Isle
of Skye, Scotland -
|
The
Cuillin mountains, a massive confusion of gabbro and granite which
straddles the island, are famous for their rugged splendour. The red
hills of the east have soft, rounded contours to their steep sides
while the black hills to the west, rising to almost 1000 metres, are
unimaginably hard and jagged in their aspect.| It is to these, the Black Cuillin, that mountaineers from all over the world come to try their mettle. The highest peaks are connected by a continuous ridge which twists, towers, and plunges its tortuous way from north to south. |
The
names along the way tell their own stories. Am Bastier: "the
executioner"; Sgurr a Ghreadaich: "the peak of
torment"; An Garbh-choire: "the wild cauldron".
The two main starting points for exploring the Cuillins are Sligachan, which lies at the junction of the two main roads through the island, and Glen Brittle, to the west.
The
awesome beauty of these mountains is, for some people, very hard to
resist but the ascent onto the ridge, from any starting point, is
arduous and perilous and should only be undertaken by experienced
mountaineers or with the help of a local guide.
Please ensure you have proper footwear and suitable clothing.
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