Seeing Skye: Part 3

This post is long over due!


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. 

Skye Wig Wam Wonders: Part 2 - Where we stayed

Being part of Scotland, when you go to Skye you should expect the unexpected - especially when it comes to weather! But alas, I don't need to tell you about the weather in Scotland, for if you live here you will know. However, the weather in Skye is notoriously unpredictable.

When we first started planning the trip we had good intentions to go in summer but because of work and a few other bits we ended up booking to go mid October. For a summer visit we had initially considered camping, which when there is a 70mph wind warning (which there was) would have been awful! I have heard tales of people waking up in the morning in Skye to find their campsites deserted because the weather has been that bad.

As we were moving into the autumn I was a bit concerned about cold and rain so I had a think about trying to find a B&B that was cheap, and I was asking around some friends and they suggested trying to find a bothy.

I googled 'Skye bothy' and this link came up

http://skyehostels.com/    aka The Croft Bunkhouse!

I had a wee look and immediately was so excited to stumble across the wigwams!

For anyone thinking about going I would seriously recommend getting in touch with Theresa about staying there. Our wigwam cost us £40pn for two people, and it is even cheaper per person if you have four people staying inside. It was such a great alternative to camping!

The wigwams are highly insulated and super warm, with a heater, then we also had a kettle, mini fridge, a microwave, a radio as well as working lights. The main bunkhouse itself is great, I wouldn't have an issue staying there either. There is a great social area where we spent one night making friends with some other traveler's and I was so, so impressed with the kitchen that had everything in it that you could possibly need to cook!

Theresa has done a great job at making a warm and friendly, but affordable place to stay. The bunkhouse is located in Portnalong on the island's mid-West coast. It is really close to Glen Brittle and the Fairy Pools, as well as the other main roads for the island.

I didn't take loads of photos but below you can see the inside seating area. There are slats that you can use to bridge the gap between the seats creating a massive double bed area! It was super comfy and great to have so much room to sleep.

On our last day we were so sad to be leaving the wig wam that we took a selfie with it to say goodbye. 10/10!

Across the sea to Skye: Part 1 - Getting there

Windswept and interesting, the Scotland special

The Isle of Skye is quite possibly the most magical place I have yet to visit in Scotland!

For anyone thinking about visiting a Scottish Isle I would recommend Skye based purely on the fact that it is easy to get there by the Skye Bridge just at Kyle of Lochalsh. I think the only downside when you compare it to somewhere like Mull is perhaps journey time and distance is a bit longer (from Glasgow), but I think if you like scenic driving then it really wouldn't be a problem!

I decided that I would split the trip into a few posts as there is so, so much to say, so much to see and so much to do! One thing is for certain, I will definitely be back!

Mel at the Three Sisters view point in Glen Coe

From Glasgow the route there is pretty straight forward, you follow the A82 for miles, past Fort William and when you get towards Glen Gary, you turn left onto the A87 which continues right over the bridge and onto the island. It took us between 5-6 hours to reach Skye from Glasgow, but that was with several quick pit stops on the way so that Mel could take in the scenery on the way there. We also did a food shop in Fort William Morrison's (tip, there is actually a lidl right next to Morisons which I had not realised) and I was also unfortunate enough to have a nose bleed on the way there. If you haven't seen Loch Ness before and you want to make a detour, you can follow the A82 a little bit further which takes you alongside it, and then turn left instead onto the A887, which shortly merges with the A87. I was actually really lucky because I had been up both ways a few weeks ago kayaking at Wet West Paddle Fest , and for me it was not the first time I had seen the route!

I have wanted to visit Skye for a wee while, I have seen lots of great photos but I think that the desire to really really go was after I read this article:

25 Places In Scotland That Are Straight Out Of A Fantasy Novel

Luckily enough as well, the route takes you past a lot of other places on this list! The A82 is a pretty famous road, so we got to drive through Rannoch Moor, Glen Coe, and through which you can see buachaille etive mor (if you are up for a detour as well, you can turn off left just past the Kings House Hotel and the road takes you alongside the River Etive which is pretty stunning and popular with wild campers). Then further up, past Fort William you can see famous Ben Nevis to your right. Once you turn onto the A87, much further along you eventually get to see Eilean Donan Castle, Kyle of Lochalsh, which is not too far away from the Skye bridge from what I can remember. We stopped off there to use the toilets. There is a little centre there which has lots of leaflets and info and some helpful people at the desk. I'd have liked to gone through into the castle, but there is a small fee plus we were itching to make it to Skye!


So, before you even reach the Isle of Skye you would have knocked five of the places off of the list! Not too shabby. Plus, if you take the A82 route you obviously get stunning views of the Western shores of Loch Lomond, and the A87 goes through Glen Gary and there are some truly incredible views of the hills and the loch on the way through which we could not get enough of! Plus, the weather was really great (just a bit windy) and so it made the views even better!

Stay tuned for the next part! The photos of Skye are out of this world!

Glen Gary

I'm guessing this is some kind of continuation of the hill walking tradition where you take a stone from the bottom to the top?

Eilean Donan Castle sits at the point where three Lochs meet