A week on the Isle of Skye is best encapsulated by the popular interpretation of its very name, the Misty Isle. Though Skye attracts every type of weather imaginable in short periods of time, often low hanging clouds or fog, it is also a place of indescribable majestic beauty and solitude.
Driving from London to Scotland is an experience of ever greater natural wonders as you leave the fairly flat and drab M1/M6 corridor to Birmingham and on past Manchester and Liverpool. Only once you clear Preston and enter Cumbria does the landscape begin to inspire, with far-reaching views and the Yorkshire Dales vying for visual space. The landscape changes yet again after Glasgow when you reach the Loch Lomond area. Driving through the forested shores of this large loch is magical, especially when a Roe Deer hops across the road mere metres in front of you!
The further north and west you push, the rougher the terrain becomes until you start the ‘Road to the Isles’, the only road to Skye and the main ferries to the Outer Hebrides which lay off the west coast of Skye. This road skirts below and around some of the highest Munro peaks in Scotland (Munros are peaks that measure more than 800 metres and there are approximately 280 in Scotland, with 12 of those on Skye itself).
Once onto the Isle of Skye the terrain remains dramatic and becomes even more awe-inspiring. As the road curves around lochs, crosses tiny river bridges and zigs and zags around The Cuillin, the light casts different colours on the far-reaching landscapes and the beauty of the island starts to take hold and make an everlasting impression.
Spending a week on Skye afforded us the chance to see and experience much of what the island has to offer. From wintery walks through magnificent landscapes to time spent relaxing by the fire looking out across the bay, we have taken advantage of as much as the island has to offer at this time of year. We’ll be back some day to experience the popular boat tours, get sight of some water wildlife and enjoy some true Scottish music and whiskey in a local bothy, but for now we’re really happy with these beautiful memories:
The Search for Mountain Fairies: Our favourite hike was without a doubt the Fairy Pools walk in the shadow of the Cuillins. This walk had everything we were looking for: proximity to mountains, amazing waterfalls and blue water pools, crazy weather and physicality of fording streams. Walking right up to the base of these mountains to the sound of rushing water was truly stunning. Added to the scene were two hailstorms and one extensive whiteout snowstorm which changed the landscape almost instantly and made the whole walk even more memorable.
Rocky Ridge Walk: Another favourite walk was through the Quirang, an area towards the northern end of the Trotternish Ridge which slopes up from west to east and then drops off quite sharply near the eastern coast. The Quirang contains all sorts of rocky outcroppings with the two most famous being the Prison and the Needle. The area was a well used haven for cattle and sheep herders trying to protect their flocks from raiders and after walking in along the treacherous path, it was not hard to understand the level of protection the craggy slopes offered. As we walked the vibrant green landscape changed to a magical golden glow as the sun descended behind the peaks offering a completely different scene.
A Taste of the ‘King of Drinks’: Skye’s most well known export is undoubtedly Talisker – the only Scotch produced on Skye. There are undoubtedly other scotches made on the island, but Talisker is the only one sold to the public. The distillery stands on land in Carbost that was once part of the Talisker Estate, historically owned by the second son of the ruling chiefs of the MacLeod clan who controlled Skye for centuries. We hoped to have a tour of the place, but unfortunately we were there during their annual three week shutdown when they undertake necessary maintenance work. Nevertheless, we went through a nice little exhibit and chatted with a lovely man who told us all about the scotch production and gave us some nice little tips. One tip we amateur drinkers took away: put a ‘wee drop of water’ into your glass to help release the flavour – doesn’t always make a positive difference but it may with something like Talisker. It was a lovely place to visit and the free dram helped warm us up on a very cold, wet and windy day!
Taking Home a Piece of Skye: Nestled in the tiny little village of Edinbane is the eponymous pottery workshop and store, Edinbane Pottery. This is the epitome of a working pottery shop, with hodge podge shelves displaying colourful plates, teapots and salt pigs (a traditional Scottish urn for storing salt). One of the owners was working the wheel while we were there and we saw him bash out a quick bowl and a wine chiller – very impressive how quickly a lump of clay can be formed into something! Each set had a different design, all influenced by the dramatic colours and landscapes of Skye. Our favourite was Ebb and Flow, inspired by the island’s "deep pools, river flows, rolling landscapes and night skies".
Other Sweet Memories: There were dozens of other little experiences that we will cherish. Walking to the ‘tropical’ Coral beaches in a gorgeous afternoon sun before being bombarded by a passing hailstorm and ducking into a makeshift cave five minutes later for cover... Passing a viewpoint on the way to Skye with no cars or people, except for an ever hopeful lonely busking kilted bagpiper... Seeing Guinness nonchalantly jump a stream that we took us five minutes to cross without getting too wet... Meeting some hairy cows and friendly sheep... the list goes on.
Home Sweet Home: One of our favourite moments was driving around the corner and seeing the view from our lovely ‘Seascape’ home away from home. We knew it had a view over the western coast of Skye, but the pictures online hadn’t really shown how extensive it was so the vista took us by surprise. We immediately jumped out and grabbed the cameras to take in the sunset and spectacular scenery. We sat in the two armchairs looking out across Fiscavaig Bay for every breakfast, quite a few cups of tea and most of the two afternoons where the rain and gale force winds kept us inside. The view changed constantly, but always managed to keep our attention.
Thank you Skye for a magical week. It has been a balm for our souls after some hard months and all three of us have truly loved our time on this enchanting island.
More photos soon... stay tuned
1 comment:
Just magnificent! Glad this respite was all that you had hoped it would be.
Love,
Mom and Dad
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