NO matter if you have never been to Skye, the sweeping views of the Quiraing stoke the imagination. In childhood tales of mythical beasts, this is what the landscapes conjured in the mind's eye look like.
The area is rich with stories in this vein – be it as a reputed meeting place for fairies or home to dragons who saw off invaders. It is little surprise, then, that the Quiraing has had a starring role in films such as Macbeth, Stardust, The Land That Time Forgot, The BFG and King Arthur: Legend of the Sword.
Part of the Trotternish peninsula, it was formed by a massive landslip that created towering cliffs, elevated plateaus and pinnacles of rock. The result is one of awe-inspiring beauty, all the more dramatic when seen in the flesh.
You could imagine dinosaurs walking here. In fact, nearby An Corran beach at Staffin has seaweed-covered rocks that bear the three-toed impressions left by what is thought to be a family of megalosaurus 165 million years ago.
The Quiraing has striking landmarks: The Prison, The Needle and The Table. Each does exactly what it says on the tin. The Needle is a jagged 120-foot-high (37m) pinnacle, while The Table is a flat, grassy area and The Prison is a rocky peak resembling a medieval keep.
READ MORE: Scotland reopens: Our favourite views, picnic spots, drives, walks, hills, lochs and beaches
Traversing the narrow paths, scrambling up and down steep slopes, makes for an exhilarating day out in the hills. In clear weather, the vistas are stunning stretching across Skye and beyond towards Wester Ross and the Torridon Hills on the mainland.
If hillwalking isn't your thing, the Quiraing can still be enjoyed on a scenic drive along the minor road that crosses the peninsula from Staffin to Uig.
Even from ground level it is impossible not to be struck by the immensity of this rugged terrain. When the mist comes down, it is a setting that makes the spine tingle with the eerie promise of something otherworldly lurking.
What to read: The Skye Trail by Cameron McNeish and Richard Else charts a 70-mile walk across the island following ancient byways, cattle drovers' routes, mountain paths and an old railway line.
What to watch: Best clear your diary. The list of on-screen appearances isn’t short. Netflix’s Robert the Bruce biopic Outlaw King, starring Chris Pine, was shot here.
READ MORE: Summer Reads 2020: The 30 best beach and holiday books
Spot it in the Keanu Reeves-led samurai action flick 47 Ronin and the fantasy, Snow White and the Huntsman, with Kristen Stewart, Chris Hemsworth and Charlize Theron.
Why are you making commenting on The Herald only available to subscribers?
It should have been a safe space for informed debate, somewhere for readers to discuss issues around the biggest stories of the day, but all too often the below the line comments on most websites have become bogged down by off-topic discussions and abuse.
heraldscotland.com is tackling this problem by allowing only subscribers to comment.
We are doing this to improve the experience for our loyal readers and we believe it will reduce the ability of trolls and troublemakers, who occasionally find their way onto our site, to abuse our journalists and readers. We also hope it will help the comments section fulfil its promise as a part of Scotland's conversation with itself.
We are lucky at The Herald. We are read by an informed, educated readership who can add their knowledge and insights to our stories.
That is invaluable.
We are making the subscriber-only change to support our valued readers, who tell us they don't want the site cluttered up with irrelevant comments, untruths and abuse.
In the past, the journalist’s job was to collect and distribute information to the audience. Technology means that readers can shape a discussion. We look forward to hearing from you on heraldscotland.com
Comments & Moderation
Readers’ comments: You are personally liable for the content of any comments you upload to this website, so please act responsibly. We do not pre-moderate or monitor readers’ comments appearing on our websites, but we do post-moderate in response to complaints we receive or otherwise when a potential problem comes to our attention. You can make a complaint by using the ‘report this post’ link . We may then apply our discretion under the user terms to amend or delete comments.
Post moderation is undertaken full-time 9am-6pm on weekdays, and on a part-time basis outwith those hours.
Read the rules here