The island of Skye and Edinburgh

Imagine waking up and going to breakfast, a huge Scottish breakfast, with this stunning view over the Sound of Rassay. It was such an amazing start to what was a wonderful day, packed with all the sights of Skye plus more. Our Bed and Breakfast here in Portree, Almondbank, run by a lovely lady, Effie, was perfect.

We had a full day ahead and it was great that George listened to all our requests and delivered all of them. He is an incredible driver and a real personality. We didn't listen to much music because he had so many hilarious tales to tell, though most ended in some sort of gruesome death.

Although I had been on Skye before, it was still fabulous to revisit favourite places and to see things from a different direction. Old Man of Storr could be seen perfectly this morning and this was the first of dozens of stops. 

Just a little way round the corner we had a sensational view back along the Sound of Rassay in the magnificent morning light.

We were at an area of spectacular, perpendicular cliffs known as Kilt Rock because of the folds in the rock ressembling the folds of a kilt. We were about  200 feet up so I felt very brave taking the photo below!

When I was here last year there was just a dribble of water, but thanks to the weeks of rain recently, the waterfall was much more impressive.

I had asked George if we could go to my all time favourite place on Skye, The Quirang. We approached it from the other side this time, so it seemed completely different, but no less stunning. What a fantastic landscape - we were so lucky to see it in such fine weather. 

Unfortunately, not for the first time on this trip, time was against us, particularly as we had to take the long way round the island because someone had driven off the side of the road into the peat bog when trying to let someone past. Apparently this is an extremely regular occurence since Skye became over- crowded with tourists , and campervans in particular . It seems many of the most spectacular countries with wilderness areas are attracting too many visitors and do not have the infrastructure in place to deal with them. Scotland, with so many hundreds of kilometres of single- track road, is especially badly hit.

Anyway, for me the detour was a bonus because we took a new road and enjoyed hearing the tale of Bonnie Prince Charlie's escape,  assisted by a local girl, Flora MacDonald. It was a long story, but anyway, when she died, thousands turned out to the funeral and she was given a pretty magnificent gravestone. There is a replacement there now because tourists kept taking small pieces away with them, until it fell down! Unbelievable.

At the request of two ladies on the bus, we drove on to Dunvegan Castle. Not a castle George was too keen on, but the area around it was very pretty and we could see the castle in the distance from this lookout. 

Then another person wanted to visit an old Scottish Piping School. George was determined to find it and we went off on a real wild goose chase down the narrowest of lanes, with no passing bays and luckily few people, until we reached a dead end. Then, We ended up driving along an old peat cutters' lane, no longer used, with grass growing in the middle of the road. Quite an adventure but with a confident and careful driver it was fun.

Several wanted to do some whisky tasting so we dropped in to the Talisker Whisky  Distillery. I preferred to enjoy the lovely surroundings. The wind had really come up and the white caps even in the sheltered sea loch made me feel very pleased I was not at sea today. We were really lucky yesterday with our wonderfully calm crossing. 

Last year we had a fantastic walk to some pretty waterfalls in the hills. The Fairy Pools have now become so popular, you cannott find a car park close by, even late in the afternoon, so George had plan B up his sleeve, a smaller, lesser- known Fairy Pool just down the road. Inside knowledge is great! Not only could we park easily, but we only had to walk a matter of minutes to it instead of one hour, which considering how windy it was, was perfect.

It was perhaps not quite as grand, but still very beautiful.

We did afterwards return to The Fairy Pools car park where by now the crowds had cleared as the weather totally packed in and almost hurricane force winds were making it quite hard to stand up.  The Black Cuillin ranges were conpletely swamped by the thick cloud pouring over them. It was dramatic, but also a bit scary to be outside. Panorama photos were impossible - you could not hold the camera steady!

George was fantastic. Although it had been an exceptionally long day with some tough driving, he granted me my second wish to go back to see the  Black and Red Cuillins at Sligachan. It looks as if it would be amazing to go hiking there, but certainly not tonight! From the photo conditions look relatively acceptable, but there is no way I would have walked more than a short distance in that wind!

Time to leave Skye and head back to Edinburgh. 

