One of the top trips to do from Skye is a boat trip from the beautiful village of Elgol to Loch Coruisk or the Small Isles. On a baking hot, near tropical Friday morning we took a trip to Loch Coruisk with Misty Isle Boat Trips. We could have been in the Caribbean but it was only April.
Booking The Misty Isle Boat Trip
The Misty Isle Boat Trip is a very popular boat trip. It gets very busy, especially during the summer season so we advise booking in advance. When you ring up to book you can speak to the lovely Anne and discuss your mobility needs with her. This is not a fully wheelchair accessible boat but Anne will be able to advise you as to whether they can accommodate you or not. She will also be able to advise which sailing will be best for you. The tides will make some difference to the boat’s accessibility.
Depending on your mobility needs be prepared for the possibility that you may be unable to disembark at Loch Coruisk due to factors outwith the control of the boat crew such as the tide, the weather, and where the boat is able to land. However, the trip in itself is a fabulous experience and the guys will do their very best to help you. If you are unable to disembark the boat they will be happy to make you a cup of tea, coffee or hot chocolate to enjoy with a biscuit while you sit and soak in the view.
Getting to Elgol
Elgol is 14 miles from Broadford on the B8083. The drive is 14 miles on a single track winding, twisting road. Your SatNav or Google Maps might suggest it will take 30 minutes. Leave yourself longer, the road is quite busy so there may be a lot of stopping at passing places or time taken reversing into them. You may also be bowled over by the magnificent views on the drive there. Leave yourself time to enjoy the drive, don’t arrive stressed or late. We left ourselves an hour and arrived in 45 minutes on a not very busy road! There are public toilets in Elgol but in Spring 2022 they were closed due to refurbishment.
Parking for the The Misty Isle Boat Trip
The Misty Isle is not the only boat to sail from Elgol and it is also a very popular area for visitors. There are two small car parks but no designated disabled parking spaces. When we arrived there were already many cars parked on the verges at the side of the road. Outside the ticket kiosk there are a couple of benches, so Melanie dropped Sarah off to sit on one of these benches while she went to find a place to park. Because we had booked and they were aware of Sarah’s mobility issues we were told that once the boat was ready to depart they would come and get us and help us on board before everyone else.
Embarking onto The Misty Isle Boat Trip
To access the boat Sarah had to step from the quay onto the boat. There is a small stride onto the boat from the quay. Then there are steps with a handrail to take you down into the boat. Even though it was quite a low tide when we sailed the boat was fairly level with the quay. With the help of Melanie, Sandy, the skipper, and his son Seumas, Sarah was soon on board.
The Boat Trip
While Sandy takes control of the boat Seumas is on hand to point out places of interest and tell stories from the folklore surrounding these mountains. He will also point out any of the wildlife you may encounter. We were lucky enough to see various birds including great northern divers and Oystercatchers. We rounded the Common Seal colony and saw big fat seals that were soon due to pup. Whilst crossing Loch Scavaig we saw a pair of harbour porpoise and in Loch na Cuilce a pair of pilot whales.
Loch Coruisk
The boat docked next to a metal staircase and Sarah was able to sit on the side of the boat and swing her legs over the side. Then Melanie, Sandy and Seumas helped her get back on her feet again. Seumas even offered to come with us to offer extra assistance if needed.
There are several steps up from the water but as there was a handrail there were no problems getting up to the walkway that takes you to the land.
Ashore at Loch Coruisk
As this trip takes you to the base of the Cuillin mountains the terrain is one of the more challenging we have tackled. The path here is rough and indistinct through the wilderness. There are a lot of large rocks and gullies, so hard as it was to tear our eyes away from the stunning views we had to look down and plan our route carefully. There were times when the only option was for Melanie to help Sarah over some of the larger rocks. But, with two sticks and Melanie’s help we managed to make it as far as the point where the river flows into the sea. Here we found a couple of flat rocks to perch on and eat the picnic we had brought with us.
The path does carry on further so while Sarah finished her lunch Melanie carried on a little further. The first thing the path does here is drop down a man made rocky staircase. This is 3 or 4 big high steps with little to hold on to. Once down here the path flattens out and is a little easier to follow. As the path swings sharply left to take you up to Loch Coruisk it is narrow, twisty and very rocky underfoot. This would have been too much for Sarah in terms of distance and ability. But if you can make it the views across Loch Coruisk to the heart of the Cuillins are amazing.
Back To Elgol
We had 90 minutes ashore on this trip. You can book different return boats so you have longer ashore if you wish. There are many paths and tracks to explore out here if you have the ability. After our lunch we headed back to the boat where Seumas offered us drinks and shortbread. Once everyone else was back the boat took us on the return journey to Elgol. We were once again lucky enough to catch site of the Harbour Porpoises in Loch Scavaig.
This trip will certainly not be possible for everyone but the crew will do their best to accommodate you if at all possible. If you are only able to take the boat trip it is well worth it to see the Cuillin from this different viewpoint. Additionally there is always the chance of spotting some of the island’s wildlife. The best advice we can give is to give them a call if you have any concerns at all before you book.
We would like to thank the Misty Isle team for all their help on the phone and on the actual day of our sailing. We couldn’t have done it without you!
