The Isle of Skye

Most visitors to Scotland head to the Isle of Skye from Edinburgh to take in the dramatic coastline and unique rock formations Skye has to offer.  We entered Skye from the southeast after leaving Scrabster and traveling through Strathpeffer, Dingwall and across the Skye bridge which was built in 1995.  Prior to that, visitors were required to take a ferry to this and other islands that make up the Inner Hebrides.  Skye has been inhabited for 9,000 years and settlements of Pict populations in pre-Christian times have been found throughout the island.  St. Columba (the same chap who documented the fist sighting of Nessie in Loch Ness) Christianized the island in the 6th century.  The Vikings controlled it from the 9th to the 13th century and the clan system took over thereafter.  Skye has one of the greatest concentrations of Gaelic speakers with 1/3 of its population claiming it as their primary language.  All signage on Skye lists Gaelic first and English second.  There are numerous tourist attractions on Skye in the form of historic places but the main reason visitors flock to Skye is for the natural beauty of the island.  Namely, the Old Man of Storr, the Quiraing, the Cuillin Hills, Fairy Glen and Fairy Pools, Kilt Rock, and Coral Beach.  We had been pretty lucky up until Skye as far as the weather goes, but hit some serious wind and rain which prevented us from seeing all of the hot (or should I say "cold and damp") spots for a few days.  We were based in the capital town of Portree which has a lovely harbor and numerous seafood restaurants and more B&Bs than sheep (and that is saying a lot here in Scotland) but not a tennis court to be found.

Portree Harbour

Portree Harbour seen through a window at the Harbour View restaurant

Our first stop was Eilean Donan Castle which sits proudly in the middle of Loch Duich along the A87 just before arriving in Skye.   The castle dates back to the 13th century and was intended to prevent Viking invaders from entering from the loch.  It is incredibly picturesque and one of the castles I most wanted to see on this trip.  You may recognize it from the Patrick Dempsey film "Made of Honor", the James Bond film "The World is Not Enough" or the Highlander TV series.  As you can imagine, it is also a very popular site for weddings.  Sadly, we arrived at the castle as it was closing (because we discovered Strathpeffer along the way and lingered ...) and were not able to spend as much time as we wished exploring the castle and grounds.  We planned to stop again on our way back, but hit bad weather and were not able to.  Next time, aye?

Eilean Donan at low tide

The entrance to the castle

Looking back at the top of the Achmore hill above Stromeferry
 looking east along Lochcarron towards Strathcarron.

Our next stop was Dunvegan Castle where we not only enjoyed the castle and gardens, but also a lovely boat trip looking for seals.  We were fortunate enough to see nearly 50 seals before it began to rain again.  Dunvegan Castle is the oldest continuously inhabited castle in Scotland and has been the ancestral home of the Chiefs of Clan Macleod for 800 years.  The Macleods themselves took us out a-sealing and entertained us with stories and accounts of local history.

Dunvegan Castle reflection

Dunvegan seal pup

Dunvegan seals

Dunvegan seal

After Dunvegan we hiked to Coral Beach on the northern tip of the island just as the weather was beginning to clear.  The beach is not coral but is actually ancient calcified seaweed and was an amazingly beautiful and serene place to spend a few hours.  The kids enjoyed finding tiny, near perfect, colorful seashells.  I have been a collector of sea glass for many years, and Sofie found me a lovely Scottish piece to add to my collection.

Coral Beach bounty

Coral Beach

Obnoxious Americans blocking the beach view

The walk back

After a nice lunch of cream of parsnip soup, arugula salad and sticky toffee pudding, we ventured east to the enchanted area known as Fairy Glen.  This is an unusual area of stunning rock formations and valleys covered in a carpet of shockingly green grass kept mowed by local sheep.  The area has a mystical quality to it and it is easy to imagine little fairies or wisps choosing to call this place home. All in all a fantastic and memorable day.

The kids atop the Fairy Castle

Fairy Glen rolling hills

Mosses of Fairy Glen

View of Uig Bay (I think ...?) as we left the Fairy Glen

The next morning we were greeted by what we've heard can be a typical day on Skye - wind, rain and fog.  This limited us to sightseeing either from the car or by a short walk, but fortunately the roads were very accommodating to get us close to areas of beauty, and at times the fog lifted enough for us to see what we were seeking.  The wind was so extreme that we chose not to hike to the main attractions in the Quiraing, which we have been told are breathtaking, and the rain and fog prevented us from our planned scenic drive along the Trotternish Peninsula.  But, the Portree High School had just begun its summer programming and offered us the chance for some indoor badminton, which we took with alacrity.

Walking through the wind

Huddling against the winds whipping through the Quiraing

Road winding through the Quiraing

Kilt Rock and Mealt Falls

Badminton at Portree High School

As the day went on the weather improved and allowed for a view of the setting sun as we returned to our B&B.  We also got a chance to peak at our elusive friends the Heilan' Coos (Highland cows).

Sun setting over Grasmhor B&B

Skye coos

From Skye we head to Fort William and Glencoe to challenge ourselves at the Ben Nevis High Wire Adventure and take the Jacobite Railway along the scenic western coast.