Kilt Rock Cliffs and Mealt Waterfall
Kilt Rock Cliffs and the adjacent Mealt Falls are one of the most mesmerizing cliffs on the Isle of Skye in Scotland. They are located on the Trotternish peninsula and can be reached by car, 10 km north of the city of Portree: the entire coast of the peninsula is full of areas to admire, well equipped with free parking lots. Kilt Rock is well signposted by a tourist sign indicating the Kilt Rock Viewpoint, and only a few walking steps separate the parking lot from the cliff.
Kilt Rock takes its name since it resembles the folds on a traditional Scottish Kilt.
Immediately on our left we see the Mealt Falls, 60 meters high waterfalls. The peculiarity of these falls is that they do not end up in a river as usually happens, but they fall from the cliffs directly into the sea.
The Kilt Rocks are visible from the same point, looking over the waterfall: they owe their name to the tall basalt columns with sharp angles, which bring to mind the many folds of a Scottish kilt.
Many remains of dinosaurs imprisoned in the rock have been found on this site, and information panels give them ample attention, aimed above all at stimulating the imagination of children, but also usable by adults.
One of the traces found in this area, belonging to the smallest dinosaur in the world, is preserved in the fascinating Hunterian Museum in Glasgow, a few kilometers from the Scottish capital. His replica is still available in the Staffin Museum, which is a 2-minute drive north of the Kilt Rock car park.
Kilt Rock is also a renowned location for birdwatching: from the cliff you can see various species of seagulls, ducks and other sea birds flying.
The south side is equally fascinating, with high cliffs plunging into the sea and the island of Rona in the background. Walk around the site carefully, without going beyond the gated areas.
This whole area of the coast has been organized as an ecomuseum, a museum without walls or roof, whose exhibition rooms are the highlights of the coast, from which it is not only possible to admire the view, but also to learn the history and the traces left.
In particular, at Kilt Rock the attention is placed on the paleontological aspect with the findings of dinosaurs, and on the geological aspect for the composition of the rocks.