CARN LIATH

Aside from the great (but painful) gabbro boulders of Coire Lagan, there is also a collection of finer-grained basalt boulders at Carn Liath off the A855 to Staffin. About 13km north of Portree, before the hamlet of Rigg and the conifer plantations, two burns tumble down from Carn Liath hill on the west. Approach up the main grassy ridge to the west onto the flat boggy moorland (the main cliff is visible high up ahead). Aim for a mini col at about 300m, right of the cliff. From here you can see a couple of thousand boulders. The main bouldering area is on the flat area at about 250m. It is a complex place to explore but there are some terrific natural problems. Described here are the best of the lines so far developed by James Sutton, Lee Robinson and friends. Expect to get lost in the jumble!