Our adventure took us out of Edinburgh and further north to the Isle of Skye – a region of the Scottish Highlands known for its misty mountains and gorgeous hiking. This has been on Chris’s bucket list for over a decade. It’s a longer read, so buckle in as we take you through our adventure into the Scottish Highlands.
Driving
Some notes about driving around the Isle of Skye. Driving is really the only way to explore the Isle of Skye. There are buses but they don’t go to all the known places in the Isle. The driving alone is an experience. From the Australian and New Zealand experience, here are some notes about it.
There are a lot of sheep. You may think that you have seen a lot of sheep in your time, we certainly thought so (we live in New Zealand after all). But nothing prepares you for just how many you see. Since it is also spring, they are lambing. Therefore, it is a requirement to slow down to “awwww” at the cute lambs wagging their tails as they suckle from their mothers.
Avoiding potholes should be an Olympic sport. This trip has confirmed to us that Australia must have the best roads in the world. That will be surprising to some of our readers but nothing prepares you for the sheer number of potholes and the awful grade of the bitumen on the Isle (or anywhere in the UK, really). A lot of the roads are single carriage, with passing points. There are many potholes in the usual places where the tyres would rest on those passing points, making the expertise of pothole-dodging extra special.
The single carriage ways make dealing with other drivers – particularly tourists – interesting. And by interesting we mean frustrating. Many tourists we encountered were from other countries in Europe – so right-hand driving countries. This meant that we often encounter other drivers panicking at the passing points and moving to the right.
We arrived at our lodgings – An Clamhan – just across the loch from Dunvegan. It is breathtaking with sea loch views, privacy, and a washing machine.
Fairy Pools
On our first full day at Isle of Skye, we packed a lunch of sandwiches and went on the moderate hike at the Fairy Pools. This is a beautiful area between a number of famous mountains on the Isle of Skye. Given its beauty, it is said to be occupied by fairies.
Chantal’s favourite fairy story is that they ride horses backwards. Of course, why not!
There is something serene in having lunch by the running water with such picturesque valley views. It calms the soul and fills the heart.
Talisker
After our hike and lunch, we jumped back into the car and drove towards Talisker. We didn’t have a booking and arrived to discover all the tours and tastings were completely booked out for the next few days. So instead, we had a walk around and found some history anyway. There had been a fire of the distillery in the 1960s and they had rebuilt the stills in the exact replica.
Dunvegan
We got back in the car and made our way to Dunvegan castle. Like many Scottish castles, this one had a story of being lost to the Clan and falling into disrepair. Then there is a redemption arc of a Clan member making their fortune, purchasing back the estate, and lovingly restoring it to the glory we are able to see today. This is common due to the financial issues seen in the 19th century.
Dunvegan is the seat of Clan MacLeod. It was Dame Flora MacLeod who was the 28th Chief of Clan MacLeod and opened Dunvegan castle and gardens to the public after inheriting it. Dame Flora seemed to be a formidable woman in her own right and it would have been amazing to have met her.
On our way back to An Clamhan, we enjoyed some local ice-cream and then heated up some soup with fresh ciabatta for dinner.
Fairy Glen and an Iron Age Subterrain
Day 8 saw us back out and in the car, this time to Fairy Glen. The Fairy Glen is a great little trail where we saw fairy circles and got to climb a ridge. Some people also brought their dogs to climb with them.
Making our around the Isle, we encountered an Iron Age subterrain, restored by the local community. It is effectively an underground hovel and was probably use to store diary and other produce during the long winters. As it had been raining, the subterrain was flooded when we arrived so we couldn’t enter to explore it.
Kilt Rock
This is that famous rock cliff with a waterfall feeding into the northern Atlantic Ocean. It was a bit disappointing as parking was £3 and there is no walking track. The photos look great, though!
We also saw a fish farm.
Old Man Storr
This is the best hike of the trip and the whole reason for us being in Isle of Skye. We finally got to see Skye’s legendary misty weather, too. Yes, it was wet but we came prepared. Expectant, even.
The climb to Old Man Storr isn’t for the faint of heart. It was definitely leg day for both Chantal and Chris. But the views are worth it!
Seals
When we finally got back to An Clamhan, we were greeted by seals! Okay, so that’s not entirely accurate. As An Clamhan overlooks a sea loch, there is an outcrop of rocks in the centre of the loch that’s only visible when the tide is out. Seals like to lounge on these rocks and that’s just what we were able to see.
The hosts of An Clamhan had a telescope poised to view the seals. It was so lovely to come back to see some happy seals after a long day of hiking.
Fire
A cool change meant that it was also an opportunity to put on the fire. This made the cottage cosy and helped dry our clothes.
The next two days we travel back to London to drop the car off and complete the final leg of our trip to the UK.
Chris and Chantal 