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The Needle
The Needle
Basalt Rock on The Needle
Basalt Rock on The Needle
Approaching The Needles
Approaching The Needles
Muddy Boots
Muddy Boots
Walking Back
Walking Back
Returning: Approaching The Tricky Bit With Jonah
Returning: Approaching The Tricky Bit With Jonah

SKYE HIGH ON THE QUIRAING PART 3

20th September, 2015

Well we are walking towards, from my point of view, the best part of the Quiraing. We are, as it were, in Harry Potter country again. The weather as in Storr has turned rainy and colder but nowhere near as bad as it was on Storr. Now the approach to the needle arises, spooky, eerie and at the same time sort of spiritual. You can climb up higher than I am doing but I am not experienced enough to do this. One slip on those rocks and you could be in trouble. The needle is shrouded in mist and as it moves the shapes appear and disappear according to how the mist decides to shroud itself over the sharp and pointed pinnacles.  This is a wondrous place, it emmanates mystery but at the same time you feel a sense of place here-man's place within the majesty of the elements. The artist Andy Goldsworthy once said that Stone is a witness, and I wonder how much has been witnessed by these rocks and pinnacles over the centuries. I could stay here longer, but we move on and it is not long before we come to the end of our walk.We now must do the return walk to where we came.

There is that Gorge to face again, but that is overshadowed by a feeling of sadness as this is my last day on the Island, but what an amazing place to spend my last day and what an experience these last two days have been I would not have traded them for the world. But I want to walk more on this Island and I will come back. No wonder the Island is used so much for filming, the landscape is so evocative - this is a soul searching place.

I am told that I did not improve by the day but by the hour! and Jonah says he will make a mountaineer out of me yet!! I am not sure I will be a mountaineer,  but I would like to improve on the hill walking.

Thanks to Greg Walters for taking the pictures of the walking-but the Needle pictures are mine!!


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