The Uig Community Woodland comprises of three separate walks. The Shore Wood Wander is very accessible for wheelchair and walkers. The other two routes need a lot more mobility and are not wheelchair friendly. If you are in the north end of Skye it is a lovely spot to have a wander.
History of Uig Community Woodland
The woodland at Uig has been there since at least 1860. It was originally part of the grounds of Uig Lodge. Uig Lodge was destroyed in a storm in 1877. During this storm a bridge over the River Conon also collapsed. It is said that the storm was so destructive that even the graveyard that was in the wood was disturbed. Bodies were said to have been hanging in the trees or thrown into Uig Bay. Thankfully, we came across no bodies while on our walk!
In 1988, the woodland was acquired by the Woodland Trust who replaced many of the young conifers with native broadleaved species. Following another storm in 2005 many more firs were blown down. Native species have since taken their place.
Getting to Uig Community Woodland
Uig Community Woodland is in the township of Uig, on the western edge of the Trotternish peninsula of Skye.
As you enter Uig on the A87 there is a sign on your left for Uig Community Hall. It is here that you can park for the walk. There are no allocated disabled spaces but there is plenty of space. The car park is also for the Community Hall so may be busy if there is an event. There are no public toilets here but if you carry on through the village to the pier there are public toilets, including an accessible toilet.
The walk starts at the path at the back of the Community Hall car park and there is a map here showing the three routes.
The Shore Wood Wander
The Shore Wood Wander links the Community Hall to the village shop and Post Office. We saw a few other people walking dogs, and some carrying shopping bags.
The path is rough stone and gravel that is very compact. Melanie only had to help Sarah with her wheels on some occasions. The path takes you through beautiful woodland and there is much to see. There were felled logs and stones covered in lichen and moss. Greenery surrounds you and judging by the shoots we saw coming up in places later in the year there will be a carpet of blue when the bluebells flower. We look forward to a return visit to see this.
Along this path we saw another track which appeared to lead down to Uig Bay but we decided to leave that for another adventure. There are a couple of picnic benches within the woodland. One of which allows a wheelchair to pull up at the end level with the bench. This bench has great views over the bay. The other bench is a bit further off the path and not as accessible.
Further along the path from the benches the path turns and starts to follow the river. Soon you will see a gate on the right. This leads to the river bank. Whilst not accessible to wheelchairs you will see the river just by staying on the path. After this gate the path rises steeply in a couple of zig zags to meet he A87. Sarah needed help here as there are a couple of drainage channels that runs diagonally across the path. This may be the only problematic area for wheelchairs. We managed ok with the rollator.
Eventually this route ends at the A87. Here there is a large kissing gate . It is deep enough to fit the wheels into without having to fold or lift them. You may wish to return the way you came or you may cross the road as we did to tackle the second walk. Do remember that this is an A road and can be very busy in the summer months so take care.
Conan Glen Walk
On the other side of the road is the start of this walk. There is a very tight kissing gate at the start of the path. Melanie had to lift Sarah’s walker over it while Sarah went through with her stick. This section of the walk would not be accessible in a wheelchair.
The Conan Glen Walk follows the River Conon and even though we never went far from the road it was very peaceful. The bubbling of the river drowned out any noise from the road.
Again the path is good compact stone but on this part of the path there are a few drainage channels to negotiate As well as being steep in places, this path was also muddier than the previous one.
After winding through more beautiful woodland this walk finishes at the old weir. Then you need to retrace your steps back to the Community Hall. This is definitely more strenuous and you will need a certain degree of mobility and balance.
Rha Glen Ramble
We hope to come back to explore Rha Glen another time. We will update this page then.