Here's how to log this cache. Please read the description carefully and look at an example of the required photo below. Logs with photos taken too far from the given coordinates will get deleted.
1. Go to the posted coordinates, i.e. the basalt rocks south of the lighthouse (Waypoint 1). Stand approximately where the image in the description was taken. Some maps might show the coordinates to be in the water, but there is no need to go anywhere close to the edge of the rocks. The posted coordinates should take you to an area with a few rock pools surrounded by basalt rocks.
2. Write your caching name on a piece of paper (or on your hand or your phone if you don't have any paper). A mascot or flag with your caching name on it is ok too as long as it can be read in the photo. (But don't add your name digitally to an existing photo.)
3. Take a photo of your paper with the basalt rocks and the lighthouse (with foghorn visible) in the background, and attach the photo to your online log before posting it.
Kurzfassung auf Deutsch: Geht zu den Koordinaten bei den Basaltfelsen südlich des Leuchtturms (siehe Foto in der Beschreibung, Waypoint 1). Macht ein Bild das den Leuchtturm, das Nebelhorn, den Basalt und euren Cachernamen auf Papier, Handy oder Hand zeigt. Maskottchen geht auch, aber der Name sollte im Bild leserlich sein. Hängt das Foto an Euren Log an bevor Ihr ihn abschickt.
This is where you need to stand and take your photo and an example of a correct photo below:
Example of what you need to do. Correct location, the caching name is easy to read, the lighthouse and basalt rocks and pools are in the background.
Neist Point on the Duirinish peninsula is the most westerly point on the Isle of Skye. Be prepared for amazing views, interesting geology and the chance to spot various wildlife including dolphins, whales and basking sharks.
A lighthouse, designed by David Alan Stevenson, has been in service since November 1909. Nowadays it is operated remotely by the Northern Lighthouse Board. On the way to the lighthouse you can still see the cable car used to take supplies down the steep cliff, as well as an old crane by the shore where supplies were unloaded during calm weather. Most of the buildings surrounding the lighthouse tower are now in private ownership, and the impressive foghorn is no longer in use.
For me the best part of Neist Point is the basalt pavement at the tip of the peninsula. Most of the landscapes in the northern part of Skye are of volcanic origin. The basalt pavement at Neist Point was created in a way similar to what happened at the Giant's Causeway in Northern Ireland, but the jointing here is rectangular rather than hexagonal. On a nice day the basalt blocks and rock pools make an ideal picnic spot.
To get to Neist Point you will have to drive along 10 miles of bumpy single track road. Parking is limited and the location can get quite busy in the summer months. From the parking area it takes about 20 minutes to walk to the lighthouse and the basalt pavement beyond it. The path is made of concrete as far as the lighthouse and is steep in some sections, especially on the return trip, which is why I've given this cache a terrain rating of 3.5. There are usually some sheep grazing along the cliff edges, so if you bring a dog, please keep it on a lead, for the sheep's and the dog's safety. I would recommend climbing up to the traditional cache, GC6M8MA, for another great view. Before getting back into your car, visit waypoint 3 (which can be reached from the small building at the parking area) to get the most famous panorama.
Feel free to add more photos of your visit and a short weather report. I was lucky enough to visit Neist Point in glorious sunshine (twice), but gale force wind and horizontal rain are pretty common here too. I hope you'll have an enjoyable visit to this stunning location.
Virtual Rewards 4.0 - 2024-2025
This Virtual Cache is part of a limited release of Virtuals created between January 17, 2024 and January 17, 2025. Only 4,000 cache owners were given the opportunity to hide a Virtual Cache. Learn more about Virtual Rewards 4.0 on the Geocaching Blog.