The Cuillin Ridge, Isle of Skye

The Cuillin Ridge on Skye is often described as the British Alps. It is a knife edge ridge of wonderful Gabbro and not so wonderful Basalt that includes 10,000ft of ascent taking in 11 Munro tops and many other tops between 2500 ft and 3000ft. The ridge drops down into the sea giving tremendous views across the surrounding islands of Hebrides, it is a fantasy, a mountain lovers dream and for Lawrence Pilkington, one of the first pioneers in the 19th century, it was as for so many since "a glimpse of the promised land".

The formation of the Cuillin started 70 million years ago with a series of volcanic eruptions. The prevalent rock is Gabbro, a rough volcanic rock that destroys finger tips and provides fantastic friction for climbers boots. Also present was Basalt which weathers more easily and is more fragile than the Gabbro. The Basalt is easy to spot as it often forms in columns and staircases, it will be slippy when wet and tends not to provide good belays. 

Millions of years of erosion through wind, rain, heat and later on through glaciation reduced the Cuillin down to the size that we know them now. Like all of our mountains they are still shrinking with rockfall and erosion, something to bear in mind when placing that next step!

The first reported successful summit attempt in the Cuillin took place on 7th July 1836. Duncan Macintyre, a local forester, leads scientist James Forbes via the "Tourist Route" to the summit of Sgurr nan Gilean. In 1896 the last virgin mountain to be climbed in Britain is ascended by Collie, Howell, Naismith & Mackenzie via its most difficult route on its North Face, Sgurr Coir an Lochain. The first complete traverse of the ridge is made in 1911 by L shadbolt and A C Maclaren, with the first winter traverse waiting until 1965 and being made over two days by D Crabbe, B Robertson, T Patey and H Macinnes.

I visit Skye every May and have done since I was a teenager. Here are some of my photos: