Walk: Flodaigh seals the deal

Benbecula | Flodaigh | Short walk | ★★★

[Scanning the bay for seals at Caolas Fhlodaigh]

Flodaigh is an islet situated just off the northeast coast of Benbecula, connected to its larger neighbour by a short road causeway. The labyrinth of tidal channels, islets and mud flats make the perfect habitat for seals, and this short walk provides a reliable opportunity to see them. Lucky visitors will be able to view the pinnipeds at fairly close quarters on the shore of Lingay; on other days, you might need to squint to glimpse them several hundred metres away on the other side of the strait. Binoculars or a powerful camera zoom might come in handy; visit at low tide for the best chance of success.

[Seals]

📌 Walk: Flodaigh seals the deal ★★★
▶ 1 km / <1 mile ▲ 20 metres
Features: Isle of Flodaigh seal colony
Start / finish: Minor road end on Flodaigh, off Benbecula, G.R.: NF 844551 ///walked.respected.twin. Parking is occasionally restricted (see local signage) - further limited space for parking towards the causeway from Benbecula.

Route: Start - eastern viewpoint overlooking Lingay at G.R.: NF 849547 - western viewpoint at G.R.: NF 848546 - start
Terrain: Faint, grassy paths, can be wet underfoot. Small burn to cross, which may be awkward due to mud and seaweed.
Wildlife today: Quite a few seals, though fairly distant; oystercatchers, seagulls.
Weather today: Overcast, a little rain.

📌 Flodaigh seal colony ★★★
Seal colony is at Caolas Fhlodaigh, off southeast coast of Flodaigh, G.R.: NF 849544 ///extra.dancer.chapels

 Anything else? Easiest access to seal colony as described by walk route above (15-min walk each way).

[Signpost indicating where to leave the track]

Route map

Route credit: Walkhighlands

Chronological photo guide

[A sign indicates where to leave the track]

[Approaching the coast (and burn crossing)]

[Views across the bay]

[Seals]

[Seals]

[Western viewpoint]

[Seals]

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Edinburgh

Image
City of Edinburgh | City | ★★★★★

Edinburgh is Scotland's capital city and a global icon. The list of world-famous attractions is impressive: Edinburgh Castle, the joint World Heritage Sites of the Old and New Towns, Edinburgh Zoo, The Royal Mile, Arthur's Seat... and the list goes on. Nowhere else in Scotland comes close to its breathtaking architecture, and there's a depth of history here that larger Glasgow can only dream of. And Edinburgh's striking cityscape seems in perfect harmony with the spectacular natural landscape. Extinct volcanoes are everywhere, making up a number of the city's legendary seven hills and rising 251 metres above sea level at rocky Arthur's Seat. It's easy to forget that Edinburgh has expanded to reach the ocean too, with Portobello Beach and the Port of Leith both only a short bus ride from the centre. The city does feel like it's owned by tourists at times - particularly during summer. And for a few weeks during August, fer…
Read more

Walk: Raasay - the Isle off Skye

Image
Raasay | Inverarish | Full day walk | ★★★

Poor wee Raasay! This elongated, sparsely populated island off the east coast of Skye is too often overshadowed by its celebrity neighbour. The result for visitors is glorious isolation: barely a mile of ocean ensuring year-round solace compared to summer chaos. Spend a day (or longer) and you'll discover a truly beguiling corner of Scotland with wonderful natural scenery, climaxing in the diminutive yet dramatic summit of Dùn Caan. This long-extinct volcano commands a panorama across the entire island, beyond which there are grandstand views of the Applecross peninsula on the mainland and of Skye's Cuillin Hills. The full day circuit described below begins from the CalMac ferry terminal, and also conveniently passes all of the island's main historic sites; Raasay Distillery is also reachable by a further 5-minute detour off the route. Don't say we don't spoil you!


📌 Walk: Raasay - the Isle off Skye ★★★
▶ 16 km / 10 miles …
Read more

St Maol-luag's Chapel (Raasay)

Image
Raasay | Inverarish | Church | ★

For an island the size of Raasay - and with a past population numbering several hundred - there seems to be a surprisingly small number of churches. St Maol-luag's Chapel is the closest place of worship to the island's main pier in Churchton Bay and was probably built in the 13th century, on the site of an earlier, 6th century church possibly founded by the Irish monk St Moluag. It was however abandoned following the Reformation of 1560, and is now very much a ruin. Arguably of more interest is the adjacent narrower building on the downhill side of the main building. This is a memorial chapel for the MacLeods, dating to 1839. Above the east window is a tiny but intriguing carving of a face - probably female, and possibly depicting the Virgin Mary - believed to have been reused from an earlier burial enclosure. We certainly don't advocate coming all the way to Raasay to seek out a pile of rubble and a lichen-covered face, but the chapel is w…
Read more