Glendale, Skye - Tourist Guide

Glendale Tourist Guide

Wednesday April 2nd, 2025

The Walk to Waterstein Coastguard Station


A circular walk from Neist visitors' car park to the Old Coastguard Station, around Mainteach nan Tarbh and then returning via Waterstein village. (4 miles, 2-3 hours).

Getting There

From Milovaig, drive back to towards Glendale and take your first turning on the right.

Follow the road as far as it goes and park up in the car park.

The Walk

Rather than descending the steps to the lighthouse, follow the headland around to the right (North). This gives excellent views down over Neist Point and the Lighthouse (as shown in the photograph on the right).

After about half a mile, you will reach the old coastguards' hut (Map ). This is still standing, with the walls and roof intact but the windows and fittings are long gone. It makes a good place to shelter in a storm.

From here, keep following the cliff-tops around until you descend into a small glen leading down to Oisgill Bay. You can explore the bay and the massive sea-cliffs. There are superb views over The Minch to the Western Isles.

Oisgill Bay
Oisgill Bay and Biod Ban.

The photograph on the left shows the view of Oisgill Bay as you will approach it from the Old Coastguard Station.

For your return, cross the burn and follow a well-defined track along the Northern bank of the small glen leading South-East, until you reach a large passing place and sheep fank beside the Waterstein road. Avoid the Southern bank of the burn, which is very boggy at all times and passes through private property.

Turn right and follow the road back to the Car Park.

Neist Point and Lighthouse
Neist Point and Lighthouse.

Waterstein Sightings & News

23rd Mar 2025

A single bonxie (great skua) went north past Neist Point in the morning. There were hundreds of kittiwakes heading north at Neist in the morning.

16th Mar 2025


Humpback - Neist
March 2025

Humpback - Neist
March 2025

Two distant humpback whales were off Neist Point again today. Initially fluking and breaching off the southern end of North Uist before travelling down to South Uist. There were two harbour porpoises north-west of the lighthouse and two more in Moonen Bay. A pod of around 20 common dolphins were towards South Uist and Benbecula, as viewed from Neist, all day.

15th Mar 2025

There were two distant humpback whales at the northern tip of North Uist, as viewed from Neist Point, at mid-day: blows, fluking and fully body breaches for a few minutes before we lost sight of them behind the curvature of the Earth.


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