Randonnée sur l'île de Mull ou de Skye?
by Emma32
This discussion is in French, the community’s main language.
Original post
Bonjour,
Je prévois de partir 8 jours en Ecosse en mai 2020. Le but est de randonner et de voir des animaux, de découvrir les paysages et les lumières dont on entend tellement parler.
Ne voulant pas faire bcp de km en voiture, je prévois de rester sur une île. Pour l’instant, j’hesite entre l’ile De Skye et l’ile De Mull. Skye paraît très touristique. Mais est-ce le cas en mai? D’apres vous, sur quelle île il y aurait le plus de randos?
Merci, Emmanuelle
Bonjour Emma,
Tu devrais jeter un oeil ici : https://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/
Je n'ai fait que passer rapidement à Mull (https://sites.google.com/site/ecossedileenile01/ile-de-mull ) qui est belle et moins touristique en effet que Skye mais je préfère cette dernière, plus spectaculaire.
Il y a de quoi randonner sur ces 2 îles et comme partout dès que tu marches un peu il n'y a plus personne (j'ai 3 carnets sur l'Ecosse dans mon profil et je suis passée à Skye à chaque fois, à des époques variées)
Bons préparatifs!
Marie
Nos voyages en images : https://www.sibellelaterre.fr/
Bonjour Emma,
Skye est spectaculaire, très fréquentée, au point qu'en haute saison vous ne pouvez plus y accéder si vous ne justifiez pas d'un hébergement réservé... même en Mai il ya déjà beaucoup de monde.
Mull est plus secrète, un peu moins fréquentée, mais tout aussi belle. il ya quelques randos sublimes.
Pour la faune, Mai est une bonne saison : biches (et aussi des cerfs, bien sur !), loutres, phoques, oiseaux de mer, et aussi quelques aigles et pygargues à queue blanche. Nous y étions cette année en Septembre, et avons constaté que la fréquentation des campings cars britanniques devient assez dense (eh oui les britanniques délaissent de plus en plus leurs caravanes...).
Pour la faune, Mai est une bonne saison : biches (et aussi des cerfs, bien sur !), loutres, phoques, oiseaux de mer, et aussi quelques aigles et pygargues à queue blanche. Nous y étions cette année en Septembre, et avons constaté que la fréquentation des campings cars britanniques devient assez dense (eh oui les britanniques délaissent de plus en plus leurs caravanes...).
Bonjour Emma,
Sans aucune hésitation: Skye. Les paysages y sont exceptionnels quoi qu'on veuille vous faire croire, vous ne trouverez pas d'équivalent en Ecosse au Quiraing et au Old Man of Storr.
Alors oui, c'est touristique mais tout est relatif. rien à voir avec les plages méditerranéennes, la tour Eiffel ou le Machu Picchu. C'est plus fréquenté que d'autres endroits en Ecosse mais ça reste tout à fait raisonnable quand on compare à ce que l'on peut connaître ailleurs. Et rien ne vous oblige à aller au Old Man of Storr à 11 heures quand tout le monde y va. Je suis sur qu'à cette période, vous serez presque seule au sommet si vous y aller pour le lever de soleil. Et il y a plein d'endroit moins courus et tout aussi charmants.
Ce qui donne cette impression de foule c'est que les parkings sont petits pour accueillir tous ceux qui veulent visiter certains endroits, une vingtaine de place au Old Man of Storr, un peu plus au Quiraing... on aménage quelques places supplémentaires au fur et à mesure mais c'est le parking sauvage qui fait croire que l'endroit est blindé alors qu'il y a 10 fois moins de voitures que sur la place du marché d'une petite sous-préfecture. Il y a eu un vrai problème de surfréquentation il y a 3-4 ans mais ça tend depuis à s'auto-réguler. En mai vous n'aurez pas de problème.
Je suis aller 5 fois sur Skye et jamais on ne m'a demandé de justifier d'un logement. Il n'y a personne à l'entrée du pont pour vous faire un interrogatoire en règle façon FBI.
N'ayez pas peur de vous émerveiller sur la plus belle des îles écossaises!
Pour savoir tout ce que vous pouvez y faire, je vous invite à consulter la page qui lui est consacrée sur A Kiss From UK: https://www.akissfromuk.com/visiter-ile-de-skye-ecosse
Bons préparatifs Jean www.aKissFromUK.com
Sans aucune hésitation: Skye. Les paysages y sont exceptionnels quoi qu'on veuille vous faire croire, vous ne trouverez pas d'équivalent en Ecosse au Quiraing et au Old Man of Storr.
Alors oui, c'est touristique mais tout est relatif. rien à voir avec les plages méditerranéennes, la tour Eiffel ou le Machu Picchu. C'est plus fréquenté que d'autres endroits en Ecosse mais ça reste tout à fait raisonnable quand on compare à ce que l'on peut connaître ailleurs. Et rien ne vous oblige à aller au Old Man of Storr à 11 heures quand tout le monde y va. Je suis sur qu'à cette période, vous serez presque seule au sommet si vous y aller pour le lever de soleil. Et il y a plein d'endroit moins courus et tout aussi charmants.
Ce qui donne cette impression de foule c'est que les parkings sont petits pour accueillir tous ceux qui veulent visiter certains endroits, une vingtaine de place au Old Man of Storr, un peu plus au Quiraing... on aménage quelques places supplémentaires au fur et à mesure mais c'est le parking sauvage qui fait croire que l'endroit est blindé alors qu'il y a 10 fois moins de voitures que sur la place du marché d'une petite sous-préfecture. Il y a eu un vrai problème de surfréquentation il y a 3-4 ans mais ça tend depuis à s'auto-réguler. En mai vous n'aurez pas de problème.
Je suis aller 5 fois sur Skye et jamais on ne m'a demandé de justifier d'un logement. Il n'y a personne à l'entrée du pont pour vous faire un interrogatoire en règle façon FBI.
N'ayez pas peur de vous émerveiller sur la plus belle des îles écossaises!
Pour savoir tout ce que vous pouvez y faire, je vous invite à consulter la page qui lui est consacrée sur A Kiss From UK: https://www.akissfromuk.com/visiter-ile-de-skye-ecosse
Bons préparatifs Jean www.aKissFromUK.com
Bonjour,
"sans hésitation Skye". Et vous argumentez fort bien. Mais vous ne dites rien de Mull... Connaissez vous Mull ?
J'aurais tendance à dire : très bien, gardons Mull pour nous...;
Vous avez raison, Skye est exceptionnelle, nous sommes bien d'accord là dessus et je ne pense pas avoir dit quoique ce soit qui laisse entendre le contraire. J'y suis allé... euh je n'ai pas compté, la première fois c'était en... 1977.
A la pêche à la mouche sur les Storr Lochs.
Alors aujourd'hui forcément...
vous ne trouverez pas d'équivalent en Ecosse au Quiraing et au Old Man of Storr.
Si : Old man of Hoy En Mai bien sûr qu'il n'y a pas de filtres à l'entrée, je disais en HAUTE SAISON. Même fin Mai le matin la dernière fois (en 2016) il y avait des cars au parking dès 8h du mat. Maintenant en effet ça n'a rien de comparable avec les plages de la Côte d'Azur ou les sites touristiques chinois. Et puis mon seuil de foule insupportable est peut-être plus vite atteint que le vôtre ? (3 personnes pour moi c'est déjà beaucoup !😉)
vous ne trouverez pas d'équivalent en Ecosse au Quiraing et au Old Man of Storr.
Si : Old man of Hoy En Mai bien sûr qu'il n'y a pas de filtres à l'entrée, je disais en HAUTE SAISON. Même fin Mai le matin la dernière fois (en 2016) il y avait des cars au parking dès 8h du mat. Maintenant en effet ça n'a rien de comparable avec les plages de la Côte d'Azur ou les sites touristiques chinois. Et puis mon seuil de foule insupportable est peut-être plus vite atteint que le vôtre ? (3 personnes pour moi c'est déjà beaucoup !😉)
Bonjour Cheechako,
loin de moi l'envie de créer un débat 🙂.
Bien sûr l'île de Mull est elle aussi superbe et beaucoup plus tranquille. Mais, selon moi, elle n'égale pas Skye dans la magie et la variété de décor qu'elle dégage. Et pourtant croyez-moi, je suis allé et même revenu sur Iona et Staffa qui sont deux endroits exceptionnels mais vous m'accorderez j'espère qu'avec les contraintes de bateau, il est compliqué d'envisager randonner plusieurs heures sur Staffa et qu'on doit donc se limiter à une courte visite alors que pour le Quiraing vous pouvez y passer la journée sans problème et que Iona, toute splendide que soit cette île, n'offre pas des spécificités géologiques aussi inoubliables que Skye.
En plus, il y a bien plus de randonnées possibles sur Skye que sur Mull et c'est ce qu'Emmanuelle recherche aussi. C'est aussi pourquoi je me permettais de lui conseiller plutôt cette île. Maintenant les goûts et les couleurs sont propres à chacun et je ne pense pas qu'Emmanuelle ne se basera que sur mon avis pour faire son choix.
Au niveau de la foule, je suis comme vous très vite saturé mais Skye est suffisamment grande pour pouvoir profiter de pas mal de magnifiques endroits sans croiser d'autres personnes ou très peu.
