Greshornish Point

Rosie picked me up and took us to the turn-off where we met the group from the University of the Third Age. This was one of the nature walks they organise as a like-minded collection of people with similar interests and keeping fit.

We set off on the east coast of the peninsula by the fish farm. First bog was littered with beautiful Magpie moths floating on the surface.

Stopped… by polka dots.

On towards the ruins of the iron age fort, Dun na h‑Airde and the view opened up as we carried round to the point.

Conversations walking through the the constantly changing terrain as varied as the surface. We sat and ate lunch on the point. Harris was visible and the Ascrib islands, Eilean Beag and Eilean Mor.

Good to look out to sea and listen to it. Had to admit that I’d never been there…in fact many places in Skye. Tourist season, laziness and bad weather (in that order) always got in the way. This group have done many walks and of quite challenging level.

We reached the highest point of Maol na h‑Airde and stopped to assess our safest route back.

There was a tiny cairn here and a suitable place to deposit a small sculpture I’d brought. A blown egg with a nebulistic universe painted on it’s interior and a tiny figure resting inside.

We housed it in the cairn. A perfect home for a miniature cosmos.. We took photos and tracked down the coordinates for possible geocaching at a later date. Inaccessible paraphernalia.

Our conversations so far had been through so many topics from Scáthach, the warrior queen and her training school, bog cotton filled mattresses, the plight of Lady Grange in St Kilda, the Anaitis temple ruins, wine-making, hallucinogens, teaching and learning. Being alive now.

Constant ebb of leading and following and looking. We were a bit exhausted from heather and bogs and meandering declines. We had reached a point in the walk and conversation that was free, easy and gave us the energy to keep going. Steep sheep cliff paths caused the perfect adrenalin rush for the last leg of the trip and we eventually reached the end of the circle.

The whole experience was a good journey. Connecting with other people while sharing the sublime coastline, navigating bogs and documenting the smaller, treasure like things underfoot. Looking at the exterior and interior of a space, considering your place in it, leaving a temporary mark for someone else to find or not.

These walks are an excellent activity for altering and sharing perspectives, creative thinking, imparting knowledge and feeling perfectly exhausted at the end of the day.

Thanks to walker Ian Burn who put this collection of his images together for us.

Còig Sgiathan | Five Wings is part of Tha Seo Math Dhuibh