Revealing how accessible Skye is For All
Last week we had a lovely walk down Edinbane Old Road. It was lovely until the rain came and we got drenched! That said it is an excellent surface for everyone to use, probably better than the current road that vehicles use every day. With that in mind it would be safe and accessible for wheelchairs, pushchairs, dog walkers, kids scooters and walkers alike.
The good summer weather has bypassed Skye in recent weeks so our walk was taken under leaden skies and occasional sunshine. We found a lovely farm track which crosses open land and forest between Skeabost Cemetery and the Struan road and which proved to be very accessible in so many ways. Here is how we coped on the Skeabost Cemetery Track.
Lealt Waterfalls are located on the A885, 13 miles north of Portree. In 2018 the Staffin Community Trust heavily invested in the Lealt Falls area, adding new car parking and a viewing platform. This has been a welcome addition to the Trotternish Peninsula and also makes the view of Lealt Falls very accessible.
Amy’s Place, formerly The Blue Shed Cafe at Torrin, is run by Mark and Alison not Amy. The Tea Room is named after their daughter, Amy, who suffered from Lupus and epilepsy and sadly died in December 2018 aged only 23. In honour of her Mark and Alison have painted the cafe purple and decorated it with butterflies. Inside they tell Amy’s story in their menus and have a collecting tin for Lupus UK. There is a bookcase of second hand books available for a donation to Lupus UK.
This Glen Varragill Forest Walk follows an old logging track which runs parallel to the A87 Sligachan to Portree. Heading North towards Portree from Sligachan the track starts approximately 4km or 2.5 miles up Glen Varragill on your left. The logging track starts at the A87 and bends down to the River Varragill crossing a bridge. There are a couple of parking spots immediately on your left at the top of the track.
The Isles Inn Portree is one of the most central eating establishments in the village. It has a traditional Highland pub atmosphere. You can find it in the corner of Somerled Square near the disabled parking.
Walking to The Black Lochs above the village of Broadford is relatively simple and very accessible for disabled people of all abilities. The path is essentially the old tarmac surface of the A851 before the road was upgraded and moved slightly. The walk starts just south of Broadford and finishes near the turn off for Drumfearn. A great path for both wheelchair users and runners alike.
The Aros Centre is now the Isle of Skye Candle Company Visitor Centre. Same building, same place but all new interior and offering.
The Aros Centre on the edge of Portree is home to so many different things for the local community and visitors to Skye. Primarily a tourist will see it as a visitors centre, with gifts, books and a cafe. For Skye it serves as a community hub, cinema, theatre and meeting place. Here we will explore what the Aros Centre Portree has to offer in terms of accessibility for the disabled.
Continue reading “Aros Centre Portree”After a few days of bad weather here on Skye the forecast broke so we headed out for a walk. To avoid any puddles underfoot we set off for a walk at Kingsburgh Forest Trust. Situated adjacent to the A87 between Portree and Uig.
Armadale Castle and Gardens is located on the Sleat peninsula in the south of Skye. Sleat is known as the garden of Skye and the beautiful drive down to Armadale illustrates why. The Castle and Gardens are a stones throw from the Mallaig to Armadale ferry if you arrive over the sea. From Broadford it is about a 20 minute drive in a car on the A851.