As we had done last year, we made a stop at the very picturesque Eilean Donan Castle, used in many a film over the past decades. The weather was not great but Guni and I decided  nonetheless to have a walk rather than visit the castle. It is a stunning location but sadly the mist rolled in after I took this photo, followed by persistent  rain - a little unusual on this trip!

It was a worthwhile walk in the rain to a viewpoint of the castle, not because of the view but because we saw an otter at the lakeside, not far from us. Apparently, they are quite plentiful in Scotland and I had been looking for them all the trip, but this was the first. Nice surprise on this rather miserable day.

As we approached the War Memorial near Glen Coe we were treated to a remarkably black sky. It looked so heavy and desperate to shed its load, but amazingly it was dry as I took the photo.

George took us a bit off the beaten track once again, this time  to a great wee pub near Glen Coe. It was a really pretty setting and the food and service was marvelous too. We were even fortunate enough to be there during the finest and driest part of the day. 

The stone walls covered in moss and lichen.are so colourful, even on an overcast day.

 Glen Coe also looked spectacular with its lowish cloud cover, just such fitting weather for a place with such a dark history. It doesn't matter how often I visit this valley, it never ceases to send a little chill up my spine thinking of what happened there hundreds of years ago,

We had an extremely wet journey home, but luckily it was through an area I had already seen recently in good weather with Dennis.

A trip to Edinburgh would certainly not be quite the same without a stroll through the Royal Botanic Gardens . I did go there a few times as a 21-year- old but I think I had other values at that time and did not appreciate it as much as I should have. There are so many similarities with the Christchurch Gardens. Both huge , tranquil, leafy havens in the midst of a bustling city. When I left Christchurch in May, it was looking pretty similar to this!

We have a wonderful glasshouse in Christchurch, but nothing compared to the 10 they have in Edinburgh, showing you the fantastic plant and tree life in various different zones. I have to say that I found these glasshouses much more spectacular and just as informative as those of the Eden Project, and not nearly so overpriced!

I loved the Rainforest greenhouse, which made me feel quite homesick for the  West Coast of NZ. It was so lush and even the concrete paths had fern imprints, along with dinosaur footprints ( they have found dinosaur footprints in many areas of Scotland they say).

What an incredible flower this is. I do not know the name but it looked like a hanging Portuguese Man of War jellyfish!  Stunning colours.

Time to say ' farewell' to Guni. I decided to visit some of the better known landmarks of the city, especially as the sun was back making the colourful Grassmarket far more vibrant. I really enjoyed some hours there reading all the tales of witches, hangings, etc, and watching the people go by. So many nationalities!

Then, before I met up with Sam ,  my long time colleague and friend from Zuoz, I took a last wander through the Gardens in Princes Street, reminiscing a little and enjoying the fabulous skyline of the Castle and old houses of the Royal Mile. What a sight. I marvelled at it when I lived in Edinburgh 45 years ago and I still find it an awesome sight.

It was such a brilliant three weeks in Scotland, certainly one of my favourite countries. I will really try to get back there again, especially to the far north.

It was an early start for my flight back to Wales and the family.

The family are out,  but back soon and here I am with friends Molly and Meek!

Very snug!

The Outer Hebrides - H-eileanan an iar

We were so unbelievably fortunate yesterday to have had such amazing weather. Today, as the locals say, 'it is back to normal! Actually, they were wrong.

Still enough visibility to be able to enjoy the cliffs and hills which flank the loch, but not quite the brilliance we enjoyed yesterday, but it could change as the sun is trying hard to break through. . Very smart new boat and we have birds-eye seats in the very comfortable passenger lounge and observation deck. Not sure whether the choice of music on the van to the ferry was the best for nervous travellers - The Titanic! Particularly as our bright a chirpy  new driver, George, had mentioned that it was a new boat! 

In fact, we had a superb crossing with virtually no boat movement whatsoever, and half way across the Minch the weather started to change and the sun returned. I can't believe it. I spent most of the time outside, getting to know some very nice Americans who hopefully will come out to NZ . We enjoyed watching the gannets fishing and also saw several porpoises as we stood and chatted.I am glad it was such a great trip. I was a bit worried at the prospect of two hours on rough seas!

Food for thought in our first cafe stop!

' Life is a journey and not a destination'. How very true and I do feel I am making the utmost of my journey.

