Torr Ghabhscabhaig

 

Torr Gabhscabhaig with Loch Gabhscabhaig in the foreground

The Hill: Torr Gabhscabhaig

Location: Between Tarskavaig and Tokavaig, Sleat, Isle of Skye

Grid Reference: NG592108

Height: 92m

Classification: Tump

The Walk

Ascent: 30 metre

Distance: 100 metres (round trip)

Terrain: Steep climb on rough ground

Parking: Space for a maximum of three cars in a wide passing place at the base of the hill.

Sleat is one of the least hilly parts of Skye. It doesn't have anything even remotely resembling a mountain. It is therefore somewhat surprising that the road to this tiny tump is one of the few on the island which throughout my childhood bore signage proclaiming it "unsuitable for caravans". It hasn't been upgraded since, and there are many many bends and some ferociously steep hills. This makes it very popular with cyclists (who never have to reverse) but less so with drivers. It's one of my least favourite drives, and always takes about eight times longer to do than I expect, which is unfortunate as there are quite a few lovely short walks along its length. This particular hill is pretty much bang in the middle of the road, so it doesn't much matter which way round the loop you go. If we go via Ord we always decide it took absolutely ages to get to Torr Garbhscavaig and we'll go back via Tarskavaig because it will be quicker. And if we go out via Tarskavaig we'll decide it took absolutely ages to go that way and that we'll go back via Ord. We are yet to discover the secret to getting there quickly, but I suspect the solution is probably to move to Tarskavaig. 

We made it! Tiny car parked in the passing place, with the path(s) up visible as lines through the heather

Once you get there however, it is an excellent hill. It's really tiny, and only takes me about 5 minutes to climb, even though it is very steep. You start from the passing place by the loch, and pretty much just charge straight up the hill. There is a rough path through the heather, which has probably been created by the steady wear of humans climbing to the top, but looks like is has been made by sheep, which are plentiful in this area.

The Cuillin Hills from the summit of Torr Ghabhscabhaig

From the summit, there is almost everything you could want in a view on Skye: the sea, the mountains, a loch, some islands, and a ruined castle. At least on a clear day. The first time we went up it is was blowing a gale and the view was almost entirely of low cloud... 

Torr Gabhscabhaig summit on a less auspicious hill day, featuring darkness, clouds, and a wind you can really lean into.

The last time we were up though, the weather was glorious.

From Torr Gabhscavaig looking North East with Dun Sgathaich castle ruins centre frame.

It was December. Due to the somehow always unexpectedly long drive we got there not long before sunset. So we decided to stay and wait for it. This is definitely an advantage of a tiny hill. On a Munro, one definitely shouldn't hang around and watch the sun set in December, as one will then be plunged into darkness while one is still miles from one's car. With a tiny hill however, especially one this small, you can be fairly confident of getting off between sunset and true darkness, which even in December lasts more than 5 minutes. 

Squint selfie featuring me smiling and the Hillbagger attempting to estimate the time until sunset...

We sat on the summit enjoying the view, and drank hot mulled apple juice. It is a bit of a faff to make, but is a much better flask option than hot chocolate, because there is no risk of ending up with a flask smelling of rancid milk. The hillbagger would probably have preferred coffee, but as I don't like tea or coffee, and I made the drinks, he got hot apple juice. 

Thermos with a view towards the  Black Cuillin

As it happened, the sunset was a little underwhelming, probably because it was a beautiful day with almost no clouds. Or at least is was here. There was (from our point of view) some beautiful cloud inversion burying the Small Isles, with the mountains of Rhum sticking up above them. However, I seriously doubt that the people of Rhum woke up, looked out of their windows and thought oh, a cloud inversion, we should climb the mountain to see how beautiful it is. I suspect their thoughts were more along the lines of "gosh it's foggy, let's stay in today". 

View from Torr Gabhsgabhaig at sunset, with the Cuillin of Rhum just showing about the cloud inversion.

It was still very pretty though.

Sunset over Rhum, with Loch Gabhsgabhaig in the foreground

Then we started heading back down. The hill bagger was in the lead, and called back to me "look at how the light is hitting that big hill covered in snow in the distance".

View descending Torr Ghabhsgabhaig with the hill baggers enormous snow covered mountain on the skyline

I looked, and I said "It looks almost like the moon rising." And we continued to look, with the hill bagger becoming increasingly confused as to what could possibly be so big that it looked big behind hills that he knew to be very large Munro's.

View of the increasingly enormous snow covered mountain...

Reader, it was indeed the moon. And it took the hill bagger and I, who I would generally describe as being highly intelligent human beings, at least thirty seconds to figure this out. Once we had it figured out, the moonrise really was stunning. It felt pretty special to see both the sunset and the moonrise within minutes of each other and we were very glad we'd stayed out for it. 

Realisation dawns... Moonrise over the mountains

Most definitely the moon...

I looked it up when I got home, because I was quite certain the sunset and moonrise don't always coincide, and found out that it only happens when the moon is full. I would therefore highly recommend keeping an eye out for clear days around the full moon. It makes for a really special sunset tiny hill bagging expedition.

Moonrise viewed from the car as we got ready for the drive home.

If you are doing this walk when it isn't nearly sunset, and you have the energy for it, I would also highly recommend the walk out to Dun Sgathaich , the castle which you can see from the summit, which is only about a kilometre up the coast. 

If Torr Ghabhsgabhaig isn't climbable for you, there are still excellent views out towards Rhum and the south west from the road above Tarskavaig, and excellent views of the Cuillin hills to the North from the road at Tokavaig and the road and beach at Ord. 

And if you are a hill bagger in the market for slightly larger hills for a greater sense of achievement and adventure, I have been told that the hills behind Ord are a delightful climb, and will have similar excellent views. There are four available tumps, all of whose names begin with Sgiath-bheinn if you want to search for them on hill-bagging... I'm definitely keeping them in mind for a future trip if my health allows!

Sunset from Torr Ghabhsgabhaig, with Loch Ghabhsgabhaig in the foreground and Rhum in the background