North and west Skye

Introduction

Times of high water

Armadale: High water is 40 minutes before high water at Ullapool

Lochs Eishort and Slapin: High water is 40 minutes before high water at Ullapool

Loch Scavaig and Soay: High water is 40 minutes before high water at Ullapool

Loch Bracadale: High water is 50 minutes before high water at Ullapool. Streams are weak within the Loch.

Loch Dunvegan: High water is 45 minutes before high water at Ullapool Tidal streams are weak within the Loch.

Loch Snizort: High water is 30 minutes before high water at Ullapool

Tulm Island, Rubha Hunish: High water is 30 minutes before high water at Ullapool

Tidal streams

East side of Point of Sleat: The east north-east going stream begins at 5 hours and 35 minutes after high water at Ullapool. The west south-west going stream begins at 25 minutes before high water at Ullapool. The flow reaches a speed of 2 knots at springs.

West side of Point of Sleat: The north going stream begins at 5 hours and 35 minutes after high water at Ullapool. The south south-east going stream begins at 25 minutes before high water at Ullapool. The flow reaches a speed of 2 knots at springs. Away from the immediate area around the point where the tide spits, the flow is not strong.

Eddy at point of Sleat: An eddy forms behind the point on the north-going stream.

Loch Eishort and Slapin: The north north-east going stream begins at 5 hours and 35 minutes after high water at Ullapool. The south south-west going stream begins at 25 minutes before high water at Ullapool. The flow reaches a speed of 0.5 knots at springs. The stream is weak everywhere.

Loch Scavaig: The north going stream begins at 5 hours and 35 minutes after high water at Ullapool. The south going stream begins at 25 minutes before high water at Ullapool. The flow reaches a speed of 0.5 knots at springs.

Stay Sound: The tidal stream flows west constantly, reaching a maximum speed of 1.5 knots at springs. There may be a confused sea at the west end of the sound when the wind blows in the opposite direction to the tide.

Halfway between Soay and Rum: The south-east going stream begins at 2 hours and 50 minutes after high water at Ullapool. The north-west going stream begins at 3 hours and 10 minutes before high water at Ullapool. The south-east going stream reaches a speed of 0.5 knots at springs. The north-west going stream reaches a speed of 0.6 knots at springs.

Between Soay Sound and Loch Bracadale: The south south-east going stream begins at 25 minutes before high water at Ullapool. The north north-west going stream begins at 5 hours and 35 minutes after high water at Ullapool. The flow reaches a speed of 1 knots at springs.

Loch Harport entrance: The east going stream begins at 5 hours and 35 minutes after high water at Ullapool. The west going stream begins at 25 minutes before high water at Ullapool. The flow reaches a speed of 0.6 knots at springs. Tidal streams are not significant within Loch Harport.

Between Idrigill Point and Neist Point: The south-east going stream begins at 35 minutes before high water at Ullapool. The north-west going stream begins at 5 hours and 25 minutes after high water at Ullapool. The streams are strong near An Dubh Sgeir, Am Bi-bogha Mor and Am Bi-bogha Beag.

Eddy in Moonen Bay: An eddy forms here, with the following flows, given relative to high water at Ullapool: The south-east going stream begins at 35 minutes before and flows until 2 hours and 10 minutes after. The north-west going stream begins at 2 hours and 10 minutes after and flows until 4 hours and 5 minutes before.

Neist Point: The south going stream begins at 2 hours and 10 minutes after high water at Ullapool. The north going stream begins at 4 hours and 15 minutes before high water at Ullapool. The flow reaches a speed of 1 knots at springs. Flows may reach 3 knots close to the point. The stream to the south of the point turns northward from 5 hours and 35 minutes after high water at Ullapool. This stream meets the south-going flow at Neist point and is deflected offshore to the west until the north-going flow begins. Rough water can form off the point.

Eddy to north of Neist Point: An eddy runs south on the north-going stream.

Neist Point to Dunvegan Head: The north north-east going stream begins at 4 hours and 15 minutes before high water at Ullapool. The south south-west going stream begins at 2 hours after high water at Ullapool. The flow reaches a speed of 1.5 knots at springs.

Ard Beag to Ardmore Point: The flow runs south continuously. The east-going stream splits at Ard Beag, such that the flow to the north of here is continuously north.

Ard Beag to Waternish Point: The stream runs north continuously.

Waternish Point: The north-east going stream begins at 4 hours before high water at Ullapool. The south-west going stream begins at 2 hours and 25 minutes after high water at Ullapool. The flow reaches a speed of 2.5 knots at springs. Overfalls may form off the point.

East of Waternish point: The flow is likely continuously north west, towards the point.

Loch Greshornish: The north north-east going stream begins at 30 minutes before high water at Ullapool. The south south-west going stream begins at 5 hours and 50 minutes after high water at Ullapool. The streams are very weak

Loch Snizort Beag: The south south-east going stream begins at 5 hours and 50 minutes after high water at Ullapool. The north north-west going stream begins at 30 minutes before high water at Ullapool. The streams are very weak.

Across Entrance to Loch Snizort: Between Waternish Point and Ru Bornesketaig The east north-east going stream begins at 4 hours and 5 minutes before high water at Ullapool. The west south-west going stream begins at 2 hours and 15 minutes after high water at Ullapool. The flow reaches a speed of 1 knots at springs. Streams within the Loch itself are not significant.

Ru Bornesketaig: The north-east going stream begins at 4 hours and 15 minutes before high water at Ullapool. The south-west going stream begins at 2 hours and 10 minutes after high water at Ullapool. The flow reaches a speed of 2.5 knots at springs.

