Whilst we were in the Isle of Skye we tried to do as much as possible, so we got to see a lot of things. I think if I was to go back again, I would like to go with much more time, and also plan some longer walks to really see the most remote parts of the Island.
That said, we saw a lot and we had a brilliant time!
Arrival:
As you can see it is pretty scenic on the drive in. We decided that on the day we travelled we would go to Neist Point before going to the hostel. I reckon it took just over an hour to get there after we first got onto the Island. It was a lot of driving for me as I had done the whole drive from Glasgow (with some breaks) but the roads are pretty nice and the scenery makes up for it.
We were really lucky that we did go to Neist point when we did, as the weather was mostly dry and we got some great views! As it is a cliff, and it's pretty exposed, it was incredibly windy and I really wouldn't have wanted to do it if it was raining! It has been a little while now, but from what I can remember it took us around an hour and a half to have a leisurely walk to the end of the cliff and the lighthouse and look about etc. and take in the views!
Day 2:
As I said, we were trying to see a lot of things whilst we were there, so Saturday was a pretty busy one! So, a wee reminder, we stayed in Portnalong, and headed North on the A87 to get to Portree, which is the Islands big town. We spent most of the day following the round round the North East segment of the Island, as it has a lot of the things we wanted to see all in one big loop!
Portree
The Old Man of Storr
If I was to go back to Skye I would like to devote a much larger chunk of time to going the full way up the Old Man of Storr. We only climbed up half the way as we were conscious of not doing too much too soon and not having the time to explore the rest of the Island like we planned. We still got some excellent views and I cannot recommend it enough! It was foggy and moody and truly spectacular! It was also very windy, so wrap up warm folks...
Skye is great because you can follow the roads around as they are so simple. This just pops up if you head North from Portree going anti-clockwise round the North East part of the Island. You can obviously see it appear from further afield and the views on the way are also pretty great! Lots of dramatic hills and the water! Make sure you give yourself enough time to pull over and take in the views, or try and take turns driving so you get a chance to properly enjoy!
 |
| Some lovely views very early on on the climb |
 |
| It was honestly so windy |
 |
| She is making that face coz she can barely stand for the wind |
The Cliffs and Kilt Rock
So the first couple of photos we actually hadn't planned on going to, we actually thought they were where we would find kilt rock! As it so happens, on the loop we did at various intervals after the Old Man of Storr there are a series of signs that give you info and a few small walks with some great views of the sea. The one we stopped at had a view of an old mill (I think). I would recommend these for anyone who is not big on the cold/walking or if it is bad weather as you don't need to commit much time, and you can get back in the car to be warm! A good way to make sure you see lots but don't get tired!
 |
| We literally always end up in matching clothes |
Kilt rock is obviously pretty gorgeous - it is a cliff waterfall that flows straight into the sea. You can't see it in the photo very well but I believe it is called Kilt Rock because of the pleating effect on the cliffs similar to an actual kilt! It is definitely worth seeing, but expect it to be quite crowded, and there is not much else to do there apart from the viewing platform. There is a reasonable car park and we had our pack lunch there so we were content (and away from the wind)
Staffin Beach
We had heard about this beach from the lady who ran the hostel. This one has quite easy car access and the turning sneaks up on you from the right. I think this is another one that would potentially offer some good walks. We had a bit of a caffeine slump! I will take the opportunity to say there are not a lot of places to get coffee past this point in the road so maybe bring a flask or a jet boil if you are prone to get a bit sleepy! We spent a lot of time driving in the hope that we would fine somewhere - whoops.
After we did a loop around that bit of the Island we eventually ended up in Portree where we had a pit stop. We did drive all the way to Uig. I probabally wouldn't bother stopping there, from what we saw, unless you are interested in the pottery place, there wasn't an awful lot there. But, you will go through it if you do a loop of the Island like we did. We drove past the Quiraing as well but didn't go anywhere near it or try to walk up. Will definitely be a walk I want to do when I go back!
Coral Beach
Another famous beach on the Island, which we ended up stumbling upon by accident, despite being told about it. We followed signs for Dunvegan. I think had you wanted to go you would be able to get more clear directions! It was a great little walk, that turned into rain. It was also pretty funny coz for a long while we weren't even convinced the beach was going to show up! It took a while before it became clear where it was, so persevere!
 |
| Cow friends (Mel crapped her pants) you have to walk through their field to access the beach |
 |
| Keep walking, the beach will be soon! |
After a long day we went to the Old Inn for amazing food. Have the mussels and scallops, you will not regret it. Mains were awesome too, and they had live folk music on Saturday. Ideal.
Last day and home time
Glen Brittle and the Fairy Pools:
The Fairy Pools were one of the places we really really wanted to see. When we got there it had rained a lot the night before, and there is a stream you have to cross by stepping stone. Some other people turned around and didn't go through, but we persisted and took our shoes off and waded across. The area itself was really beautiful but I think a lot of the photos of the pools have been quite edited. It was a lovely walk, but I would suggest you bring snacks because I don't think we anticipated how long it would be and we got a bit hangry! haha
 |
| When it hails, you have wet feet and no snacks. |
No comments:
Post a Comment