Hi all, I'm totally new to UKC so this is my first forum post, hoping to get a little advice. I'll be visiting the Isle of Skye mid June of this year with family and hopefully one of my climbing partners who goes to school in scotland but doesn't climb much except with me in California, so I'm looking here for help. I'll be there for three and a half days and I'm not really sure what gear to bring. I've ordered "Scottish Rock: North V2" for the specific rack that's most common and route specific beta (I'll probably bring doubles 3"-.4 BD c4/z4, singles .3-.1" Z4, offset DMM nuts 1 set, 1 set wild country rocks, 13 quickdraws). I'll be in Portree, so I was thinking of going to Staffin Slips and Kilt Rock, and perhaps Niest another day. These seem like pretty cool areas and I'm more into the seacliffs than what seem like more easy alpine routes on Sron na ciche, but if there's a really classic 5.8-5.9 (HVS?) multipitch somewhere up there without a super long approach i'd be interested but when I looked a lot of the routes up there seem pretty easy unless you do a variation and not worth the trek.
A few routes on my ticklist are from the "Skye Cracks" article from a UKC user. Grey Panther (E1 5b), Lat up a Drainpipe (HVS 5b), Frequent Flyer (HVS 5b). I like crack climbing and other recommendations with classic cracks are welcomed, but I'll probably just climb other things at the crags I'm already going to. I've never been to the country so I'm not really familiar with the grades or how sandbagged they are. I'm pretty comfortable onsighting up to 5.10a PG13 on granite in the sierras, for instance, and 5.6-5.9 i can really enjoy casually. But granite is probably an easier rock to read, so what grades should I be looking at climbing on dolerite? HVS-E1? or will VS still keep my attention and be fun climbing?
My other question is about accessing seacliffs. For gear, I'm planning on bringing a single lead line (is 60m enough, or is 70m better)? and then I have a 50ft rigging line I could bring, or I could bring a 65m static line as a rappel rope. I've read lots about people leaving rappel lines to climb these seacliffs (that don't have easy bottom access), obviously each area is different but is that really necessary? Or could I skip bringing a whole extra rope and just use a short rigging line or long cordelette at the tops of the cliffs off the bolts or gear to set up a retrievable rappel and just be a bit more committed? It seems like even if I couldn't climb the route I set out to there would be easier routes I could climb to get out, or at the worst just aid out. I really want to avoid bringing 2 ropes overseas if it's avoidable, but my 50ft rigging line may be pretty useful. Any advice here?
Also, I do a decent amount of seacliff climbing where I live in CA and sometimes if it's not overhanging we just lower climber in and TR from above, is this common on the scottish seacliffs, or would people think we are clowns? Also will your belay stakes kill me, or is there generally updated hardware (titanium glue-ins) by the sea? Thanks for any tips and recommendations, I'm stoked to sample some scottish rock!