It’s grey today, we leave at 7:30 to the start of the Quiraing hiking trial. Olga is dropped at an already half full car park. We did the hike together 7 years ago, but not the full circle, we went back and forth and Olga is curious to the full trial.
Although it’s only 8, there are already people walking the paths. The grey clouds look mighty and the green grass brings some colour. The 7 km trial with 500m elevation and some climbing is too difficult for small kids and Tim injured his achilles, so only Olga is capable of hiking this trial.
The Quiraing was formed when a thick layer of flood basalt spread over the peninsula and destabilized the weak sedimentary rocks below, causing a succession of landslides.
Walking the paths brings back memories to the hike of 7 years ago. It takes 1,5 hour to get to the half-way point with stunning views. Here, Olga finishes her breakfast and the sun keeps her warm, as she dressed far too light.
The second part of the hike, the part Olga was most excited for as she has never seen that part, is a big disappointment as there is a heavy wind and a lot of clouds. The path is muddy and the cliffs are steep. Sometimes the path disappears, and Olga follows her unreliable inner compass and pushes herself to speed up to have the unpleasent, cold and wet world finished.
She buys a big hot chocolate when she’s back from her trip and reunites with the family to warm up in the car, eat some lunch and check-out some dinosaur footsteps on the beach.
Meanwhile Tim and the kids did a scenic drive towards the supermarket. The wind is a bit much for the drone but there are some good shots anyhow. We stop at the Mealt Falls which fall directly into the sea from the top of the cliffs.
We get our breakfast and lunch at the coop and eat it on the way. We circle back to Uig where our campsite is and which is close to Olga’s hike. We have some time to kill so we do our own little hike to a waterfall just outside of town, take some pictures and get back in the car and head up the mountain to get Olga.
Reunited with Olga we drive to Staffin beach to find some dinosaurs, or at least some footprints. It seems the crowd of people and cars have scared the dino’s away so we stare at their footprints left here a while ago.
Olga is full of energy and reheated and refilled so when we pass the start of the Old man of Storr hike she is rearing to go. The rest of us drive back to the campsite where Zeno sleeps, Cleo plays and Tim reads.
It’s really busy at the 5km trail. Olga and Tim also did part of this hike seven years ago, and Olga is happy to do the full trail today.
It’s still cloudy and the iconic 55 meter high rock formation are not to be seen until Olga’s return. When the clouds disappear for 1 minute. The pinnacles are all that is left of a vulcanic eruption 2,800 million ago.
Since traffic is slow on the island with lots of campervans, nervous drivers and people who shouldn’t drive on this types of roads, we get a message from Olga that she is already back when Taxi Tim and kids just arrived back at the camping. It takes them another 45 minutes to pick her up and drive the loop a final time.
At the campsite we resume our reading, get our stuff sorted for tomorrow and get ready for the forecasted rain. At 17.00 we head to the nearby restaurant because we didn’t get any dinner because of the predicted rain. Long story short, there is no rain, we have a nice dinner in the harbour and see some dolphins just meters in front of us chasing their dinner.
At 18.00 we get everything ready for bed and wind down. The rain starts falling at 19:30, when we’re ready for bed.
