borders you will find non around the towns and maybe a few in remote countryside. I've not been bitten anywhere in the Scottish Borders but I have been many times in the North West Highlands.

You can get plenty of the wee buggers here - http://www.365hq.com/glenmidge_smithy.htm

I suppose I should have guessed by the name of the campsite really - I got well and truly attacked here last summer!

[helen&tony]

Hi
Never really been into the hinterland, only to the big smoke...Glasgie, and Edinburgh....and to the west coast, and inland from Aberdeen...all on business trips, sad to say, but with a wee interlude at a fine distillery near Creiff...so I've never seen the "midgies" I have a funny story about Glasgow...bit of a chiller...and I liked Edinburgh a lot , which is good for me, as I hate cities
Cheers
Helen

[mountainmummy]

Sligachan is good these days but can be very windy. (But that keeps the midges down)
They have nice showers and toilet block.
http://www.sligachan.co.uk/sligachan-campsite.php

David and I are occupied for next few weeks so won't make it for anything in the near future

Ooohhh Sligachan looks beautiful.

Not too worried about kiddy entertainments as luckily our two are still happy poking around in streams with sticks etc.

Just want to wait for the forecast.

Sara

[Driver+Passengers]

Sligachan is good these days but can be very windy. (But that keeps the midges down)
They have nice showers and toilet block.
http://www.sligachan.co.uk/sligachan-campsite.php

David and I are occupied for next few weeks so won't make it for anything in the near future

Ooohhh Sligachan looks beautiful.

Not too worried about kiddy entertainments as luckily our two are still happy poking around in streams with sticks etc.

Just want to wait for the forecast.

Sara

There's a playground at the hotel (buy a drink and you can use it). I remember the field was quite wet in places, not huge either. Bring/buy ramps to allow you to park the van level.

[mountainmummy]

Sligachan is good these days but can be very windy. (But that keeps the midges down)
They have nice showers and toilet block.
http://www.sligachan.co.uk/sligachan-campsite.php

David and I are occupied for next few weeks so won't make it for anything in the near future

Ooohhh Sligachan looks beautiful.

Not too worried about kiddy entertainments as luckily our two are still happy poking around in streams with sticks etc.

Just want to wait for the forecast.

Sara

There's a playground at the hotel (buy a drink and you can use it). I remember the field was quite wet in places, not huge either. Bring/buy ramps to allow you to park the van level.

Donald is holding out for Glen Brittle.

[MountainGoat]

That's the Mountaineer in him. Well at least he is a bit more mature than I was all these years ago when I and my climbing partner drove back from the pub in Carbost drunk as a pair of skunks. I can't think of how we manage to do it as the winding single track road to Glenbrittle has some big drops in places.

PS: Tell him to bring a rope with him if he is going to have a go at climbing the Inacessible Pinicle of Sgurr Dearg. The easy way to climb it is to go up the long side which has a deep grove in its lower section. Then to come down thread your rope through the fixed ring which is bolted to the top of the pinnicle and abseil down the short side. Climbing up the short side is only for very tall people as when I tried it I found the lower holds were far too polished for me to get a grip on.

Tony


Climbing Up and Abseiling Down

[Muzorewa]

Although the Skye bridge is free, I'd recommend only using that for one of your journeys, you should try the original Skye ferry from Glenelg to Kylerhea. Plus the road from Shiel Bridge to Glenelg is superb

[g8dhe]

I hope someone saw the black car, starboard, off safely when he reversed .....

[Muzorewa]

I hope someone saw the black car, starboard, off safely when he reversed .....

No, they spin the turntable round so you drive off forwards. If you're not sea-sick on the brief journey across, they spin it faster to make sure you are