The Lump in Portree

Portree is the capital of Skye with around 2500 residents. Dividing Portree’s waterfront is the rocky outcrop known as The Lump. Walking up The Lump in Portree will give you gorgeous panoramic views across the harbour, over Loch Portree, north to The Storr, south to The Cuillins and east to Raasay. It is well worth the walk up the steep slope for the views alone.

There is also another path around The Lump in Portree called The Meall or Am Meall to use it’s Gaelic name. However this path caused us a lot of fun and difficulties. We definitely had an afternoon of two halves.

Let’s start with the difficult path, that way we end on a high!

The Meall (Am Meall) Path

The lower path around the edge of The Lump starts on the left hand side of Bank Street, in front of the Portree Free Church of Scotland. You will see a small green directional footpath sign for The Meall.

Now let us be honest from the start, this path is not wheelchair friendly. It is narrow, uneven and as we found out three quarters of the way round there are half a dozen very steep, high steps without a hand rail. So you will need fairly good mobility and the ability to climb steps unaided or with a little help. Sarah did attempt to use her lightweight rollator on the path but it was simply too narrow and uneven. Instead she used her walking stick. For a lot of the way there is a hand rail or fence that you can use to help you balance, but in a few places Sarah would have gone better with two sticks. We are learning a lot about ourselves as much as the walks when we are out there. Not to be put off Sarah headed up the walk and slowly marched on.

The views from the path are stunning, especially for us now in Autumn. With fewer leaves on the trees you get some fantastic views across to Portree, the harbour, Ben Tianavaig and south towards the Cuillins. If you look behind you, poking out amongst the rooftops and chimneys you should be able to spot The Old Man of Storr. You will have to stop to enjoy the views as the path surface is uneven with a lot of rocks and tree roots jutting out. Nothing that stopped us making progress but a hazard nonetheless.

The dreaded steps!

The path follows the edge of The Lump around the huge rocky outcrop. There is a little undulation on the path but nothing significant. That is until about three quarters of the way around. You are busy enjoying the amazing views south to the Cuillin Ridge over Loch Portree when you are hit by steps. Not just a couple of easy steps but half a dozen steep steps with 2 very high steps. And, this is the same place the hand rail ends. Not to be defeated on face value, I shot up the stairs first to see what the path was like at the top. We decided there was no point trying go up if there were more steps or anything else tricky. So off we went to tackle the steps. Sarah got up the first one without too many problems but the second step was like Everest for her. Simply too high, made even worse by not having a hand rail. We paused a while to try to work out if there was any solution to the situation but with a steep drop on one side, rock face on the other and steps blocking our route we conceded defeat. It was not our day to fully circumnavigate The Lump on The Meall path. Sadly we had to retrace our steps back to the start.

This proved to be a difficult path for Sarah. It looks innocuous enough but with only one stick and uneven ground it was quite a challenge. It is not impassable by any means but you do need a bit more ability that we could muster. I (Melanie) will go back and complete the walk on my own just to check there are no further obstacles before the path ends. Then we are going to put our heads together for solutions and approach the landowner with some suggestion on how to improve the step situation.

The Meall circular path would take 30-60 minutes to complete depending on your speed and ability. It is a steady little path and requires little physical exertion. The peacefulness and the views make the walk totally worth it.

The Lump

You find the entrance to The Lump opposite the Portree Medical Centre on Bank Street. A little further up the road from The Meall path. If you get to the hospital you have gone too far. A steep, tarmac, vehicle width path with a metal gate across it. This is the path to The Lump. A very good surface by all accounts. We had slippery autumn leaves under foot which made Sarah a little more cautious when coming back down. To the right hand side of the gate is pedestrian access. We got through there with Sarah’s rollator no problem. Larger wheelchairs and mobility scooters may need someone to open the large gate for them.

Once you have walked up the first steep slope the ground levels out and you see the amazing natural amphitheatre that The Lump hides from view. It is here the annual Skye Games are held every August. Encircled by beautiful pine trees the views south to the Cuillins across Loch Portree are amazing. To the south east you can see the twin peaks of Glamaig and more directly east the triangular shape of Ben Tianavaig. Feel free to explore the amphitheatre there is a slope down to the grassed areas as well as steps with a hand rail.

The Apothecary Tower

To explore a little further follow the original tarmac track to it’s end near a green metal shipping container. Here the path turns uphill onto compacted gravel. Not a problem for Sarah and the rollator but you may need a strong pusher in a wheelchair. Here you get your first glimpse for the old apothecary tower. When you arrive at the tower the reward is more fabulous views. The top of the tower is accessible via a metal spiral staircase, if you are able to, go up and enjoy the views.

I shot up the tower whilst Sarah took the chance to have a quick breather! To return back to the village from The Lump simply retrace your steps. You can spend as much or as little time as you like up here, on a nice day you could bring a picnic or a football. Keep you eyes peeled for wildlife and bird life. If you are lucky you might see a Golden Eagle or even a White Tailed Eagle over towards Ben Tianavaig.

All in all our afternoon exploring The Lump in Portree was very interesting yet very tiring for Sarah. Whilst we love having great success in finding lovely paths, we aren’t disappointed when we find a difficult one. It gives us food for thought on how things could be improved or simply just best avoided.

Have fun exploring The Lump yourselves.