GUIDE TO THE RIVER VARRAGILL

NAME OF RIVER: Varragill

WHERE IS IT?: Isle of Skye, next to the A87 flowing into Loch Portree.

Map.

PUT-INS/ TAKE-OUTS: A layby on the A87 about GR475 363 seems a convenient put in.

The B883 road bridge is a good take out.

APPROX LENGTH: 5km

TIME NEEDED: 1 1/2 hrs

ACCESS HASSLES: Unknown.

WATER LEVEL INDICATORS: A good 24 hrs of rain or so. The River Snizort probably needs to be bank full (there is realtime info for this on the SCA levels site).

GRADING: 2/3

MAJOR HAZARDS/ FALLS: No.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION: A pleasant trip, with the Cuillin as a backdrop.

We went to do the Snizort but it looked a bit high for comfort, so we did this. Its easy going grade 2 and 3 with the odd weir like drop to look out for.

If it's high you could probably start further up than the put-in mentioned here.

Pictures of the Varragill

OTHER NOTES: In the SCA guide (2nd ed) it's mixed up on the Skye map with the class 4/5 Sligachan River (Which from the description, is mostly the Allt Dearg Mor anyway, I think?). This has been fixed in the 3rd edition.

CONTRIBUTED BY: John Heaton.