The River Lealt dropping through a gorge to the Sound of Raasay, seen from a viewing platform just off the A855.
Lealt Falls is where the River Lealt drops through a narrow, tree-lined gorge to the Sound of Raasay, just off the A855 about 13 miles north of Portree.
Visited and photographed by Simon Hird
A viewing platform over the gorge looks down on the falls, with the Trotternish ridge inland and the island of Raasay and the mainland across the water.
On the shore below stand the remains of a diatomite works. Diatomite is a white earth made from the shells of microscopic algae, dug at Loch Cuithir inland and brought down by tramway to be processed here from 1886 until 1913. It went into face powder, fireproofing and industrial filters. Go no further than the viewpoint: the Staffin Community Trust's Skye Ecomuseum advises that the route down to the shore is very dangerous, and there have been accidents on the path.
Arrives at 5am every day.
A free morning email to see what’s on this week, catch up on what’s happening in Scotland and find somewhere new to go.
A short walk from the car park reaches a viewing platform over the gorge, looking down on the falls and across the Sound to Raasay and the mainland.
Beyond the viewpoint a steep path leads towards the shore and the ruins of the diatomite works. The Staffin Community Trust's Skye Ecomuseum advises going no further than the viewpoint, because the route down is very dangerous and there have been accidents on the path in recent years. It is not suitable for anyone with mobility problems, and it can become dangerously slippery in wet weather.
The viewing platform is a short walk from the car park, which is free.
Stay at the viewpoint: the way down to the shore is very dangerous.
Been here? Tell others what you know, and the best go on this page with your name.
Add your review
Diatomite, the white earth dug at Loch Cuithir and processed here, is made of the shells of microscopic algae. It went into face powder, fireproofing, insulation and industrial filters, and Alfred Nobel looked at Skye's deposit for his dynamite works at Ardeer before finding a better source.
The works at the foot of the gorge were fed by a narrow-gauge line from Loch Cuithir, inland. The diatomite was dried on wire nets at the loch, then carried down to the sea on a railway worked at first by men and gravity, with a locomotive added later.
The ruins below the platform are the works. What is left is a gutted rubble building holding a great cast-iron flywheel from its steam engine, and a kiln built of Scottish firebrick from Glenboig and Armadale, carrying a brick column encased in sheet steel.
The Lealt River and the cliffs north of its mouth are an accessible reference section for the Lealt Shale Formation, a Jurassic layer of fossil-bearing mudstones. The formation is 48 metres thick.
New places, news and stories, as we find them.
What is on on SkyeOn the A855 on the east coast of Trotternish, at Inver Tote, 13 miles north of Portree.
Brothers' PointThe easternmost point of Trotternish, a grassy headland over the sea, 3.5 kilometres there and back from Culnacnoc.2 miles 2 min by road
Kilt RockSea cliffs of dolerite columns like the pleats of a kilt, with Mealt Falls dropping to the sea beside them.4 miles 5 min by road
Columba 1400A youth leadership charity's centre at Staffin, whose café pays for its work, with the Trotternish ridge behind and the sea in front.5 miles 7 min by road
The Hungry GullA family-run brunch café in Staffin's community hall, with local art on the walls and the Quiraing up the road.5 miles 7 min by road
An Corran BeachA small sandy beach below basalt cliffs at Staffin, with dinosaur prints in its rocks and a rock shelter lived in more than 8,000 years ago.6 miles 8 min by road
The QuiraingBritain's largest landslide, a jumble of rock towers and cliffs at the northern end of the Trotternish ridge on Skye.8 miles 11 min by roadPlaces to stay near the falls, and when each is next free.
Half of One
The Cowshed Boutique Bunkhouse
Monkstadt 1745
Skeabost House HotelWe want to show you the best that Scotland has to offer. The makers and the creatives, the enduring experiences, the evocative tales, the concealed corners. The roads less travelled that take you to places that matter. The adventures that gather you up and sweep you away. The blend of the wild and the artistic that makes Scotland what it is. We’d love for you to join us.
The collections it is in and more on Skye.
For further reading, before you go. The details on this page were checked on .
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
