We Just Got Back from the Isle of Skye - grudgingly

Our next major holiday, and dare I say our favourite one of the whole year, was to Skye.  Rick had made the acquaintence of a head teacher in Fife when he was involved in school libraries, and we had the good fortune to visit her at her school a few years ago.  She is now retired and lives on Skye and, fortunately for us, invited us to stay.  We couldn't have been made more welcome by Lynn, her husband Richard, and their daughter Laura.  Their home overlooks a lovely bay and, although we didn't have what you might call perfect weather, the house was warmed by good food, good whisky, and good company.  The biggest "thank you" we can give to them all for a holiday we will never forget.

What can be said about Skye?  It is probably the most strikingly beautiful part of Scotland we have ever seen.  It seems a combination of the Highlands of Scotland and the barren ruggedness of Iceland.  It wears its volcanic origins very close to its surface, which gives it a sometimes dark and elemental feel.  Most roads are very narrow - single width, really - but Rick was able to navigate them quite well, aided by cleverly places pull-outs along the way.  

The first day we visited the main town of Portree, which is quite attractive, and then followed a route suggested by our hosts up one of the penninsulas that make up Skye.  Just past Uig (sounds the way it is spelled), we were advised to leave the main road and head off to the Quiraing (Cuith Raing for you Gaelic purists), which is a spectacular geological feature of a high land mass overlooking some lowlands and then the sea.  Needless to say, the camera nearly overheated!!

Day 2 took us up another penninsula, past Dunvegan Castle, home of the McLeods, and on to Coral Beach, which is quite an oddity, as among the rugged, volcanic rocky beaches, there is one that looks like sand, but is indeed ground up Red Coralline seaweed (not really coral).  We had to walk a bit to get to it, but the hike and the views were easily worth it.  That evening, after supper, we were all invited up to the house of some friends of our hosts for an evening of good music and good food.

Sadly, our brief visit had to end, but Skye and its hospitality will be forever etched into our memories.

Some canines are just really pushy when a car ride is involved!

Dougal may think he is driving, but he hasn't yet noticed the right hand drive in the UK.  For our safety, it is just as well that Rick was actually driving.

Snack time along the way.

It turned out that our snack break was in Dunkeld, a town that we had once visited with Alison and Brian on a previous visit.  Bob slipped on a piece of wood and landed on his behind with his hand in some nettles.  It was to be a tough time for him as the vacation continued.

It may have been late June, but there was still some snow in the Highlands.  We wondered if there would be snow on Skye, but we didn't see any.

The Highlands.

We stopped for lunch at the Invergarry Hotel.  Unfortunately for the hound, there were no dogs allowed.

Eilein Donan Castle.

After following what turned out to be impeccable directions given us by Lynn, we made it to their house.  There were times along the way that we were really doubting we would find it and were not sure where the roads would lead us.

The warm, cozy and comfortable living room, where a lot of good time was spent.

Dougal snoops his new lodgings.  There seemed to be a musical instrument available everywhere you turned.

The view out the kitchen window.  If our car wasn't in the way, it would be better!!

The beachcombers.  Dougal was wandering off somewhere and certainly in his glory.

On our first day's adventure, we head out along the narrow road.  One thing we learned about Skye was that you don't let the weather stop you.  As it turns out, there are many types of weather on any one day.

Portree, looking lovely and colourful.

Dougal being a very good and patient dog, as he knows some chips may just come his way.

And the man from whom the chips may come.

Another view of Portree.  It is a thriving town with a good harbour.

The mighty town of Uig, which is also a ferry port.

We climbed out of Uig on the road at the right, and found a nice viewpoint in what I guess is Upper Uig.

Dougal's pose reminds me of a Cheryl Wheeler song with the lines: "You lift your head when the breezes blow, to voices older than time." 

The road across.  We had no idea what to expect.

The Quiraing.  It really was like being in another world.  For a sense of scale, notice the person in red on the left.

More of the Quiraing.

And yet another view.  We were impressed beyond belief.

Down beside the water now, and looking at Kilt Rock, which has a pleated look indeed.

When we say that the roads are narrow, we really mean it!  Still, no road is too narrow for Rick.

Looking up toward our hosts' house, which is the one in the middle, half hidden by the shrubbery.

Rick, Lynn, Richard and Laura in the bracken.

Dougal alert and keen in the bracken.

The beach down from the house, where you could explore all day.

Talisker is the island's only distillery.  It owns the burn from which the water is gathered, which gives it a lovely peat flavour, guaranteed to be a favourite!

You can almost taste the peat!

As it happened, Laura was working in the summer for the distillery, so we booked on to her tour.  We were quite proud of ourselves for behaving, as we had threatened to be the tourists from hell.

Some lovely ladies, or handsome gents, posing for the camera.

All over Skye, there are gatherings of homes, almost all of which are painted white, which gives the area such a distinctive look.

Along the way during day two's drive.  As you can see, there are pockets of lightness and pockets of storm.

I'm sorry, but just....wow!

A lone sheep, although there appears to be a lot of wooly bits lying about.

Head in the clouds.

We stopped for a bite to eat at a cafe/gift shop outside Dunvegan Castle, where we spied this book.  We love the author's name and wonder if he really is humble.  At the cafe, Bob tripped going up the stairs and hurt his knee.  That was bad thing number two.

A much more typical beach along the way to Coral Beach - dark and rocky.

Dougal stops for his own refreshment break.

A sign of humans along the way.

Coral Beach in the distance.  As you can see, it looks a bit out of place.

Rick and Dougal.

The beach.

This rolling volcanic rock flows down to the water.

The view from the other side of the penninsula.

Column shaped stone formed by cooling lava, much like Giant's Causeway in Ireland, although not formed hexagonally like the one in Ireland.  The Scots have to do everything differently!

Skye seems to really speak to Dougal.

A view of the beach from upon high.

Dunvegan Castle.  

Bob trying very hard to keep up!  Fortunately, the lovely Laura was beside him to point out, with her toe, where we were supposed to be musically, which wasn't always where Bob was.

Members of the "band."

Lynn on guitar and Richard on bass.

An early morning view from up the road from the house.

What would Scotland be without thistles??

Sadly, we had to leave, but that meant that we got to drive back through the black Cuillin Mountains, which are quite foreboding.

Some hikers setting off, never to be heard from again.

A river runs through it.

To visit or leave Skye without taking a ferry, you go through the Kyle of Lochalsh, with its lovely hotel and the bridge in the background.  When the bridge first opened, it was tolled, but there was such and outcry that it is now free.

Because bad things happen in threes, on our way home we pulled into a pull out along the motorway to use the surrounding shrubbery to "commune" with nature (it is great being male!).  When returning, he tripped over the baracade, fell, cut his arm, and once again found his hand in some nettles!  I hope everyone driving by enjoyed the entertainment.  I guess you could say it was a bloody good holiday!!