Ma réponse précédente n'avait pas pour but de dénigrer Mull.
Bon samedi!
loin de moi l'envie de créer un débat 🙂.
Bien sûr l'île de Mull est elle aussi superbe et beaucoup plus tranquille. Mais, selon moi, elle n'égale pas Skye dans la magie et la variété de décor qu'elle dégage. Et pourtant croyez-moi, je suis allé et même revenu sur Iona et Staffa qui sont deux endroits exceptionnels mais vous m'accorderez j'espère qu'avec les contraintes de bateau, il est compliqué d'envisager randonner plusieurs heures sur Staffa et qu'on doit donc se limiter à une courte visite alors que pour le Quiraing vous pouvez y passer la journée sans problème et que Iona, toute splendide que soit cette île, n'offre pas des spécificités géologiques aussi inoubliables que Skye.
En plus, il y a bien plus de randonnées possibles sur Skye que sur Mull et c'est ce qu'Emmanuelle recherche aussi. C'est aussi pourquoi je me permettais de lui conseiller plutôt cette île. Maintenant les goûts et les couleurs sont propres à chacun et je ne pense pas qu'Emmanuelle ne se basera que sur mon avis pour faire son choix.
Au niveau de la foule, je suis comme vous très vite saturé mais Skye est suffisamment grande pour pouvoir profiter de pas mal de magnifiques endroits sans croiser d'autres personnes ou très peu.
Ma réponse précédente n'avait pas pour but de dénigrer Mull.
Bon samedi!
Excellent choix Emmanuelle 🙂
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We’re leaving in 9 days for a two-week trip to Madeira, mainly to hike.
From my research, I’ve found that since last year, access to most trails—and systematically for the most popular ones—is now paid. You have to pay an access fee of 4.50 € per person per classified hike in 2026, and even 10.50 € for the most iconic hike: Pico Arieiro to Pico Ruivo. When paying, you also have to choose a day and a 30-minute time slot for your start time. Of course, this reservation is neither changeable nor refundable, even if the weather that day is terrible.
Personally, given the massive influx of tourists to the island in recent years, I don’t mind paying a fee to help maintain the trails. Similarly, setting a limit on the number of people who can hike them per day is certainly preferable to preserve this priceless heritage.
However, what’s much less fair is that in reality, most of the available spots are reserved: 1/ for Madeira residents (which is normal); 2/ for "economic operators" (meaning local tour operators). For example, if you’re a non-resident (independent tourist), no booking is possible for the Pico Arieiro hike for an early morning start before September! So, unfortunately, we’ll have to skip this hike. It’s the same issue for Ponta de São Lourenço, the 25 Fontes, Pico Ruivo... in short, all the most popular hikes. Oh well, we’ll skip those too!
So my question is: which hikes do you recommend where we won’t face the huge crowds that the others get? And where we can book the day before for the next day, taking the weather into account?
Finally, a quick accommodation question: we’ve booked the first week in Funchal, but I haven’t decided yet for the second week. Do you have any advice on where to stay in the south or north, preferably avoiding overly concrete-heavy and touristy spots?
Thanks in advance for your tips! 🙂
Pascal
Hi there,
I’m reposting about the logistics for Samaria Gorge. I’d love to get recent info, especially about whether it’s possible to park my car in Omalos, do the hike, and then catch a bus back to my vehicle. In theory, it’s doable, but when you check the KTEL website, there aren’t any feasible schedules listed. If anyone has recently organized this with reliable, verified details, I’d really appreciate it. Thanks in advance!
I’m reposting about the logistics for Samaria Gorge. I’d love to get recent info, especially about whether it’s possible to park my car in Omalos, do the hike, and then catch a bus back to my vehicle. In theory, it’s doable, but when you check the KTEL website, there aren’t any feasible schedules listed. If anyone has recently organized this with reliable, verified details, I’d really appreciate it. Thanks in advance!
Hi there,
We’re flying from Montreal to Lyon this August to go hiking in the French Alps. We’ve rented a car and will be staying at campgrounds. We’re planning to do day hikes and want to stay a few days in one spot, do a few hikes, then move on to our next camping spot. Could you share your favorite spots or any recommendations for places to spend a few days with great hikes?
A few details: We arrive in early August and leave in early September. We’re looking for day hikes (or shorter), moderate difficulty, with a cumulative elevation gain of no more than 1000m, and of course, beautiful scenery! We’d prefer not to drive too much—maybe it’s best not to head too far south and deal with unnecessary heat? Along the same lines, if you know of any great campgrounds where we can start our hike directly without needing the car, we’d love to hear your suggestions!
