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Distance - 8 miles
Time - 6 hours
OS Map Explorer 375
Grading - Hard
Terrain - Rocky narrow cliff paths, vertiginous drops
Please be aware that
although popular, this is a difficult walk and should not be
attempted on ones own or if one has a fear of heights. The terrain
is very uneven and involves some clambering over boulders. Often
the path is nothing more than a goat track with steep vertiginous
drops. One slip could well be fatal!
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 Park
at Carsaig Pier accessed by a minor road which leaves the
A849 at Pennyghael. There is only room for four or five vehicles
so it's best to set off early in the day. Take the track which
runs along the top of the beach heading west. At the fork, bear
left and go through the gap between
 the
wall and the gate.
On arriving at the
second gate do not cross the stile but head along the beach as
there are 2 burns to navigate and this is much easier to do closer
to the shore. Once the burns have been forded take the path at the
top of the beach. This can be muddy at times but make use of the planks of
wood that have been left in strategic places by former walkers!
 Go
through the kissing gate and continue along the stony path under
the cliff. The path is rather indistinct in places and seems to
alternate between the narrow cliff tracks and boulder strewn paths
at the top of the beach.
After approximately one
hours walking the Nun's Cave is reached. This shallow cave is
sandstone topped by basalt columns. Here, the nuns are thought to
have taken refuge when they fled Iona Abbey during the
reformation. There are some religious carvings on the walls of the
cave, said to date back to the 6th century. There are also
 marks
made by the stone masons who used the cave to dress the stone
ready for use in Iona Abbey. Unfortunately there is also evidence
of present day graffiti.
After leaving the Nun's
Cave the going becomes slightly easier but it is still a good hour
and a half to two hours walk from here to the Carsaig Arches. Once
the first arch is reached, those who have a good head for heights
can clamber up the narrow goat track and walk over the first arch
down the fairly treacherous path to the second arch. Please
note that this path is narrow and exposed and should not be
attempted in bad weather or by inexperienced walkers.
Once down on the beach it is possible to stand under both the
arches which are actually sea caves that have been eroded all the
way through, creating the arches.
Return by the same
route. |
