Carsaig Arches
Carsaig Arches
4
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
4.0
22 reviews
Excellent
8
Very good
8
Average
4
Poor
1
Terrible
1
Neil M
7 contributions
Apr 2023
Got there early (it’s a winding and steep single road so watch out for deer and wild goats) as there is very limited parking. No worries though, we had Carsaig bay to ourselves for five hours. It’s tough walking but worth every minute. Fossils take a bit of finding but we found ammonites, belemnites, lots of scallop fossils and devils toenails.
Written April 23, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Gabi T
Fort William, UK11 contributions
Aug 2014 • Couples
The bad reviews left in here nearly put me off doing this amazing walk.Long but worth every minute.Spoiled by sea on the left and rocky cliffs on the right,wild feral goats,deer,lots of birds including the amazing sea eagle.The walk is long and you need walking boots.Read carefully the description on WALKHIGHLANDS.Print the description and you will find it very accurate(apart first bit witch i will walk it on the beach instead doing the boggy bit in the bushes)The flip flop walkers better stay home,this is not your walk from car to a cafe full of cakes.we did it in 5,30 hours return so take your time,leave early so you have time to admire and even take brakes if necessary.For first time i ever uploaded something on my blog witch is not work related.Photos form our progress to this amazing walk.Hope you will enjoy doing it as we did. http://www.photography-gt.com/blog/wp-admin/post.php?post=506&action=edit&message=1
(from first to second arch take extra care,if you don't like heights don't do it)
(from first to second arch take extra care,if you don't like heights don't do it)
Written August 10, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
richteed
Alloa, UK8 contributions
May 2011
Stunning coastal walk - tricky terrain throughout culminating in a hair-raising goat track to visit second arch. DO NOT TAKE TRACK LEADING UP FROM FIRST ARCH VIEWPOINT - POTENTIAL DEATHTRAP!! Backtrack along the base of the small basalt columns until you hit the regular goat track - straightforward walking over the first arch but very exposed and a slip would be serious. If you want to continue past the arches it is possible to climb through the cliffs at Ghorrie's Leap (Binnean Ghorrie on the map). It looks unfeasible from below but is nothing to worry a competent hillwalker up close - the goats have carved a nice set of zig zags up the steep ground near the top. Take the right fork at the summit rock to avoid some awkward scrambling. You can then walk back over the tops to Carsaig Bay, maybe descending at the Nuns Pass, or proceed along the clifftops with some truly awesome view and then up the hill to the forestry where a good track leads all the way to Bunessan. Allow 7 to 9 hours. An amazing day out!
Written May 2, 2011
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Praveen A
Edinburgh, UK10 contributions
Aug 2014 • Friends
I am one of the walker in a group of four. We parked our car near Carsaig pier, had our lunch and took off towards the arches. We had no idea how far it is, but fortunately we met a couple who had a detailed map of the trail, were much better prepared than us and so we followed them. It takes around 4-6 hours return, the weather was kind to us with some odd drizzle here and there. Keep an eye out to spot some deers and sea birds. The trail is a bit tricky so make sure you are wearing proper walking shoes, carry water and SNICKERS chocolate bar(that's all we had to eat during our walk). Would recommend to do it but not for everyone because on our way to arches we saw few people returning back without making it to the arches!
Written August 28, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Irene Pozo
Oban, UK110 contributions
Apr 2016 • Couples
Thankfully I didn't read any of these reviews before doing the walk. I just wanted to see the arches, specially that one with a small chimney so yesterday evening with a beautiful weather we started the walk from Carsaig Bay.
The path, when there's one, is really hard since it's all rocky and sometimes you have to crosh that big rocks on the beach to go on but the cliffs on your right hand side, goats, deers and even dolphins at one point will make it worthwhile. About an hour after we started we found the nun's cave which is amazing and a little bit later a stone which (you can't deny) seems like Mufasa from The Lion King, my favourite!
In our way to the arches we kept hoping they were there after the next corner, but there was another one, and another one, another one.... We even came across two families with kids around 10 (this could give you an idea of the difficulties of the path) who were really used to to this walk and they were going to take an alternative path.
Finally, after three ours we found the first arch. Just beautiful. I am not very use to this type of path but my partner was and at home he mentioned several times that paths in the pictures are never the same as real paths. He was so right. Looking at all the images I thought that path to get to the second arch was difficult, but not impossible. Once I saw it for myself I thought "I am not going to risk my life here". Maybe it was the tide which was really high and the waves got to the top of the arch at some points, but you have to be very brave going over a goat's path which leads to a strong fall into the rocks and sea.
As I said, it is a really good walk which left beautiful pictures on my camera and on my mind but a bit dissapointing at the end since we couldn't reach the second arch which I was obsessed with. I invite you to do the walk and enjoy it but be ready to reach just the first arch. If you arrive there and you have good weather conditions, maybe low tide and you are brave enough to go through a small cliff then you will be able to see the second one and you will have a sorprise, not a "dissapointment".
ENJOY!
