walking the rainbow trail: Romesdal to Kingsburgh 2

Grey Granite and Rufus had walked most of the way from Romesdal to Kingsburgh avoiding the main road, earlier in the week but wanted to do the whole walk, there and back, following the track from Romesdal to Kingsburgh.

According to Derek Cooper, part of one of the oldest roads on Skye ran south from Uig to Portree, Grey Granite thinks that this track may have been part of that original road and likes to think that it may have been followed by Flora MacDonald and possibly even Charles Edward Stewart on his flight to Raasay..

The track to Kingsburgh climbs the hill behind West House. It can just be discerned in the grass running up the face of the brae, by keeping left of the post in the field and then making for the gate in the dyke on the horizon a much clearer track is reached.

Beyond the second gate the track has a good surface, there are good views over Loch Snizort.

There is a muddy descent to Kingsburgh

The drive to Kingsburgh House. By wandering along the tarred road above the drive and then cutting down through a small wood, Grey Granite and Rufus avoided seeing the private signs. The trees are sycamores, beech, larch and the occasional horse chestnut, shedding conkers .

Kingsburgh House. This dilapidated building dates from the 18th and 19th centuries. The original Kingsburgh House stood closer to the shore, but nothing now remains of it 'By 1852, nothing remained of the former Kingsburgh House. 'This was the family home of Allan Macdonald, who married Flora Macdonald in 1750. It was here, in 1746, that the fugitive BPC stayed a night before continuing on to Raasay, '... met with a most cordial reception; seemed gay at supper, and after it indulged himself in a cheerful glass with his worthy host'. Nearly 30 years later James Boswell was much taken with the sight of his venerable travelling companion lying in 'the very bed in which the grandson of the unfortunate King James the second lay'. from Scotland's Places www.scotlandsplaces.gov.uk