Shieldaig

Shieldaig

Loch Shieldaig

Liathach across Loch Torridon

Junction of the Applecross new road

Torridons from Shieldaig peninsular

Looking North across Loch Shieldaig

Looking across Inner Sound to Skye

Skye from north of Applecross

Raasay and Skye

Skye from Bealach na Ba

Shieldaig is one of those places that imprints an indelible image in the memory; a line of white cottages facing the loch where Shieldaig island showboats its stand of Scots Pine. In 1970 I spent 3 days camping at the free campsite by the war memorial when working as a student and carrying out a survey for the new road to Applecross. It is also one of Aileen's favourite places, she had stayed on the same campsite with some French friends whilst studying at Edinburgh. Since then I have passed through a dozen or so times on my way to and from the Torridons and Aileen is always keen to visit if we are in Wester Ross. There is a friendly shop and hotel that serves local seafood. It has hardly changed in forty years, even the campsite remains although the school/community has acquired a tennis court, football pitch and outdoor swimming pool.

Today we walked from the war memorial, past the primary school northwards to the Shieldaig peninsular. The trail follows the coast past old shielings and then towards an open moor that overlooks Upper Loch Torridon. The walk provides a promenade facing the greatest of all Scottish mountains: the Torridons. It was magical and kept us occupied for a couple of hours; following the coast, climbing the highest point and then dawdling back reluctant to leave such a glorious place. We had a late snack lunch in the Shieldaig Hotel before setting out again to extract every moment and view from this remarkable day.

We followed the new coast road to Applecross that I had helped survey and I was galvanised into photographic action every time that Raasay and Skye hove into view. A coffee at the splendid Applecross Hotel and then over Bealach na Ba, stopping for me to run to the summit of the nearby Corbett and to leave the bealach just as the sun was finally extinguished by the Skye ridge. Some day.