- Height: negligible
- Distance: 1 mile
- Difficulty: Easy.
- Total Time: Allow about 30 minutes.
- Navigation: The paths are clear and well-walked.
- Starting Point: Talisker House.
- Public Transport: None that I know of.
This is a delightful walk through the grounds of Talisker House to a wide bay with high cliffs and a waterfall. The walk also gives you excellent views of one of Skye’s most distinctive hills, Preshal More.
Drive to Carbost, where you can visit the Talisker Distillery, then take the single-track road to Talisker House.
Park where the road ends, just beside the private entrance to Talisker House, making sure you are not causing an obstruction. Walk down the private road and follow the path through the grounds, taking care to close all gates behind you.
The path goes through the grounds of Talisker house, then follows a stream through a meadow filled with wild flowers. The path is now much narrower, forcing you to walk in single file. From here, looking back, you get excellent views of Talisker House and Preshal More.
The path continues, following the stream, until it reaches Talisker Bay, a wide beach of large pebbles and golden sand. Before reaching the pebbles, there is a flat grassy area where you can relax and look at the scenery. On both sides of the bay there are cliffs, and on the right-hand side of the bay is a beautiful waterfall. Return by the same route.
Map of walk to Talisker Bay.
Map Required:
- OS Landranger 32: South Skye
Neist Point
- Height: 300 ft
- Distance: 1.5 miles
- Difficulty: Easy.
- Total Time: Allow about 1 hour.
- Navigation: The paths are excellent.
- Starting Point: From the B884, take the road for Waterstein. Drive until the road ends at a car park (GR132478).
- Public Transport: None.
This is a short, steep climb up and down to a lighthouse at the most westerly point of Skye. It is a quite magical place, with sheer cliffs, seabirds, crashing waves and stunning views. There are excellent views back to the lighthouse from the cliffs facing Neist Point, but take care on the clifftops.
Drive south from Dunvegan on the A863, then turn onto the B884, following this road until there is turning for Waterstein. Take this road and drive until the road ends at a car park (GR132478). The car park is on the top of the cliffs, so from here you can either walk out over the cliffs to get views of Neist Point, the cliffs and the lighthouse, or you can go out through the gate at the end of the car park to the path leading down to the lighthouse.
The path and steps are quite steep, but there is a handrail, and the path and steps are in excellent condition. The path takes you to the narrowest part of Neist Point, from where you get excellent views of the cliffs of Waterstein Head and the cliffs on Neist Point itself. The path then climbs again and finally descends to the lighthouse. From the lighthouse you can wander round the rocks and watch the seabirds which nest on the cliffs of Neist Point. On a clear day you should be able to see the Lewis and Harris. Return to the car park by the same route.
The route from the car park to the clifftops is easy, following a rough but clear path. From here you get excellent views of the lighthouse and the cliffs on Neist Point. These cliffs, An t-Aigeach, are 300 feet high and amongst the hardest climbs on Skye.
Map of walk to Neist Point.
Map Required:
OS Landranger 23: North Skye
Accommodation
Bay View Guest House, Talisker, Isle of Skye, IV47 8SF. Telephone 01478 640244 (located at start of walk to Talisker Bay). Open all year and serve food all day, including evening meals. STB .
