An Garadh Fada

Kilt Rock is a 60-metre high sea cliff. Its tall columns are made of hard basalt rock which stand on softer sandstone The Kilt Rock is so-named because the basalt columns are said to resemble the pleats in a kilt.

The A855 runs 33 miles around North Skye from Portree NG4743 : A87, A855 junction, Portree to Uig NG3964 : A855 / A87 junction, via Staffin. Link

Climbers' Discarded Gear Adds Charm to 'The Chimney Stack'.

One of them there must-see spots on Skye is that famous Kilt Rock, named after its basalt columns that supposedly resemble a pleated kilt. Now, if you use your imagination just a tad more, you’ll notice that the sandstone base upon which these columns perch bears an uncanny resemblance to a proper tartan. The best viewpoint to take in this spectacle is about a kilometre away. There’s no shortage of photos available online if you’re itching to get a glimpse. Now, I’ve seen it all before, so I wasn’t terribly let down when I discovered that the car park was shut and going through some grand upgrade. They’ve gone and erected industrial fencing, making sure no cheeky visitors are tempted to park on the road and skirt their way around. So, even on a bike, that coveted viewpoint was well and truly off-limits. But there’s nothing stopping you from strolling along the coast from Staffin and making your way in. Up close, I must admit, the rock is a smidge over-hyped. I found myself more impressed by this sea-stack just a few hundred metres to the north. This stack is the narrowest one I’ve ever laid eyes upon and has been dubbed ‘The Chimney Stack’ by the climbing fraternity. Just like the Kilt Rock, it boasts those very same basalt columns, but what sets it apart from other stacks I’ve seen is its utter lack of horizontal bedding planes, which makes it look all the more formidable, if you ask me. And believe it or not, some brave souls have actually scaled its treacherous heights. There are two routes graded E5: ‘Sheer Sear’ on the south face and ‘Over The Rainbow’ on the seaward side. I can’t help but admire the sheer guts and dogged determination of these rock athletes, but it did dampen my spirits a little to see their abandoned abseiling gear littering the summit. See NG5066 : Thrilling Summit Litter. From my blog post Link

In the rugged embrace of nature's grip, a massive boulder stands proud, defying the raging sea below. It conjures thoughts of an ass named Donkey, complimenting Shrek's house, saying, "I like that boulder, that is a nice boulder." Perched perilously atop the ancient sea cliffs, it hints at an enduring existence since the glacier's ancient retreat. Gazing into the horizon, Staffin Island and the Òb nan Ròn harbour emerge, distant yet ever-present.

North of Kilt Rock the waves were crashing under the cliffs.

At Ellishadder. This is day six of the Hebridean Circuit Sheepdog Trials held on Ellishadder Common Grazings. Proceeds go to Skye Cancer Care.

The area compares to the Giant's Causeway of County Antrim.

A coastline of low cliffs and jointed strata south of Rubha Garbhaig.

The large grey slab is an exposure of Jurassic rock which underlies this area, whilst the boulders above are at least 100 million years younger, being dolerite blocks which have fallen from the nearby cliffs.

This is about as far as one can safely go if following the shoreline south from Staffin slipway as the cliffline gets closer to the shore. The cliffs are of columnar dolerite, whilst the talus slope below masks the underlying Jurassic strata.

The rock is situated in the centre of the square and this photograph was taken from the viewpoint.

The Kilt Rock is formed of columnar basalt which is said to give it the appearance of a kilt. Much of the Isle of Skye is formed of similar volcanic rocks.

Raised beach below the northern end of the famous Kilt Rock.

From the top of the 90m high, two tiered cliff that has pleats resembling a kilt. The upper part is columnar basalt, sitting on horizontal beds of sandstone. The Mealt waterfall by the car park and viewpoint in NG5065 can be seen near the centre of the picture. That is the best place to view the Kilt Rock. The cliff edge here is difficult to reach, uneven and very dangerous.

Isle of Skye, Ellishadder. The Kilt Rock is named for the tartan-like patterns in the 105 metre (350 ft) cliffs.