Skye picnic spots: Eilean Chaluim Chille Traditional Cache
Lorgadh: As the owner has not responded to my previous log requesting that they check this cache I am archiving it.
Regards
Karen
Lorgadh - Volunteer UK Reviewer
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Skye picnic spots: Eilean Chaluim Chille
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The picnic area is down by the riverbank next to the small river island of Eilean Chaluim Chille or St Columba’s Isle. It’s a gorgeous spot, jam-packed with history, but watch out for those dreaded midges! (The benches are in need of a bit of TLC, but it’s still possible to make yourself comfy).
St Columba’s Isle is an ancient burial ground on a small island in the River Snizort. It has a ruined chapel dedicated to St. Columba, who visited Skye around 585 AD, and is the site of the cathedral church of the Bishops of the Isles. Before you cross the footbridge there are a couple of stones with information panels telling you about this and the mortuary chapel where Clan Nicholson have 28 of their Clan chiefs buried. In the early 1500s the area was also the site of the Battle of Trotternish, an important battle between the warring clans of the MacDonalds and the McLeods.
The grass on the Isle is well kept, but the ground is unveven. Well worth the visit though. I especially love the effigy of the knight. A similar carving can be seen up the graveyard in Kilmuir where Flora MacDonald is buried.
I’ve noticed newish signs recently telling you about walks you can take in the immediate vicinity, so it’s possible to extend your visit if you want something longer.
Off the A850 – to the right if coming from Portree/Uig, and signed for Peinmore, Tote and Prabost - it is a sharp left once you cross the cattle grid. Parking is towards the end of this short road, past the white hall on the left.
The cache is at the footbridge taking you over to the Isle. It was built in 1990 by the Officers Training Corp of Edinburgh and Heriott Watt Universities. It is a 35mm film canister - please bring your own pen and please replace carefully :-)
*[FTF – the cache is in a small pocket – this is to protect the FTF prize, not the cache. Please remove when you first find. Ta]*
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Gb gur evtug, haqre gur guveq fgrc.