Thanks! :-)
A few details: We arrive in early August and leave in early September. We’re looking for day hikes (or shorter), moderate difficulty, with a cumulative elevation gain of no more than 1000m, and of course, beautiful scenery! We’d prefer not to drive too much—maybe it’s best not to head too far south and deal with unnecessary heat? Along the same lines, if you know of any great campgrounds where we can start our hike directly without needing the car, we’d love to hear your suggestions!
Thanks! :-)
Hi there,
I’m planning to go hiking on this island and would like to know the best time to do it. I visited for a few days in November 2018—not for hiking but just to explore—and the weather wasn’t great, especially in the mountains. So, is a star-shaped itinerary doable if I rent a car and maybe use two different accommodations?
I’m not planning to join an organized group—just traveling with one other person and organizing things ourselves—unless you’d recommend a local agency or guide. Finally, even though I’ll be getting maps, a topo guide, and a GPS, I’d really appreciate your top hiking recommendations. Thanks so much for your tips!
I’m not planning to join an organized group—just traveling with one other person and organizing things ourselves—unless you’d recommend a local agency or guide. Finally, even though I’ll be getting maps, a topo guide, and a GPS, I’d really appreciate your top hiking recommendations. Thanks so much for your tips!
hi there,
I’m planning a trip around Cap Corse and the AGRIATES in 2026, from May 8th to 15th (there are still 2 spots left, by the way! Just DM me if you're interested).
I’d love to know which hikes are worth prioritizing in the AGRIATES. We’ll be staying in SALECCIA for two days as our base—what should we focus on from there? A round trip to IGNHU beach? Any other suggestions? For Ostricano, I think it’s too far for a round trip... Thanks for your tips! Have a great day, Anie, Toulouse
I’m planning a trip around Cap Corse and the AGRIATES in 2026, from May 8th to 15th (there are still 2 spots left, by the way! Just DM me if you're interested).
I’d love to know which hikes are worth prioritizing in the AGRIATES. We’ll be staying in SALECCIA for two days as our base—what should we focus on from there? A round trip to IGNHU beach? Any other suggestions? For Ostricano, I think it’s too far for a round trip... Thanks for your tips! Have a great day, Anie, Toulouse
Hi,
I’d like some advice on doing the Camino de Santiago—or part of it—from the Basque Country.
Best,
Hi there,
I’d like to get some info about the GR10 Pyrenees traverse. I need help planning the daily stages and accommodations—my wife isn’t an experienced hiker but walks a lot, so I’d like to schedule shorter walking days and thus a longer overall trip in terms of number of days.
Could anyone give me some help and advice? Best regards,
I’d like to get some info about the GR10 Pyrenees traverse. I need help planning the daily stages and accommodations—my wife isn’t an experienced hiker but walks a lot, so I’d like to schedule shorter walking days and thus a longer overall trip in terms of number of days.
Could anyone give me some help and advice? Best regards,
Hi there, I’m planning the Annapurna Circuit for March 2027 and I’m looking for a local agency with a local guide—preferably French-speaking—to arrange this trek for us. Any suggestions? Thanks
Hello!
We’re spending a few days in Toraja country at the end of May. We’d love to do a day trek—taking our time—on a route that’s stunning in terms of scenery, but not a level 5 in difficulty!
Any suggestions you can share, please?
Thanks in advance
Hi everyone,
I’d like to do the Mare a Mare Sud in May over 4 days. I’ve found quite a few places to stay along the route, but I’m stuck on the start and finish. I’ll be arriving by plane on Sunday evening and would like to start pretty early on Monday morning. Ideally, accommodation right at the trailhead (Alzu di Gallina) would be amazing, but I can’t find anything. Any tips? Also, for the transfer from Figari Airport to Porto Vecchio or Alzu di Gallina? At the end, I’d like to pick up a rental car—any advice on that too?
Thanks in advance!
Caro
I’d like to do the Mare a Mare Sud in May over 4 days. I’ve found quite a few places to stay along the route, but I’m stuck on the start and finish. I’ll be arriving by plane on Sunday evening and would like to start pretty early on Monday morning. Ideally, accommodation right at the trailhead (Alzu di Gallina) would be amazing, but I can’t find anything. Any tips? Also, for the transfer from Figari Airport to Porto Vecchio or Alzu di Gallina? At the end, I’d like to pick up a rental car—any advice on that too?
Thanks in advance!
Caro
I’m traveling solo by plane to Catania in May and plan to hike the northern side of Etna, starting from Linguaglossa where I’ll arrive by bus. After that, I’d love some info on how to get up to Piano Provenzana (shuttles or hitchhiking), since it seems there’s no public transport except in the summer. Can you sleep there in a free or cheap refuge, or camp? And how far up can you go without having to hire a guide? Thanks in advance. Bernard.