At our first stop, Stornaway museum, I had a good chat to a local young lass about Gaelic, pronounced garlic here. Very interestingly, it has only 16 letters! Our more complex letters like ' j,k,q,v,' etc are only used in loan words. Fascinating - at least to me! 

I liked this!?It could have various interpretations I guess.

The Isle of Lewis is very different from Orkney. After lunch we visited the far north, oddly enough called Butt of Lewis. The drive up there took us past kilometres of moor land nd swamps, and large ' peat banks'. No trees around and very few villages.

We came to a beautiful cove not far from The Butt, Five Penny Ness. What a gorgeous name for these golden sands and turquoise waters. 

The colourful lillies everywhere further enhanced this magical scene.

George was very relaxed about time so we could really enjoy walking on the golden sands in what were remarkably mild temperatures. There were very beaitiful patterns in the sand.

Our final stop of the day was at the lighthouse at the Butt. Strange name for something at the top of the island! Last land point for 4000 miles and then we would get to Canada! Incredible thought.  It was a wonderfully rugged and wild place with seals, gannets and cormorants. Apparently one can often sees basking  whales there, but not today.

It was certainly a great start to our Hebridean adventure

Our full day on the island of Lewis was probably one of the best travel days I have ever experienced - fantastic driver, who did everything possible to ensure we would have a great day out, amazing historical sites dating back 5000 years, fantastic scenery, very varied, and last but not least unimagineably mild and beautiful weather with hardly a puff of wind! To spend the entire day in t- shirt late in September on one of the windiest islands in G.B. was rather unique. The entire day certainly 'flicked my switch' as George loved to say! 

We stopped at one of the Blackhouse villages at Carloway, which in itself is outstandingly beautiful with its views out to the Atlantic Ocean, over miles and miles of  stone walls and pastures. I do not have photos of the little thatched cottages but I do of the area around them

The cottages, probably over 150 years old  , are remarkable in that there is a peat fire in the centre of the living area, but no chimney, so the whole experience is pretty smokey and we all smelled of peat all day. Luckily, I find it much more tolerable  than tobacco smoke! Surprisingly enough, the people of those times lived to a ripe old age. When a cottage fell into disrepair, like the one below, they simply built a new one and left the ruins. This is in fact what they still do today, so you often see ruins in a garden next to a newer home. 

The road along the south- west coast is really breathtakingly beautiful. It is often one- lane t with heaps of passing places. However wide it is, there were certainly no traffic issues. Most of the time, just like NZ , we were alone in a remote area, surrounded by simply stunning scenery. The colours on this marvelous day were out- of- this- world.

About 5000 years ago the Calanais Standing Stones were erected in Lewis not far  overlooking a spectacular sea loch. This makes the stones older than Stonehenge and the Pyramids and yet although preserving them is paramount, visitors can walk freely amongst the stones, touching them or hugging them. There is no entry fee, no graffiti and no guard. But, it works and is exceptionally impressive. Here we have 50 standing stones, many more than I have seen elsewhere, in a huge cross shape. With the midday sun casting shadows, they were even more spectacular.

With some patience, I waited till everyone left for lunch and then found myself virtually alone in the centre of the central 13 stones, some towering 4 metres above me. It was very special and really gave me a chance to contemplate, and to imagine how the people and life at that time had been.

Despite thousands of visitors each year, the sheep still seem to be inteigued by us humans.

Only minutes down the road George pulled off on a very tiny road to explore!  It was well worth it because the lochan we reached was gorgeous.

The Harris Tweed industry has moved from Harris to Lewis more or less and now there are many independent weavers, like Norman, who we visited, who spend their days at the loom creating masterpieces, kwhilst keeping mind and body really active. Norman was a fascinating person to listen to. He never really learnt the trade but spent most of his holidays watching his uncle working ( 'no television in those days', he said!) and then took it up. He explained the whole process in detail and demonstrated how he weaves. It is really a physical job, but it obviously pays dividends.

The drive around the west coast of Uig ( I love that name!) was gorgeous. We could have stopped hundreds of times at pretty little lochans, huge lochs, or mountains. We were heading for a spectacular beach, just huge with a backdrop of dunes. Uig beach simply goes for miles, particularly at low tide, as it was when we arrived mid afternoon. You have to walk a mile or so to get to the water. I guess swimming would take you out yet another mile further because the water is so shallow.

