Moorfoot Easter on Eigg 2012

Panorama of Glamisdale on Eigg

Laurie Anderson of the Lomond Hill Runners club organised a couple of hill races on the Isle of Eigg over the Easter weekend.


A private boat had been chartered from Mallaig and approximately forty runners headed to the island on Saturday for the first race - an out and back up the iconic Sgurr of Eigg (the wee lumpy bit to the left in the picture above).

The charter boat to Eigg

Although not that high at just under 400m, you did start from the waters edge at sea level. The initial climb up a track soon changed to a narrow track through rocks and peat bogs before the course moved onto the granite rock of the Sgurr itself and you doubled back onto the main ridge. The trig point on the summit of the Sgurr marked the turning point before a tricky run back over the rocky ridge and then a long and fast descent back to the start.

Russell Anderson was first Moorfoot home in an excellent 4th place, Kenny a few minutes further back in 8th.

The Islanders of Eigg invited all the runners to their Saturday ceilidh, with some epic 15 min + 'strip the willows' - not for the faint hearted....a great night !

Sunday morning appeared out of the mist, and the second race at the north end of the island was hastily rerouted to keep the runners off the cliff edges due to the low cloud. The revised course was still a cracker - a beach start, then a bit of road before a contour across the fields to a bealach and then a steep ascent up the hillside - the direct route and the zig-zag path both putting runners onto the top ridge in roughly the same time. A short run along the top to the trig point turn and back then had a steep descent back to the bealach (direct being faster than the the zig zags this time, as I found out to my cost) before a short climb to a knoll and the final descent down a steep arrete (fantastic views of the beach below and out over the island of Rum if you afforded a moment not looking at your feet ) to the finish on the beautiful beach known loally as the 'Singing Sands'.

Race1 Start

Another strong performance from Russell for 5th place; 'Konsistent' Kenny again back in 8th.

A fantastic weekend in a fantastic location...well done and a big thank you to Laurie for all the organisation....

Photos courtesy of Eilidh Davidson....

Last word to the Sgurr....