SLIGACHAN

In a recent McDonalds advertisement which was first aired during US coverage of the Olympics, there is a scene supposedly in China depicting Chinese cyclists crossing an old stone bridge with a snow-capped peak in the background. In fact, the scene was shot on Skye, near Sligachan, and the mountains were the famous Cuillins of Skye, dressed up to look oriental. The irony is that the nearest McDonalds branch is 85 miles away in Fort William! Sligachan, which is gaelic for "shelly place", is at the head of Loch Sligachan, and due to its proximity to the Cuillins it has traditionally been a point of departure for those wanting to climb them. The mountain views so prized by the McDonalds ad-makers are dominated by a view of the mighty Sgurr nan Gillean. It was in the first half of the 19th century that climbers first started coming here, and the local hotel has a small museum devoted to these early climbers. There is a campsite at the head of the loch for the more budget-conscious.

Map of the area.

Sligachan, bridge and Sligachan valley - geograph.org.uk - 917982. Photo by Chris Downer, via Wikimedia Commons.