The Stunning Isle of Skye

We crossed the bridge to the Isle of Skye in late afternoon just as the rain was ending and as luck would have it, the sun broke through the clouds as it was setting and shone an ethereal light on Portree harbour. It bode well for the following day when we had a full day to see the key sights on the island. It would have been great if we could actually spend a week hiking on the island, but that was not for this trip.

The day was cloudy but we were thankful it was at least dry. The Old Man of Storr, our first stop, was mostly hidden behind fog, so we moved on to see other sights, including Kilt Rock and Staffin beach. We had lunch at a nice family run restaurant with a view of "McLeod's tables"; of course the table mountains were also half hidden in fog. 

The Quirang was for me the high point of this trip - such a stunning  area that I don't have words for it.  It would have been great to do the trail here but it was classified as "hard", meaning, beyond our reach; however, the view alone was worth the trip. 

We were lucky too that the weather held up right to the end when we hit the western tip of the island at Neist Point. It was so windy I felt I could be easily blown over the cliff; it rather reminded me of Cape Spear, Canada's most easterly point on Newfoundland. It was difficult holding the camera still in the wind. There was an incredible white flower that looked like cotton blowing in the wind (we found out later it is called Cottongrass) - it was amazing that it could hold its own in the gale force winds. After we got on the bus to leave, it started drizzling again. We came back to Portree just in time for a Jacob's ladder to shine its eerie light on the harbour.  

Before we left Skye in the morning, we made a stop to see the Cuillin mountain range. I saw people taking photos down by the river  and followed to see what kind of view it was like down there. It didn't seem to be worth the risk of falling in and I was about to leave when a very kindly guide from another group told me to go to the farthest edge. Seeing how wobbly I was, he came over to give me a hand and in fact had he held on to my shoulder as I stood on the edge of the rapids to take that iconic photo of the Cuillin framed by the arch of the bridge. I was so moved by his kindness I wanted to give him a hug, but he left to go back to his group. It wasn't so much the iconic image but the unexpected touch of human kindness from a stranger that made this a worthwhile memory - something to remember Scotland by.

Practical tip:
- if you are staying in Portree, make sure you book ahead for dinner at one of the restaurants. There aren't that many restaurants at the port but a lot of tourists!

Portree inlet in the golden hour

Portree - we stayed at the Pink House

I love this brick building - a community hall

The early bird catches the worm, the early photographer catches the bird...;-)

 I got up early to see if the sun would shine on the houses in the morning, but got this grey heron instead. It was totally unexpected so I didn't have the right lens with me.  

Starling looking for food

Old Man of Storr seen from afar; of course, when we got close enough, we couldn't see a thing, except for the largest rock!

The only rock visible - this must be the old man...

Scottish thistle - Scotland's national flower - prickly!

Another lovely waterfall on Skye

Love the wildness!

There was more to the cliff than what you could see on top

Mealt Falls in the foreforground; Kilt Rock which resembles the pleats on a kilt in the background

Mealt Falls closeup

Staffin Beach

McLeod's Tables - half hidden

The Quirang - my favourite! The Quirang walk is 6.8 km long, rated as difficult, 2 hours to complete with no stops...

The panorama of the Quirang, both sides of the valley

Dunvegan Castle

Seals on the island (seal watching boat on the lake)

Heather in bloom

Lush pastures on Skye

Neist Point - the western tip of the island

Cottongrass

Scottish blackface

Back to Portree, just in time to see sun rays on the harbour

Hooded crow

The Black Cuillin - for me a scenic spot where I encountered the kindness of a stranger; for climbers, a mecca - the most challenging and spectacular mountains in Britain.  Wish I could get closer - this is too far away to get the real feel of the mountains. But I could feel Scotland here...

I say goodbye to Scotland with fondness and a definite "I shall return"...