Well I'm just back from the Isle of Skye. Having visited very briefly on the way to and from the Isle of Harris/Lewis I wasn't so impressed. The Isle of Mull being the first island I visited, a few years ago, the standards were set. Mull is amazing with ever changing scenery & weather and small enough to explore nearly completely.
Anyway back to Skye. How wrong I was.
Firstly we stayed in a vegetarian B&B as the only guests in an end of the property where we could come & go as we wished! I'll post some photos on Twitter soon!
With 6 options for breakfast we were spoilt for choice, with healthy cereals to start, fair-trade orange juice and toasted home made bread with marmalade & Rowan jelly! A great start to the day.
Cooked breakfast with vegan option of saute potatoes instead of egg & both with home made paprika & herb sausages, field mushroom, baby tomatoes and home made baked beans. Or wonderful Scottish porridge with a variety of fresh fruit or plump sultanas. Another choice of Scottish pancakes with fresh fruit, yogurt & warm golden syrup. The two we didn't sample were a bockerglory of fresh fruit, granola & yogurt and cinnamon French toast with warm golden syrup & fresh fruit! Vegetarian heaven!
We looked at the map but never went where we expected always finding roads/tracks shooting off to who knows where!
After a long drive I'd intended we stay local and sit relaxing & reading the next day but the island was calling!
I know already I'm not going to be able to remember all the names but hopefully description will suffice!
We ventured along most off shoots apart from south of Kyleakin opposite the Kyle of Lochalsh where the bridge reaches the mainland! Yes bridge which is strange having always had ferries to book and time for! However nearly every road runs close to a loch or the sea so you're always aware that it's an island!
We went along Waternish, Trotternish & Minginish and everything in between and around.
The one thing to make sure of is a constant tank full of petrol just in case.
The Cuillin Hills are an awesome sight with many roads leading towards them. At one point I thought we would drive right in Batman style!
Seeing them more than once means a different view in different light, either the sun bouncing off them with bare rock or water glistening from afar or tops hidden in low clouds like rolling mist and the colours changing dependant on grass, heather, bracken or waterfalls.
One day we went to Dunvegan known for it's castle owned through the centuries by the Clan McLeod. Who also owned St Kilda until handing it over to the National Trust of Scotland. I'm presently reading a fascinating story about this.
We didn't visit the castle although managed to capture a distant photo.
Through visiting the Tourist Information there we discovered the 2 churches walk something we aimed to complete but have left for another time!
We did go on many walks however. One such walk was at Glen Brittle. Someone had kindly circled it on a map at the B&B.
We got the final space in the parking area and watched people don walking boots, thick jackets and backpacks. Not us. I've walked miles over various terrain in my trusty flat shoes. We did however don jumpers and lightweight jackets. With hindsight we maybe should have taken water but we survived! We headed down a steep grassy slope with scattered sheep towards the Cuillin Hills and quickly detoured towards the sound of splashing water... A run of numerous waterfalls leading into beautiful clear pools, some big enough to swim. Decision made we were to return with swimsuits. Ironically had we not taken them with us we would have stripped there & then and swam in bra & knickers as we had before in finding remote rivers.
Instead we walked further towards the hills turning only when the sun beat down so intensely we needed water! On returning to the car we knew we had walked far enough in such heat and would return.
And so we did on not such a sunny day. We firstly drove to the end of the road, most roads are T roads but very long & winding with stupendous scenery. There was a 'beach' and a campsite and the wind was fierce and the rain started just as we approached the car. Looked like the swim was cancelled. I quote beach as we later found there are some sandy beaches but well hidden and not as many or large as those on Mull with the green blue Atlantic lapping at them!
Anyway as we made our way winding back up to the parking the rain eased and the wind dropped a little. We had to chance it. We took a different route with no specific pathway leading to the top waterfall that we had not visited before. This was the place, secluded, sheltered and quite warm. With costumes on we tiptoed slowly into the Fairy Pool... I wish that was my description but that's what they're known as. I walked quite far and was able to have one of the falls splash over me, yes it was freezing but so invigorating. We didn't venture right into the pool as many stones were slippery and it wasn't as deep as we first thought. But the experience was just as rewarding. As we left we dried and threw on joggers just to go back. Once at the car we changed and closed the doors just as the heavens opened again, what timing. Next time we will return with appropriate footwear.
On chatting to Sam at the B&B we discovered Kate Rew swam in the pools as part of her wild swimming. Having checked it out since it appears there are larger pools further up the glen... Another reason to return!
Most places were deserted bar a few distant folk apart from along the Trotternish peninsula. Here you will meet up with coaches, mini buses & cars taking many tourists to a number of areas of interest. Lealt Falls with fabulous waterfalls & a very precarious steep, winding & narrow path down to the remains of a grinding & drying factory for diatomite and a loch! Sorry no we didn't venture as the wind was howling and that path was very narrow! Then there's the Old Man of Storr, a single rock standing solitary and tall away from the rest. Then onto Kilt Rock and many more. We eventually left the tourist trail as it was becoming a bit of a convoy!
On another day we did find Coral Beach with a little sand but mainly rocks and shale with very large shells to collect. It is also a point to view seals and we wonder had we gone further maybe we would have seen them but hunger was calling.
However seeing a hovering bird overhead on closer inspection it was either a sea eagle or hawk. We were to see many over the days.
We mainly took food back to the B&B as this meant we had more free time to explore. One night however was a pizza from a lovely Italian restaurant in Portree and the meal I blogged about at Cafe Arriba also in Portree.
Having seen the signpost to Braes many times, we turned left and down yet another narrow winding track (road) leading to a dead end! This is where Raasay can be seen across the water.
All surrounding islands can be seen from various parts of Skye.
Staffin Bay was popular with parking on the pebbly beach and a great photo opportunity with the white rearing waves crashing into jutting jagged rocks.
I know I've missed all sorts like the road from the B&B with a solitary primary school & river.
I've also not mentioned the many sheep, some sheared, some full fleece all with lovely long tails, no docking there. And the remote cottage industry where fleeces are naturally dyed, a haven for my daughter to buy wool to crochet.
Then there were the cattle especially the highland ones with lovely long locks with many calves as they're hardy enough to calf all year round. Many were blocking the roads/tracks that remind you of the slow pace of life.
And the distillery at Talisker where we bought 10 year old whisky as a present.
Then there was the long journey to find the place that sold goat's cheese & soap... Just a little shed at the back of an ordinary house... We drove past it twice!
Also the fabulous soap shop in Portree with all natural ingredients perfumed with oils and soya wax candles!
In conclusion I have to say all scenery was spectacular & I'm not sure I've done it justice so please check out these places on the Internet!
Although a long drive the Scottish mainland continues to impress but unfortunately no time for stopping apart from a food break & the loo!
There are the motorways that help the journey along then the tip of the Lakes & into the Dales.
Home & back to reality!
Luckily I have the memories, the photos, the soaps, the candles and the few post cards I got!
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