The path, when there's one, is really hard since it's all rocky and sometimes you have to crosh that big rocks on the beach to go on but the cliffs on your right hand side, goats, deers and even dolphins at one point will make it worthwhile. About an hour after we started we found the nun's cave which is amazing and a little bit later a stone which (you can't deny) seems like Mufasa from The Lion King, my favourite!
In our way to the arches we kept hoping they were there after the next corner, but there was another one, and another one, another one.... We even came across two families with kids around 10 (this could give you an idea of the difficulties of the path) who were really used to to this walk and they were going to take an alternative path.
Finally, after three ours we found the first arch. Just beautiful. I am not very use to this type of path but my partner was and at home he mentioned several times that paths in the pictures are never the same as real paths. He was so right. Looking at all the images I thought that path to get to the second arch was difficult, but not impossible. Once I saw it for myself I thought "I am not going to risk my life here". Maybe it was the tide which was really high and the waves got to the top of the arch at some points, but you have to be very brave going over a goat's path which leads to a strong fall into the rocks and sea.
As I said, it is a really good walk which left beautiful pictures on my camera and on my mind but a bit dissapointing at the end since we couldn't reach the second arch which I was obsessed with. I invite you to do the walk and enjoy it but be ready to reach just the first arch. If you arrive there and you have good weather conditions, maybe low tide and you are brave enough to go through a small cliff then you will be able to see the second one and you will have a sorprise, not a "dissapointment".
ENJOY!
Written April 4, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
lukeandleigh
Whanganui, New Zealand169 contributions
Jun 2019 • Couples
This is a lovely hike but I think it is not often hiked so the paths are a bit indistinct. Easy enough to follow the general direction of the path though. Tiny car park. Longish walk - we lost the path a few times but it took us about 7 hours round trip. We saw two other couples on the path and they took about as long as we did. Did go to the second stack, it’s only 5 minutes further but on a precipitous, eroding path which was a bit scary. Loved the feral goats everywhere. Overall, I would only do this walk if you have a full day to spare. Reasonably flat along the coast but about 18km there and back.
Written June 17, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Andrew K
3 contributions
Oct 2016 • Couples
There are lots of reviews on here about how tough it is.... and that's just the parking. But if you are plucky enough to navigate your vehicle down this little lane and find a spot to park up you will be rewarded with some of the most beautiful views we experienced on the island. Granted it was a nice day, but it was October, but we could see right over to Jura and Islay and the mainland. The walk itself is a mix of stoney beach, boggy paths and headland traverses with a very occasional bit of scrambling. Not what we would consider tough, but lots of uneven ground and you definitely need a good pair of boots. 2 - 2 1/2 hours in to the first arch which is beautiful, and along the way huge waterfalls, caves, anthropomorphic rock formations, abundant wildlife, including lots of pretty chilled wild goats, and enough geology to make Andy Duphrane want to escape here instead of Mexico, mean there is more than enough to keep you interested. As for the second arch, the path had slipped when we were there and we didn't attempt it. But had we done so it would have been the only risky thing about the walk. Generally stunning scenery and enough of a challenge to make it fun you should absolutely not be put off this walk and a visit to Mull without experiencing this incredible coastline would much the poorer.
Written October 7, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
TheGoodShag
Crook of Devon, UK296 contributions
May 2015 • Couples
A long, hard walk with stunning scenery which you can't really enjoy because you are looking at the round all the time in case you put a foot wrong. Boulders, bogs, scrambles. The 6 miles there and back took us 7 1/2 hours which will give you some idea of the difficulties. And then when you get there, the second arch is only accessible via a narrow path about 200 feet up where a slip would be fatal. Parking at the start is very limited.
Written May 27, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
redheadwalker
1 contribution
May 2013
well, I was so excited about the arches. It was on the top of my to do list. After being jolted on the bad road we struggled to park. Then we set off across a lovely beach which then turned to bolder fields. Quite a few times we had to go over instead of round and the path was narrow and dangerous. After what seems like 50 false headlands (like false summits) I told my husband I quit and was going back. If it was not for him I would not have realised I was at the first arch. I was very dissapointed, The weather was too bad for us to get to the second arch which looked like a good thing. Overall this is a very hard walk which makes Munro bagging look easy. Two goods things on the walk are Nunns cave and the view of the water fall just after the cave
Written May 17, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
SpikeFreeway
Goole, UK37 contributions
Aug 2012 • Family
Myself and my 18 year old son took the gentle stroll along the coast to the arches. What it was however was a really stretching walk along some very challenging paths and rock scrambles. We are well equipped and managed to get there and back in 5 hours. Give yourself longer however as we had left the rest of our family at the pier so had the briefest of views of the lower arch and had to set off back. The view and scenery throughout was stunning however. If you arent a competent walker dont attempt this walk despite the obvious attraction.
Written August 19, 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi! The photos from this walk look amazing! I'm wondering if there's any part of the arches that's possible to see from the road/car park, or even a short walk (like 20-30 minutes) that's possible to do a piece of the longer one and still see some of the beautiful scenery. The entire walk looks amazing but we won't have time to do a 4-6 hour return trip, so trying to figure out if there's a way to do a little part of it. Thank you!
Written August 24, 2015
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