Historic Skye: The Rock of Names Traditional Cache
Historic Skye: The Rock of Names
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BEALACH UDAL
and the ROCK OF NAMES
The Bealach Udal is the high point of the narrow, twisting and occasionally off-putting road that leaves the Broadford-Kyleakin road and heads across wild country to descend steeply to the ferry across the kyle to Glenelg.
This ancient route off Skye was taken centuries ago by drovers who were taking cattle to the straits at Kylerhea, where, at slack water, they would swim across to the Glenelg side for their onward journey to the lowland trysts at Falkirk and Stirling.
The exact route of the drove roads is unclear, but cannot have been much different from that of the present road.
The view from the actual bealach (a mountain pass), down the glen is stunning. There are pull-ins all along this twisting road - you won't want to drive speedily! - but just beyond the bealach, there is a large parking area from where the view is exceptional. Take a moment to appreciate it.
The cache, however, lies just before (west of) the bealach, at a couple of roadside rocks carved with the names of the drovers, some 15th century, who would camp here before heading down to the straits. In idle moments, many have carved their names into two rocks, which I've decided to call the 'Rock of Names'. It is quite a special place in Skye history, and should not be forgotten.
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Abar arrqrq; svaq gur ebpxf naq lbh svaq gur pnpur.