On a typical Spring day on Skye when the weather changes every 15 minutes we headed to Portree Forest. Between the trees we could shelter from any rain or hail, and enjoy the sunbeams penetrating through the tree canopy. It is a walk enjoyed by many locals and is relatively straightforward. However winter storms have eroded parts of the path so wheelchair users now may find access quite difficult. Here is how we got on.
Location of Portree Forest
The start of the forest walk is very handily at the end of the Aros Centre Car Park. Meaning that when there are no Covid restrictions in place you have access to a restaurant, shop and disabled toilet. Currently (March 2021) only the shop is open with some disabled parking next to the door. At the opposite end of the car park is the start of the Portree Forest walk. Turn left as you enter the car park off the A87. Sadly there are no signs but you cannot go wrong. There is just one footpath leading to the forest here so simply follow it. For a longer more challenging circular walk have a look at Walk Highlands.
Initially the path is wide and smooth enough for a wheeled walking aid or standard sized wheelchair. The first thing you notice as you enter the forest, especially in early spring are the signs of decay. A lot of pines have fallen in recent and more historic winds. Some uprooted pines are covered in mosses and lichens, more recent ones are still bare rooted and muddy.
The path crosses a small burn and then winds slowly towards the road. At it’s lowest point the next small burn has burst it’s banks and washed away a small chunk of the path. For Melanie this was one stride to get over. For Sarah…well she had her wheels and soles washed! With a little shuffle and a lifting hand from Melanie Sarah did manage to get over without too many problems. A wheelchair could be a lot harder at this point. It will depend on the skills of the person pushing you.
The Forest Path
From this point the forest path starts winding it’s way uphill. Naturally water takes the path of least resistance meaning the winter rains have eroded parts of the path on this section. There is a deeper groove in the centre of the path. Sarah managed to straddle the rollator wheels over this and walk in the groove. With a bit of a helping hand getting over a few rocks we got to a junction. Here we paused a while to take in our surroundings.
We heard a heron approaching in the distance. Suddenly he (or she) came into view with a beak full of nesting material and headed into the top of one of the pines towering above our heads. We must have seen him going back and forth half a dozen times during our walk We will have to return later in the year to see if we can spot any youngsters fledging.
The path immediately to our left was wide and level so Sarah opted to take that one. Ahead the path rises steeply through a clearing and back into the forest, or turns left into the clearing. The path we chose stayed within the forest. As we moved off we saw signs of bluebells poking through the mossy forest floor. Now we have a plan to come back in May/June and see the bluebell carpet in full bloom. Sarah needed no help on this section of the path as it was wide, flat and undulated very subtly. The path slowly moves away from the sound of the road deeper into the forest and gently climbs up hill.
In what seemed like no time at all we reached the clearing we had seen back at the junction. It is actually a narrow clear strip of land where the power lines run through the forest. The sun was beating down at this point so with a spring in her step Sarah set off. However the path here rises quite steeply through the clearing. It also narrows through this grassy area. Just before you re-enter the forest the path is really quite steep and Sarah needed a lot of help. A few metres into this section of the forest the path levels out so Sarah took the opportunity for a rest. That last section really took it out of her and you always have to consider the return journey.
Whilst Sarah caught her breath Melanie went for a recce of the path ahead. It was a lovely wide, compacted forest path just like we had encountered earlier. It winds and rises gently for a couple of hundred metres before joining a much wider steeper track that goes further up into the forest or back to the clearing. Presumably rejoining at the junction we were at earlier. Next time out we will aim to get round this loop and see if it does actually join up. But Sarah had done enough for one day so we headed back the way we came.
Life in the Portree Forest
Despite the forest only just starting its awakening from the winter months there is plenty of life if you take time to look. We spotted the young bluebells starting their growth spurt. You will be able to see wild honeysuckle, mosses, ferns, lichens as well as native trees amongst the conifer plantation. We also spotted a rather large cotoneaster which we think probably came from berries in a nearby garden and was deposited by bird poop! As expected we spotted bird life in the forest and as spring turns into summer the forest will become a busy place for flora and fauna. Take your time and look deep into your surroundings.
Enjoy your walk, do as much as you can, getting back is easy as all paths going down hill pretty much lead you back to the Aros Centre. We will be back to explore a few more paths and to see the bluebells. Sarah is even going to try this walk using just her two sticks as it may actually be easier than wrestling with the wheels in some sections. Hopefully soon restrictions will be lifted and we’ll be able to stop for lunch at Aros next time we walk through the forest!
I’m enjoying your site and reading about various hikes available on the isle. My husband and I will be staying in Portree April 30 – May 2 with only one full day to go on a hike and take in the views. We will not have a car, as we are traveling by public transportation, so I’m wondering your recommendations for trails we can walk to from town. A round trip from hotel in town, including hike and back again of around 5 miles or less would be good.
Your best bet is to look on https://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/skye/trotternish.shtml and I would recommend either the Scorrybreac Circuit or the Portree Forest and bay. The first one starts very close to the centre of Portree, whereas the second one would involve about a mile walk just to get to the start. The Scorrybreac circuit will give you views of Portree, Raasay. Ben Tianavaig, a distant glimpse of The Old Man of Storr and you are close enough to Portree to grab a warm drink or dram when you have finished. If you look up the Stagecoach bus timetables you might be able to get a bit further afield in one day and again the Walk Highland website will give you longer routes than we do on here. Personally I used it all the time when I am out walking with my husband Hope you have a great trip to Skye.