Quiraing

The Quiraing is the northern end of the Trotternish landslip and the only part still actively moving; the single-track road that crosses the pass has to be repaired most years because the ground beneath it creeps downhill. The formations have names: the Needle, a thirty-seven-metre spike of rock; the Table, a flat grassy plateau hidden among the towers and reached by a scramble, where cattle were said to have been hidden from raiders; and the Prison, a rock mass that resembles a fortress from the path. The circular walk from the car park is about seven kilometres round the base of the cliffs and back along the top, with one exposed section on a narrow path across a steep slope. The whole peninsula view from the top takes in Staffin Bay and the mainland.

What you actually see

• The Needle - a thirty-seven-metre rock spike among the towers.
• The Table - a flat hidden plateau reached by a scramble through the rocks.
• The Prison - a rock mass that reads as a fortress from the path.
• The moving road - a pass road repaired yearly because the ground creeps.

When to go

May to September; the walk is exposed and unpleasant in wind and rain, which is frequent. Cloud sits on the ridge often. Early morning avoids both the crowds and the worst of the car park pressure.

Honest expectations

The circuit includes a narrow traverse across a steep slope where a slip would be serious, and it is not a casual walk. The scramble up to the Table is loose and exposed. Parking is charged, limited and overwhelmed in summer. The road over the pass is single track with heavy traffic.

Nearby

The Old Man of Storr is south along the ridge; Staffin and Uig lie either side.