What a sight! It reminded me of the fabulous beaches around the Catlins of New Zealand, vast and deserted, even on a near cloudless, mild day. It was heaven on earth.

As the sun sank a little deeper we were treated to fabulous lighting effects on the wetter sandy areas. We could have easily spent an entire day here, but all too soon we had to leave for yet another lovely spot.

On the way we passed a carving of one of the Lewis Chessmen, some of which had been found by Uig beach. Apparently a Viking chess set was found there inside a small stone chamber. Inside were 93  small chess pieces made from the husks of walrus teeth. We had actually seen an exhibition in Stornaway just after we arrived. I should have paid more attention as it seems really remarkable.

Our last, and certainly not least impressive, stop was on the little Island of Great Bernera. It was worth going there simply for the spectacular scenery on each side of the extremely narrow one- lane road. Itvwas brilliant to be up front and able to see everything so clearly. As we followed the very long and winding road up and down past shimmering lochans and little white crofters' homes, I am sure everyone on the bus was wondering where we were heading.

Answer - one of George's favourite bays, Bosta Beach. There is even a little stone age village next to the beach, but we were too late to visit it. Never mind! I was more than happy to stay on these soft white sands. Some of the group even ventured in for a paddle! It was certainly inviting.

What a day! We had had seen and taken in so much, we could not have asked for a more perfect day.

Now, I am actually writing this outside, in a covered area, on the ferry from Tarbert in Harris to Skye. A bit chilly and it is foggy and raining, but so far I am happy that we don't seem to be bouncing about too much! 

We could not believe our eyes this morning when we left our b and b and found it was cool, about 13 degrees, and raining. After such pleasant temperatures and a sunny day yesterday, it did not seem possible. But, at least we could experience the Hebrides as most people do and we were pretty lucky to have very little rain in the morning, giving us the chance to see most of the little island of Harris ( actually it is not an island, but they call it one!😀). There are only 2000 inhabitants there, many of them holiday home owners from England, who live in wee hamlets along the coast. Those living there permanently are farmers, fishermen or artists it seems. Tourism is not as big as in Lewis.

Harris tweed. Famous throughout the world and starting on Harris but now mostly made on Lewis.

Having a maiden name of Harris, I had to take the above photo!

There is a massive range of colours and patterns 

And they sell from dogs' collars, leads and coats to suits made from Harris Tweed. Very pricey and not really my style.

No. these 'Hairy Coos ' are not on a cycle track! That was our road for the morning, the Golden Road, named so because it cos so much to build. Talk about narrow! There was only just room for the van but there were loads of passing places and drivers are very well behaved, like the local sheep which sit inches from the road watching the traffic go by. They are so calm and rarely wander on to the road - unlike the Highland cows here

This was the view from the jump seat. It was a fabulous trip despite the narrow, winding, undulating track. The scenery was really breathtaking, with little stoney bays on the one side and what looked like a moonscape on the other.  We were following in the footsteps of Bonnie Prince Charlie, so George was able to tell us some interesting tales and play us some music written about this famous man. Somebody asked what happened to him. ' Och, it didney end well, for him. He turned to drink and womanising. Actually, not so bad really!', 

Hardly a soul in sight, perfect for lots of stops for photographs. A paradise even though the sky was not as blue as it was yesterday.

Our most southerly stop was at the stone church of St Clement perched up on a hill in South Harris. It hsd some very interesting tombs, well preserved and dating back to the sixteenth century. 

I did find, by chance, this lovely heart in the middle of the stone wall surrounding the churchyard. I wonder if there were more?

It was here that the rain set in for a while unfortunately and all George' s plans to have a picnic on this beach turned to custard! Whilst most of the group huddled in the van, I made the most of some breaks in the showers to enjoy these massive sandy and cliff beaches, such contrasts of colour!

The trips out were short- lived as the rain swept in. Just as we were about to leave   we had a short burst of sun and this lovely rainbow. The end to a great morning, not quite on a par with yesterday, but still fantastic. 

As we got to the ferry the guy there asked if I had enjoyed it on the Hebrides. When I said 'yes, very much' he said ' do you like rain then? ' people have very short memories, don't they?

Perfect timing, we are coming in to Skye. Has been a great crossing  and now I can enjoy watching the diving gannets again.