UKC

I’m off to Skye for a short trip in September, my climbing partner has had to drop out so I’m looking at doing some solo scrambles. I e been looking through the Skye Scrambles and cicerone book, and I was looking for some recommendations for some good easier routes to do? Ideally around grade 2 and maybe some 3s of the weather is better. I’ve not been to Skye before and as I’m going on my own I would like to keep things fairly easy. (I’m generally happy on Grade 3 and lead S-HS) anything I should look at?

A fantastic grade 2 would be the south section of the main Cuillin Ridge, Sgurr Dubh an Da Bheinn to Gars-bheinn. Even though this is the easiest section of the ridge it's still a big day out. Glorious sea views.

An equally fantastic grade 3 would be the central section of the ridge, the round of Coire  a' Ghreadaih, taking in Sgurr a' Mhadaidh, Sgurr a' Ghreadaidh and Sgurr na Banachdich. This gets you on the best knife-edge ridges on the route.

If you feel comfortable on those and want to step it up to grade 4, then the round of Coire Lagan is a contender for best scramble in the country.

Thats a tricky question. Depending on the weather, just linking sections of the main ridge include enough scrambling for most folk, some may be at the top of your grade range though, there are plenty of routes if you're happy soloing Moderate terrain...

e.g. Doing the round from Coire a'Ghrundha, over the bad step onto Sgurr Alasdair (this may be a short mod, can't remember), then from the top of TD gap across to An Stac via collies ledge has several scrambling options with bypasses to keep it at Grade 1/2,  (keeping to the main ridge has short sections of moderate, and an stac direct is a hard grade 3 / Mod, and I'd suggest best avoided in wet conditions) the route then takes you past the Inn pin and you can decide on corie na banachdich or back into Corrie lagan depending on your starting point. Its a good day out with all the best views (assuming you can see) and options to stay within your range.

Shortening starting in Corie Lagan and just doing the "path" across collies ledge and bypassing an stac is still a good day out even in wet weather.

These are both great mountain days out. 

If you take a rope along for abseiling, a round of Coire a' Bhasteir starting up the tourist route would be good fun.  Abseiling down to the Bhasteir tooth feels pretty committing but there's good insitu anchors and you can yard on the lower one to help with the awkward step down to the cave floor.  Worth it for the abseil down Kings cave chimney alone.

Andy's suggestions are the best. Mal and Johnhi's are not a good start in the Cuillin with many complexities that might thwart you. 

NW Ridge Bruach na Frithe or NE Ridge Sgurr a Bhasteir are navigable with map and compass if the clouds are down. Both descend Fionn Choire

But it's the complexities that make it interesting Mike.

Hope you're keeping well, glad to see Skye basecamp open again.

Clach Glas - Bla Bheinn Traverse?

Think the best ones are"

Round if Coire Lagan ( there are a few options for avoid the bad step in Alastair)

Banachdich to Sgurr a Madaidh.

Blaven/Clach Ghlas.

Dubhs Ridge is probably easier than all the above. Long day from Glen Brittle, over Banachdich Col and with a short backtrack to avoid the abseil half way up the ridge.

I loved the Cuillin when I was actively walking and scrambling. Someone though can correct me if the suggestions below are harder than grade 2/3 scrambles as I’ve not been to the Cuillin for quite a few years. Memory can be selective!

So many favourites, but one particular one that’s not been mentioned so far is the West ridge of Sgurr Nan Gillean. Either one way (using the “tourist” path for in or out) or two way via Bealach Bhasteir. As an add on Am Basteir can be done up and down as well. Suggest a rope/basic gear though for the bad step. There is also Pinnacle ridge up to the west ridge, but my memory is that’s it’s at the hard end of scrambling (and a rope abseil is involved).

Another one that’s less travelled that I enjoyed; Sgurr Thuilm to Sgurr a Mhadaidh, but I recall considerable exposure and full on grade 3 in a section if sticking to ridge. Not one for poor weather.

Plenty of things to be careful of up in the Cuillin, but the generalisation “gabbro good, basalt bad” is worth remembering I always thought. The latter can be very slippery.
Routes can and do take much longer than the inexperienced expect, they can be very tiring, and some require very careful route finding. There used to be, and no doubt still are, a lot of “false tracks” - well worn tracks leading nowhere or no where anyone inexperienced should be going. 
Also, if you are a hands on rock a lot person whilst scrambling you may find gloves useful if your skin is not used to the rough rock.  A few friends used to destroy a pair of gloves in a day!

HTH  a little.

On that topic, a friend of mine who is a guide recommends industrial calfskin gloves. 

Cheapo Industrial leather gloves are also good for scree descents/ Cullin descents in general , that way if you slip and put your hand down , you are less likely to damage yourself; palms are precious!

However I nearly always forget mine…

I used to use a pair of Extremities windproof gloves with dotty palms myself when needed 🤣. I was never though a hands on scrambling person for anything other than when necessary. They did me for over 20 Cuillin outings and I still have them!

Friends often resorted to cheap gardening gloves though as they could destroy better quality gloves very quickly.

Never used leather, but would have though loss of tactile sensations wouldn’t give a precise grip? Would save the skin though and particularly if you fell.

If you think scrambling's tough on the skin, try the bouldering! The pic was around lunchtime on my first day bouldering in Coire Lagan.

To the OP, many great suggestions, but be aware that quite a few are solid Grade 4, so you would certainly want to get your eye in first and have a settled weather forecast. 

reversed leather gardening gloves are ace for scrambling - I used them during the pandemic as a covid precaution on much smoother rock than gabbro and found them astonishing, perhaps even enhancing grip

You scramble well sir Pieman...

Most accidents in the Cuillin come from folk pulling on holds; by nature the crystalline gabbro and basalt is very cracked. Hands should just be used for stablising yourself for balance and upward movement coming from the legs/feet. The good friction allows small steps rather than yarding on arms. I strongly advise against regular use of direct belays in the Cuillin for similar reasons; outward pressure/leverage is just asking for trouble with all but the very biggest of blocks. The Cuillin rock is very young and "lively". If in doubt just don't touch!

Ha it’s one of the reasons I never bouldered! Besides I much preferred scrambling.

It was scrambling in the Cuillin with friends and seeing the way others scrambled that I realised I was light with using hands. Suppose I was lucky I had good balance back then which helped me to trust my feet mainly.

I used to try and say to friends not to pull the rock or over grip if they didn’t need to. Some were just too nervous though to appreciate.

The art of climbing well, at all standards, including scrambling, is surely to use all the holds as lightly as possible, and the arms/hands as little as possible. The great stylists like Dawes or Boysen are so light on the holds that you can hardly see what's keeping them on the rock.