After lunch at Cafe Cuil, we took a short drive to the parking area below Carbost War Memorial for a short and steep walk. Then we retraced our tracks down to the Merkadale burial ground, very close to Cafe Cuil for a short shoreside wander.
Carbost War Memorial
About 1 mile further up the road from Cafe Cuil on the B8009 in the direction of Carbost you will find a small parking area on your left hand side. Go past the turning for Glen Brittle (Fairy Pools road), over the cattle grid and it is a little further ahead on the left. Park considerately here, you will see the war memorial on the hill ahead of you.
The path starts a few yards on the left towards Carbost. It was safe for us to walk on the road to the start of the path. It was the smoothest for Sarah’s rollator. There is a small grass track just parallel to the road or you can go through the ruined overgrown area. Neither of these are ideal for wheels, Sarah managed the later with her sticks but it was uneven and a bit overgrown.
The path up
The path up to the Carbost War Memorial is well made and heavily compacted shale. It was relatively smooth for Sarah and her rollator. No stones got caught under her wheels which is a rare occurrence! However it is steep, most probably too steep for a wheelchair. The path is split into three sections by small gates. These are easy to open and swing freely on their hinges. We presumed they were to keep the livestock out but there were signs that sheep had been on the path! At least it was dry and we didn’t need to wash the wheels afterwards.
The path winds it’s way up hill between the gates and after only 500 metres or so you are at the war memorial. The views are absolutely stunning in all directions and you can admire them from the two benches provided at the memorial. The view stretches to the Western Isles out over Loch Harport to the full Cuillin Ridge and Glamaig over your other shoulder. We had a warm sunny day so had great visibility to enjoy the view and sit for a while. As we have said it is short, sweet and steep but well worth it. When you are finished enjoying the view simply retrace your steps back to the car.
Merkadale Cemetery
Heading back to Portree we decided to have another wee wander at Merkadale Cemetery and the shore of Loch Harport. Located on the left hand side between the Glen Brittle turn off and Cafe Cuil. Park considerately in the cemetery parking area. The cemetery is very spacious and has wide paths that are smooth and easy to navigate. As it was a lovely warm day we just wandered along chatting and reading all the family history on display. At one point an oystercatcher joined us, landing atop a nearby gravestone.
In the top corner of the cemetery is a set of stone steps and a wooden handrail. Obviously not accessible to wheelchairs but with a bit of help Sarah made it up there. The steps lead you into what is recorded as an old church and burial ground. There are no records of it’s name or specific age but you can see the remains. There were also some beautiful old trees in this area.
After our wander we simply returned to the car. However Sarah was tempted by the old boats dragged up out of the water on the shore. So we had a detour. Through the metal five bar gate, across the paddock to the next gate. Sarah walked this using her two sticks as the ground is smooth and flat enough.
Once through the second gate there is a faint track to the left leading to an old lifeboat and other boats. You can read about the history of the lifeboat here. You can follow the grass round to in front of the graveyard and Loch Harport. When the tide is out the immediate shore is shingle so a little uneven under foot. Further out it is tidal mud. We had a wander around, took some photos and then returned to the car.
Two really nice short but rewarding walks in Minginish.
