The Trotternish Ridge

Whereas the Black Cuillin is not distinguished for its mountain plants, the Trotternish Ridge is. With a regular height of 2,000 feet, the basalt rocks offer vegetation on the ledges, and our Ridge is the richest area in Skye for arctic and alpine plants. Examples are the Alpine pearlwort, the Mossy saxifrage, the striking Mountain Avens, and the rare Koenigia islandica. Although the Ridge has at times a seasonally harsh environment, it supports a remarkable range of wildlife.

The Trotternish ridge itself is a geological wonder to behold. It is 18 miles in length, and is the longest escarpment in Britain. The Ridge begins some five miles north of Portree and it comes to its natural conclusion at Sròn Bhirlinn, just north of Flodigarry. Approximately 21 million years ago, the outline of the ridge would have looked almost as it does today. But of course rocks are constantly evolving and there are 'new rocks' on the ridge. Contributing to such wonders as the Trotternish Ridge are our immense landslips which happened post glacially. At the Storr end, the landslip hailed by many as Skye’s most scenically spectacular, has revealed the Jurassic wonders of Beararaig Bay.