September 20 - Hello, Isle of Skye

Stalker Castl

The morning greeted us with grey overcast skies.  Not an auspicious start, but we've been here long enough to know that a day beginning as grey does not necesarily end in grey . . . same goes for sunny.  After a leisurely breakfast of Scottish pancakes and "crisp" bacon (you must specify "very crispy" or it arrives uncooked as far as I'm concerned) with Alison and Casey and settling the bill for a priceless time in the castle (though I never did meet either of the ghosts) we bade Alison and Casey farewell as they set off for London (happy travels!) and we set off for the Isle of Skye, situated on the west coast of Scotland between the mainland and the Outer Hebrides.

Eilean Donan Castle

Highland grasses and bogs

Our route took us up back to the idyllic Glen Echo area past Castle Stalker, which, legend has it, was sold in the 19th century by its drunken owner for an 8-oared galley ship, through bed and breakfast row just south of Fort William, across the Spean Bridge, and continuing northeast to Inverary.  At that point we turned and headed due west, then north, through some rich and beautiful highland peat bogs, and then west again along the impressive Five Sisters Range.  As we continued west we passed the Eilean Donan Castle, set romanticaly in Loch Duich, near the idyllic Town of Dornie and then continued west.

Idyllic Town Setting

Scotland Fall Colors

As we approached the bridge to Isle of Skye at Kyle of Lochlash, the sun started to come out and we saw more and more blue sky.  Just before crossing the bridge we passed a hillside showing remarkable color from the purple heather, yellowing ferns, and mountain ash, or as they are known here, Rowan, those trees with red bright red berries.  I must say that autumn in Scotland is a beautiful season.  Though the leaves of the trees are just beginning to change at the higher elevations, it is the purple heather, and red and orange grasses, and the yellow ferns that are the stars of the show.  How fortuitous that we should be here at such a beautiful time.

Skye Bridge

We then crossed the impressive arched Skye Bridge from the mainland to Skye it was as though we entered an entirely different world.  The Isle of Skye is home to some of the most rugged landscapes in Scotland (and Great Britian) particularly the Cuillin Range down in the southwestern portion of the island known as Minginish.  But today we focused our attentions on the northestern peninsula, known as Trotternish, also home to some stunning landscapes.  Most of what we presently in this area volcanic rocks from the Tertiary Period folded and then later eroded by huge glaciers during the last ice age.  The mountains, though low in elevation, and smoothed by the glaciers, still seem strangely large and massive.

Kilt Cliffs

There are few forests on the island and the ones we happened upon were being heavily logged.  When we inquired about this, we learned that these forests, consisting of non-native speices, were planted throughout Scotland in the early 1900's in an effort to spark the economy.  Now, seeing the error of its ways, the Scotland Forrestry Commission is carrying out a massive reforestation effort by harvesting the non-natives and replanting the native species.  Good for Scotland!  Until then, though, the dominant vegetation is low-lying heather, gorse, grasses, and ferns.

  The visual effect of this combination of geology and vegetation, set against the Sea of the Hebrides on the west and to the east, the Sound of Rassay, then the Island of Raasay and further back, mainland Scotland itself, is one of breathtaking sweeping landscapes that are of such a size and scale similar to those seen in Monument Valley or northwestern Wyoming, and southwestern Montana.  These landscapes and make me feel as I do when I look at a clear night sky from a mountaintop - diminished, humbled, small.  But this feeling also give me cause to revel in that fact that I have the self-consciousness to take in, be aware of, and affected by such natural beauty.   It gives me perspective.

It is this existential feeling (for the lack of a better phrase) that I encountered time and again as we drove the circuit around Trotternish.  Perhaps it was a similar feeling that inspired Mendolssohn's to compose the Hebrides Overture right after visiting similar landscapes (Fingal's Cave) on the island of Staffa, just west of the Isle of Mull.  Interestingly enough, the only radio station that we could get on the island was the BBC's classical station.  Now as I think about it, how appropriate, how poetic.

As we drove the two lane road, then later, the harrowing to one lane with pull-outs, up the east side we scoped out some possible morning sunrise shots, took in Kilt Cliffs and the many white-washed buildings and hamlets (crofts)  along the route.  As we rounded the northernmost point of Skye and began heading south on the west side, we came across a curious manmade phenomena, a seaside field of cairns.  Will need to ask the locals about that.  From there, we headed south, through gentler, more rounded landscapes, fields and fields of sheep and a few, yes, highland cows (no good photos though), to our accommodations for the next three nights, the Spoons Bed and Breakfast.

Our room at the Spoons

Our view from our room

Though the day was most exhilerating, we were tired, especially Rick, with all the driving.  So the Spoons, with its welcoming hosts, Marie and Ian, the large, expansive bedroom, and the beautiful views was a most welcomed sight and experience.  Marie and Ian took great care of us, securing restaurant reservations, providing us maps and even more guidebooks, and making sure we were properly settled in.

Though we had arrived at teatime, we could not partake for we had to clean up and dress for our 6:30 dinner reservation at the "Three Chimneys", a marvelous experience all on its own and one Rick will write about in a subsequent blog.  Suffice it to say that I couldn't imagine a better way to end such a beyond-perfection day.