| Altitude | 1,295 Feet |
| Trail Conditions | No defined trail, hill walk and minor sheep trails |
| Difficulty | Low |
| Est. Time | 2-3 hours |
| Distance | 3-4 Miles |
| Starting Location | Clachan Erisco Standing Stones, Borve |
The Walk
This walk starts in the small village of Borve (Norse for “Within the rocks”) at the Clachan Erisco Standing stones, a short distance north-west of Portree. If driving be sure to look out for the sign directing you to Borve as the turn off from the main road is just over a blind summit and very easy to drive past.
I parked at a friends house but there are plenty of locations to park around the area including near the standing stones, avoid parking in passing places and infront of gates or access points.
Once you’ve found a place to park, walk to the south-east until you approach a fork in the road, take the left fork and follow the road until you gain access to the hill proper.
Once you’ve made it to the start of the hill, it’s just a case of choosing whatever you believe to be the easiest way to reach the various summits as there is no defined trail to this trig point, I followed the occasional sheep trail and what appear to be the buried remains of some walls to avoid some of the bracken.
I would strongly recommend following the ridgeline on the south side as much as possible when making your way up to the trig point, this ensures you’re treated to panoramic views of the entire Portree, Carbost and Kensaleyre area (South, West and North-West respectively).
Although rather dry on the day I walked it, there were still several boggy spots that you’ll want to walk around where possible, ideally this walk should be done after several dry days unless you’re prepared to get wet. There are also several hidden streams throughout the area which are easy to cross but do pose a risk of getting wet feet. The entire area is covered in Bracken and you should ideally check for ticks on an ongoing basis.
Gallery
History of the Local Area
Dun Borve, an ancient fort whose name means ‘fort’ in Gaelic (dùn), is steeped in folklore and mystery. According to local legend, it was once believed to be inhabited by fairies. The villagers, seeking to rid themselves of these magical residents, shouted, “The fairies’ fort is on fire!” Startled and scared, the fairies fled from their home. When they discovered it was a trick, they never returned, leaving Dun Borve to stand silent and abandoned.
The Clachan Erisco Stones is a short row of sthree stones located just off the Borve road. Although it’s not much to look at anymore, based on additional stones nearby it likely once formed a stone circle. The stones date back to the Neolithic to Late Bronze Age – 4000 BC to 551 BC.
The Skye 56 
Leave a comment