Isle of Skye II

Hi everyone!

Today was our second and last day on the Isle of Skye, and perhaps the most challenging and yet rewarding day of our trip thus far. In the morning we visited the remains of a magma chamber, and in the afternoon we embarked on a difficult hike up to a cirque on Glen Brittle. After a quick breakfast, we all piled into the vans and drove toward the ferry that would take us to the chamber located on the south side of Skye. The magma chamber is located in the Black Cuillin hills, which experience less weathering than their neighbouring Red Cuillin hills. This is because the Red Cuillin’s are composed of granites which weather into clays and are therefore more susceptible to erosion by glaciers. With high spirits, we enjoyed a fun ferry ride, taking in the beautiful scenery and the wildlife such as the seals pictured below.

After disembarking the ferry, we walked toward the center of the magma chamber, noting that there was abundant peridotite along the trail. The center of the magma chamber was filled with water, forming a beautiful lake surrounded by tall mountains with the typical sharp peaks of the Black Cullin Hills. While most of the group sat and had lunch at the edge of the water, a few adventurous students decided to climb one of the chamber walls to get a better view of the stunning geology that was on display. During the steep climb, Peter, Simon, Zicky and I  were able to see a lot of interesting features such as dikes and complicated folding, in addition to witnessing the beautiful scene before us. 

Unfortunately, we were only able to spend a short period of time on the island but we were then off to Glen Brittle, for the most difficult hike of our lives. It was a steep and arduous hike but we were triumphant,and were able to enjoy a beautiful view and refreshing swim at the peak. We met a couple guys from England, and Peter wow-ed us all with his fluorescent bathing suit - all in all it was worth it. Glen Brittle was formed 75,000 years ago, and its valley was scoured out by glaciers. As we descended from the peak, we were able to see how the geology of the mountain side changed with elevation, and the path that the glacier took.

Despite how tired we were, it was an amazing experience. By encouraging each other, and pushing our limits, we succeeded in ascending the toughest mountain we’ve faced yet. Not only did we learn a great deal about the geology in area, but it was an experience that brought all of us closer together -- we cannot wait for the next challenge to come our way.

- Joy :))

**Photo creds to Peter Leith, Lindsay Chown and me!!