Facts about the walk to Allt Dearg House
The walk to Allt Dearg House Sligachan starts about half a mile from the Sligachan Hotel on the A863 Dunvegan Road. There is a space on the left hand side of the road for about 6-7 vehicles. Here you can park for free but pay attention not to block the track to Allt Dearg or the main road.
Starting Point Grid Reference NG 47969 29780
Nearest Postcode IV47 8SW (this is for the Sligachan Hotel)
The walk to Allt Dearg House is on a vehicular track made up of a partly compacted and partly loose tarmac/gravel surface. There are a few large potholes which fill with water after rain but you can avoid them all. There is one wide flat wooden bridge to cross which itself causes no problems. The hardest surface to cross is immediately before and after the bridge for a couple of metres on each side. The surface is concrete and cobble with a few holes in it. Not impassable by any means but we’ll explain more in the walk details.
Our walk to Allt Dearg House
For this walk Sarah was walking with her folding wheeled frame that has a seat. We walked at approximately 1 mph and the walk was 0.9 miles in total. This included Melanie doing a quick detour to check a path for future adventures so the walk is more likely 0.8 miles in total. So we were back to the car in just under an hour which included a few rest stops along the way.
The walk begins at the start of the vehicle track with a footpath sign for Glenbrittle 4.6 miles. Just be very careful on the edge of the busy A863 getting to the start of the walk. It is here where we found the largest puddle but Sarah navigated through the centre without getting her feet wet.
From here the track leads gently to Allt Dearg House. There is a little undulation but no real ascents or descents of note. Where vehicles have used the track there is a build up of gravel in the centre and edges which sometimes made it difficult under Sarah’s wheels. Not enough to bog her down but just enough to make her have to jiggle her frame a few times to get the wheels moving. It would be a good enough track for a wheelchair user to be pushed along so they could enjoy the great outdoors. Just a little bit of swerving of potholes as Sarah did with her frame.
This is the bridge over the burn which you come to about halfway to Allt Dearg House. As you can see the surface is very rough and pitted. Sarah had a few problems getting her wheels to glide smoothly over this area! However with a bit of shoving and determination she was onto the bridge in no time. If you were pushing someone in a wheelchair I would suggest pulling them over this area rather than pushing them. As you would to go over a small kerb stone. It will be easier and more comfortable for both of you.
The amazing views of the Cuillins.
After the bridge you get your first proper view of Allt Dearg House nestled in the foothills of Pinnacle Ridge. The burn to your left is Allt Dearg Mor, meaning the Big Red Burn. As the clouds lift you are treated to a view of Pinnacle Ridge which is home to three main peaks of the Cuillin Ridge. From left to right – Sgurr nan Gillean, Am Basteir and Bruach na Frithe. In the centre, poking out from the right hand side of Am Basteir is the jagged edge of the Am Basteir tooth. It is quite a breathtaking view to the summits from the banks of Allt Dearg.
Shortly you pass the path on the right over to Glen Brittle. This is a much narrower, bumpy path. This path is not suitable for wheels of any kind, frames, chairs etc but Melanie had a quick recce and we will plan to have a look next year with Sarah just using her walking stick and see how we get on.
The amazing views of Glen Sligachan.
Very soon you arrive at Allt Dearg House, this is a holiday let, so please no peeping in the windows. The track ends here and to get back to the car you simply retrace your steps. We sat a while by the edge of the burn and soaked up the views. Whilst you’ve been walking you find yourself entranced by the Black Cuillin in front of you. Now when you turn around the view across Glen Sligachan and even as far as Raasay is amazing.
The track is fairly level but I think it is slightly more downhill on the way back to the car which is an added bonus. We just took our time and sauntered back, teased by the prospect of a rainbow in the distance. The return leg is pretty much the same as the outgoing leg. A bit gravelly in places, the rough area each side of the bridge to contend with and potholes to dodge. However the clean, fresh Skye air and the amazing views soon make these things distant memories.
One thing to bear in mind is that we did this walk on a Thursday afternoon in October. Not only did we find a parking space but we only met half a dozen other people in the hour we were walking. In the height of the season this path gets quite busy with walkers as it is the start of one of the routes up to Pinnacle Ridge. That said the track is wide and everyone could easily find ways to navigate around us. There is more parking near the Mountain Rescue Post behind the Sligachan Hotel but this will make the walk longer.
Our walk to Allt Dearg House was a great success. On our way back to Portree we were finally rewarded with the rainbow that had been teasing us earlier. A great end to a great walk. A walk which we believe people of all abilities can enjoy, including those confined to wheelchairs. Nothing comes without a challenge but the minor hurdles here come with rewarding views.
