Skye
Sept[embe]r 21 / [18]76
My dear Dyer*1
I hope you do not think that I am never more to appear at Kew! The fact is that the exceptionally fine weather in this most fickle of climates has tempted me to make all the use I can of the opportunity it affords of seeing a country which is not much worth two visits (if one!). Much as I had heard of 'Skye the inaccessible[?]' I expected great things & though perhaps I have no right to be disappointed (seeing how incredulous I am of descriptions of scenery) yet I am so. The island is a huge bog with the exception of its few main points of interest which consist of two specks on its surface characterised by very remarkable rock

scenery, & one mountain tract limited[?] lofty & savage in a high degree, with a rather contemptible lakelet in its bosom the latter the theme of more misrepresentations, articles of description, than any spot on the globe known to me --
Of the rock scenes the finest is the Queraing[sic], which consists of the one side of a mountain top of basalt being dislocated in as singular & striking a marvel[?] as it is possible to imagine:-- no description had given me any idea of its remarkable character -- nor can I say after seeing it, to what it is indebted for its unique character; whether to in action, sea action or convulsions, but should suspect the latter, with much subsequent aerial action. The substrata is a black tough basalt, with little vegetation though I found Silene acaulis, Arabis petraea, Oxyria, Antennaria & other subalpines. These blasted rocks place (the

Queraing[sic]) are about 2500 ft above the sea; they command a superb prospect of shore & cliff, are some 20 miles from Portree, & takes a few minutes to see & a day to get there & back! At a cost of some 10 s[hillings], little enough for the distance.
The Storr rock is a scene of the same character but less remarkable & it occupies a similar position & elevation on the mountain range also by the north part of the island. To get there involved good 3 hours continuous trawl through bog of the very tedious sort, chiefly long grass & Eleocharis with occasional Carex & heath-clumps & stones:-- fatiguing to the last degree, as the holes & streamlets are immeasurable & the foot often catches on the Carex clumps & brings you down. We varied the return by a day in transit from the Storr to a rocky eminence commanding a grand sea view & the Sutherland

coast; & thence back to Portree -- not a house beast or bird were seen, but a very few sheep, & a very large species of frog unknown to me.
Lock[sic] Arnish & the Coolin[sic] [Cuillin] hills are the most interesting features of Skye & thither we went 2 days ago, by crack 9½ miles to Sligachan, a lone tourist hotel in a wilderness of bog. Thence an 8 miles march up a very broad uninteresting flat mound[?] glen by a rude path over stones, bogs & torrent beds, takes you to a steep rise of some 1500 ft at top of which you see the lower end of the far famed Loch Arnish & here the guides try to persuade you that they have done their duty. We however went on a few miles further along the stub[?] flank edge of the valley overhanging the Lake & got a good view of its upper end which

is overhung by the savage black & most rugged cliffs of the saw-topped Coolins[sic] (written Cuilathion[?]) -- this was very fine;-- not so the Lake itself, which instead of being girdled by black cliffs plunging into its blacker waters was encircled by green sloping banks! Laden with transported[?] Engler[?] boulders. From thence Mrs Hooker & I ascended a rocky mountain about 1000ft higher & obtained one of the finest views I ever looked upon of the Western Islands from Rum & Egg[sic] to Mull Morvern & almost the whole Scotch coast from Ben Cruachan & Argyle round to Sutherland. The look down from the top -- sheer down -- to the Lakes & sea below was indescribably grand as were the other Coolin peaks cones & sierras that surrounded us. The glacial features of the valley cannot be exaggerated in point of interest & the pitch-black rocks being very steep & glaciated, & the erratics scattered like as if titanic pills had been emptied over all the valley & at all elevations, which for 2000 ft up they hang 'on by the eylids[sic?]' to

cliffs & were strewed over ledges & were so poised on sloping cliffs that you would fancy they were you saw them sliding down being held in position by the exceedingly rough surface of the rock, the hypersthene cristels[sic] of which project from its surface like studs on a boot heel, & render it easy & safe to move along slopes of 30o & upwards, without ever a suspicion of slipping. The walk back from our elevated position & along the dreary valley was a terrible fatigue & we did not get to the Sligachan Hotel till near 8 PM. Except for about 4 miles of a pony-back, Mrs Hooker walked & climbed it all, & bad as it was we much preferred it to the bog trot that we had to the Storr on the previous trip. The Geology of the Island is most interesting, but not objectiory[?] so it must have taken much time patience experience & knowledge to have recognised the Miocene, Lias, & lower beds that are here

intercalated between the numerous Lava beds, & I suppose that few geological districts have been slower elucidated -- it seems to have required a series of heads & hands (not to talk of feet) from the days of McCullock to those of Judd, to get at the still imperfect geological history of the Island. There is much in it that reminds me of the Cantal & Auvergne -- I am much reminded too of the Volcanic Islands of high South Latitudes, Auckland & Campbell, Kerguelan[sic] [Kerguelen Island] etc -- I am lost in wonder when I think that they no doubt have a geological history as readable as this when they shall have had as many Explorers:-- & that as I told Hector*1a when he was undecided about going to N[ew] Z[ealand] -- that island would be the key to all to the Southward of it, as I now see England & Scotland must have been to that of Skye & the Hebrides. I wonder whether when

my discovery of the fossil wood in Kerguelans[sic] land will find its place in the geological history of the Southern regions. I am greatly[?] disappointed at none of the later Expeditions having searched there for leaf-beds.
We have had here Mrs Lyell & son & daughter, Miss Lyell (Sir Cha[rle]s*2 sister) & Mr Symonds -- they left yesterday for the Gair Loch [Gairloch] & we follow tonight. Tomorrow night we sleep at Inverness, & on Saturday reach Aviemore, & then as soon as Scotch hospitality will let us away, go to Stirling to see my sister & a an old college & India friend for a night -- then to Sir J Colvilles*3 for 3 nights near Dunfermline & so home. A letter might reach me at Aviemore, -- but P.O. Stirling would be safer.
The weather has been perfect on the whole & the sea beautifully calm. With Kind regards to Oliver and Smiths.
Ever my dear Dyer | Your truant friend |Jos.D.Hooker [signature]