Eddy in Lub an Sgoir: An eddy forms here, with the following flows: The north-east going stream begins at 3 hours and 40 minutes after high water at Ullapool. The south-west going stream begins at 2 hours and 45 minutes before high water at Ullapool. The flow reaches a speed of 1 knots at springs.

North of Fladda Chuain: The east north-east going stream begins at 3 hours and 45 minutes before high water at Ullapool. The west south-west going stream begins at 2 hours and 40 minutes after high water at Ullapool. The flow reaches a speed of 2.5 knots at springs. A race a few hundred metres wide forms to the north of the island.

Rubha Hunish: The north-east going stream begins at 4 hours and 15 minutes before high water at Ullapool. The south-west going stream begins at 2 hours and 10 minutes after high water at Ullapool. The flow reaches a speed of 2.5 knots at springs. Races and confused water around the headland.

Eddy in Lub a Sgiathain: An eddy likely forms in the bay east of Rubha Hunish on tidal flows in either direction.

North west of Eilean Trodday: The east north-east going stream begins at 4 hours before high water at Ullapool. The west south-west going stream begins at 2 hours and 15 minutes after high water at Ullapool. The east north-east going stream reaches a speed of 2.3 knots at springs. The west south-west going stream reaches a speed of 2 knots at springs.

Between Skye and Eilean Trodday: The east going stream begins at 4 hours before high water at Ullapool. The west going stream begins at 2 hours and 25 minutes after high water at Ullapool. The flow reaches a speed of 2.5 knots at springs.

Between Portree and Staffin: The north going stream begins at 1 hours and 15 minutes before high water at Ullapool. The south going stream begins at 4 hours and 40 minutes after high water at Ullapool. The flow reaches a speed of 0.5 knots at springs.

Notes

Magnetic anomaly Loch Brittle to Idrigill point: There is a magnetic anomaly in this area, strongest near Canna.

Access/Egress

Armadale: (NG 638 038) g Access to beach by the pottery. Parking further up the road by the pier. Watch out for the ferry!

Achnacloich: (NG 588 088) g Possible to leave a car on the verge in a few places where the road runs close to the shore.

Tokavaig: (NG 597 116) g The road follows the shoreline for some distance. Parking possible on grass verges.

Ord: (NG 617 132) g Small parking area by the beach.

Torrin: (NG 568 217) g The road follows the shoreline for some distance. There are a few small lay-bys an pull-offs to park a car.

Kilmarie: (NG 554 171) g Small parking area where the road first meets the shoreline.

Elgol: (NG 516 136) g Parking near the slipway and pier where the tourist boats leave from. Arrive early as this quickly becomes busy. There is a little more parking up the road to the east by the Elgol shop, but dropping boats when the car park is full would be awkward.

Glen Brittle: (NG 410 206) g Parking area near a gate onto the beach.

Eynort: (NG 379 264) g Space to leave a car or two at the end of the public road, from where it is a 200m long carry down the beach. The carry to the water may be much longer at low tide.

Portnalong: (NG 342 360) g Parking areas by the pier. Access to the water is tricky at low tide, when it may be better to launch or land on the slipway in the bay to the west.

Harlosh: (NG 285 414) g Slipway onto the beach and, hopefully, a way cleared through the worst of the seaweed. Space to leave a car.

Meanish: (NG 154 505) g Parking by the slipway at the community pier.

Colbost: (NG 216 488) g Limited roadside parking near the Folk Museum and the Three Chimneys restaurant. Track from the road to a small beach.

Dunvegan Pier: (NG 246 483) g Slipway, with space to park nearby.

Dunvegan, north of Castle: (NG 246 497) g Small beach, launching over the seaweed may be awkward at low tide. One or two small pull offs may allow a car to be parked by the beach, but it may be easier to park a few hundred metres further north. Launching from the pier in Dunvegan is likely easier.

Stein: (NG 263 563) g Parking area by slipway.

Lower Halistra: (NG 240 591) g May be possible to leave at car near the end of the road and launch across the rocky beaches here.

Trumpan: (NG 223 609) g Possible to park where the track down to the bay leaves the main road. Failing that, there is a parking area near the ruined church to the north east.

Loch Greshornish: (NG 335 528) g Small layby where the road comes close to the shoreline.

Uig: (NG 387 638) g Slipway in a pull off from the main road. Parking by the ferry queues further along the road.

Camas Mor: (NG 370 707) g Parking at the end of the road by slipway.

Duntulm: (NG 410 738) g Rocky beach by the road. Small parking area at the viewpoint to the north on the corner of the road. Port Duntelm to the north can also be used if conditions demand, but the carry to the road is long.

Port Gobhlaig: (NG 436 750) g Small parking area. From here, it is likely easiest to carry boats south along the road to a cattle grid from where the descent to the shoreline is less precipitous. Awkward carry across boulders at low tide.

Staffin: (NG 495 682) g Parking by harbour and slipway at the end of the road.

Suggested trips

Loch Scavaig: The trip from Elgol to the head of Loch Scavaig is a classic paddle that takes kayakers into the heart of the Cuillin Hills. Elgol gets very busy with tourists taking boat trips, so arrive early. There is little tide in the loch and it it somewhat sheltered, so wind will likely be the main planning consideration. There can be downdraughts off the hills, especially in Soay Sound. It is worth getting out at Coruisk to walk up to the Loch and look up the valley at the mountains. It is likely that seals will be seen near the head of the Loch - keep well clear of them to avoid incurring the wrath of the tourist boat operators. If desired, the journey can also take in Soay, with its fascinating shark fishing heritage. Paddle anticlockwise around the island to take advantage of the flow in the Sound. Land at the back of the harbour on the north side of the island to find the ruins of the fishery.

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