Scottish Bothy Walks - 28 best bothy adventures

WALK 25 New Camasunary Bothy, the ‘Bad Step’ & Loch Coruisk
shoreline of Loch nan Leachd. This is one of the
most sensational spots on Skye, the magnificent
peaks of the Southern Cuillins staring down from
on high. From this point, it is all about the Bad
Step. A sequence of sloping gabbro intrusions
block your path to the security of Loch Coruisk,
but only one is a serious obstacle. At first, you
kid yourself that each little scuttle across the
slabs must be the Bad Step, thinking ‘Well I don’t
know what all the fuss is about,’ and then bang,
the real deal confronts you. Fear not. Once you
have climbed into a large notch, and edged out
onto the slab, follow the fault line in the rock.
Once committed the angle is kind. The secret
is to drop down leftward at a small niche in the
crack, quickly moving to easier ground, rather
than continue on the more obvious line – to an
exposed no man’s land.
5 Ah the relief! Within a couple of minutes you
are skipping across a sweet little sandy beach,
and just round the corner, the magnificent sight
of Loch Coruisk – a sweeping rock basin crowned
by a towering tightrope of dark crags and sharp
pinnacles – where you can finally relax, knowing
the worst is over. The long, ambling return
follows the southern shore of the loch, taking
a zigzag path that rises past Loch a’ Choire
Riabhaich, and onto the ridge of Druim Hain. 6
From one of the numerous cairns that mark the
saddle, a dramatic panorama of the Black Cuillins
unfolds, the entire ridge appearing like a gigantic
wall poster. Across the valley, the granite scree
slopes of the Red Hills seem tame by comparison.
Head down the steep, stony path back to the
comfort of Glen Sligachan, hopping across the
tributaries of the Allt nam Fraoch-choire below
Lochan Dubha, before joining the main track back
to the car park. The trek to Sligachan can begin
to drag in the dying light, but the thought of a
refreshing drink at the hotel bar should speed
you along the home stretch.
Notes: Conquering the ‘Bad Step’ is a popular
outing (classified as a grade ½ scramble in an old
Scottish mountaineering guide!) and is typically
incorporated into an A to B route from either
Elgol, Kilmarie, or the tourist boat that lands at
Loch Coruisk. The circular route from Sligachan
avoids the need to walk back the way you have
come, and the logistical problems of needing
two cars, infrequent public transport, or reliance
on the boat for your return. It follows the route
of the Skye Trail from Sligachan to Camasunary.
Save this walk for a dry, sunny day; it is desperate
if attempted after a period of heavy rain.
LOCH CORUISK
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