A beautiful bay at the end of the Isle of Skye invites you to take a walk. On the way from the car park to the sea, you will encounter mossy trees, green ferns and colourful peacocks.
It gives the whisky its name: the bay at Talisker. And what a scenery it offers: A long, flat valley with lush meadows stretches between high hills to the sea, where it runs out and forms a bay. It is bordered by high cliffs to the left and right.
A dark sandy beach has spread out directly on the Atlantic, giving Talisker Bay a very special flair: light and dark sand form a marbled pattern that changes slightly after each wave.
Limpets have clung to the large rocks at the northern end near the water. And small crabs frolic in the small pools that the low tide has forgotten here.
High overhead, a small waterfall cascades tirelessly from the high cliffs. It rarely reaches the ground because the wind, which is almost always blowing, blows the little water away in a picturesque way.
Despite the well-known name, the number of visitors here is still limited, as the approach is a long, sometimes poor single-track road, at the end of which a walk awaits.
However, the journey is particularly worthwhile for those who have already seen a lot on the Isle of Skye.
Knowledge: About Talisker House and the estate
The estate around Talisker, including the bay (but WITHOUT the Talisker Distillery), was sold to a new owner for £1.2 million in 2019. And he immediately began to renovate the old manor house.
The house was built back in 1717 and then successively extended. The owners at the time were the MacLeods of Talisker. in 1825, the estate was taken over by Hugh MacAskill, a controversial character. On the one hand, he was involved in the forced eviction of the Talisker Estate during the Highland Clearances. At the same time, however, he created new jobs and economic prospects by founding the Talisker Distillery.
Talisker, “Talasgair” in Gaelic, refers to the place around the house, the surrounding valley is called “Glen Oraid” with the River Talisker in it. According to the distillery, the name Talisker can be translated as “sloping rock”.
That would at least match one of the dominant landscape features: The Preshal More, at 324 metres, towers over the valley to the south and could be interpreted as a sloping rock.
Directions: Parking and walking to Talisker Bay
The walk to Talisker Bay takes around 30 minutes and is two kilometres long. The path is well maintained and fairly flat.
From the car park, walk along the road. Look out, there is a peacock farm on the right-hand side with lots of beautiful birds.
At the cul-de-sac before the gate, turn left into the country lane that leads along the beautifully mossy wall. The white Talisker House, an old manor house from the 18th century, soon appears on the right.
In principle, you then simply continue straight ahead until you reach the bay. The way back is the same as the way out.
How to get there:
With sat nav: “IV47 8SF” will take you to Glen Oraid.
Without sat nav: If you are driving towards Carbost, where the Talisker distillery is located, there is a turn-off just before you reach it, which you drive up to the left. Drive along the road above the village and you will see a sign pointing left towards Talisker. Follow the road and keep right at the next junction (Talisker is also signposted here). The road ends at private properties, which are fenced off with gates. It is no longer permitted to park here, but you can turn round, drive back a little and park on the left.
