Читать книгу The Isle of Skye. Graded walks and scrambles throughout Skye, including the Cuillin онлайн

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The Coral Beach (Walk 4.11)

Visiting walkers inevitably head for the Black Cuillin, unquestionably the most magnificent mountain group in Britain, yet there is so much more to Skye, and walking places, coastal and inland, are a perfect balance to the weight of the Cuillin. The most obvious of all the mountains on the Island are the Red Hills since the main road across the Island skirts around them. Once these are passed, however, you come into view of the Black Cuillin, a stark, jagged skyline that boldly impresses itself on the memory, yet when the cloud is down, they can be missed altogether. The contrast between the two Cuillin is remarkable: from a distance the Black Cuillin look like just one elongated mountain with a serrated edge, a badly formed saw, if you like. The Red Cuillin, on the other hand, are smooth-sided, generally singular and distinctive mountains. There is no danger of mistaking the two.

The Island can be compartmentalised, as it has for this guide, into districts. Most southerly is Sleat, though this is strictly an old parish name. Sleat abuts Strath, which extends northwards and west to the major promontories of the Island – Minginish (which embraces the Cuillin), Duirinish, Waternish and Trotternish. The ‘nish’ ending is of Norse derivation, and means promontory.