Skye

Scotland is home to some of the most beautiful landscapes in the world. I am still constantly amazed at how many shades of green you can find on a hillside here. This week, Ross and I decided to take advantage of our new car and remaining annual leave days to get out of town. Destination: The Isle of Skye.



The Isle of Skye is an island located west of mainland Scotland and only about a 3-4 hour drive from our home. (Surprisingly this was Ross' first visit to the island.)

After good breakfast at our local cafe, we headed out of town, past Loch Lomond. We stopped off at the Green Welly Stop for a bowl of Cullen Skink, and a browse around all the Scottish paraphernalia, before driving up through Fort William and Glen Coe. (For those who were wondering 'welly' is a shortened version of Wellington boot, or as it is referred to in the States, a rubber rain boot.) A couple hours later, we arrived at Kyle of Lochalsh, where we stopped again. This time for some tea/coffee and treats. Lochalsh is a seaside town, where the bridge between mainland Scotland and the Isle of Skye is located. (If you look closely you can see the bridge in the background below.)



If you think the picture above looks overcast and grey, welcome to my world. Other than magnificent greenery, Scotland's landscape is most frequently permeated with the oppressive greys and whites of cloud cover. Wind and Rain are in the forecast here what seems like everyday. So far I don't mind the Scottish weather- rain and cold are still a sort of novelty to me. I like having a reason to wear coats, scarves and mittens. I am conscious that the novelty may wear off at some point, so ask me again in a few more years what I think about Scotland's 'mild' climate.

A further drive along the west coast of Skye brings you to Portree, the quaint capital of Skye, and up to the Old Man of Storr. We started up the trail to see the Old Man of Storr, but the recent rain meant that the trail was muddy. Ordinarily mud wouldn't stop us, but neither of us had a change of footwear and Ross didn't want to dirty the new car. (The car has replaced the flat screen TV as his favorite toy.)





Portree was brimming with tourists, but that didn't take away from it's charm. We spent part of Friday roaming in and out of its little shops, admiring all the local arts and crafts. The economy of towns like Portree rely heavily on tourists, so it was actually nice to see that people are still coming and spending money here.

Our B&B host told us that the population of Skye more than doubles during the summer months. In the winter it can be a bit dead, but this is unsurprising when you remember the cold, icy and blustery weather Skye endures. (I should stop here and mention that the B&B we stayed at was definitely the best B&B I've ever been to! Ros Muire B&B is definitely worth looking up if you are even heading to Skye.) We also learned that most landowners in Skye are required to keep a minimum of three sheep, but that if you own 15 or more you qualify for a farm subsidy of around £15 per head. If you ever wondered why there are so many sheep in the highlands, this is probably why!

Needless to say we thoroughly enjoyed our short visit to Skye- a much needed break from the stresses of work and flat problems. I'll leave you with the view from our room at the B&B- absolutely lovely! (And no, my poor photographic skills definitely do not do justice to the beauty of Skye.)