The Highlands: Day Two
Its time to talk about the Isle of Skye, a place I could reminisce about all day! I had read the itinerary for the Highlands trip and I knew we would be visiting Skye, yet I’d never realised that we would spend an entire day there. (It’s a little odd that I was surprised about this, given you definitely need a day at a bare minimum.) Again we set off early in the morning, whilst we weren’t staying far from Skye we wanted to take advantage of the trip and make them most of our time. Much of the day was spent trying to avoid the rain, as it came across the island it was never far behind us. I’m very much a cold weather person so running around in the rain is neither here nor there for me. In the long run the moody weather only added to the impressive ancient landscapes.
Missed Day one? Read it here.
During many of our stops our guide Nory would tell us tales filled with grandeur and excitement of both folklore and local history. Hearing the stories added another layer of appreciation for the land and the ways in which it holds a place in the heart of many Scottish people. We were all very excited to visit the famous Fairy pools on Skye and they definitely did not disappoint. If you wanted to, you could actually follow the streams all the way into the mountains. The water forms a pale green shade which combined with the overall landscape of the area gives it a sense of the folklore that is linked to them.
Later in the day we stopped by the Old Man of Storr and listened to another story of its history. We were still very much trying to stay ahead of the weather as it changed during the day. After our stop here we ventured towards Kilt Rock named after it’s famous rock formations in the shape of kilt pleats. Not far past Kilt rock we found ourselves driving up bends and narrow roads to find a location called The Quiraing. Featuring stunning landscape it gives you an expansive view of the surrounding lands right out to sea. [Fun fact: a scene from the film Stardust was filmed here.] It was definitely one of my favourite locations on the day. Our longest stop was in the afternoon in another stunning location, called the Fairy Glen near Uig. The landscape was formed by land movements, giving it a unique form of topography. I should note that although the site was magical on it’s own accord, many of the spirals (pictured below) were actually created by tourists, rather than being geological abnormalities.
Many of the sheep on the island roam freely, so you can get fairly close to them. I loved seeing how different they are compared to the sheep at home. The ones in the northern hemisphere have developed thicker wool to deal with the climate. A few of us declared the sheep in the highlands as being the heavily metal version of sheep – given their impressive horns and stares. Most of the time they kept to themselves and merely watched on curiously. The Fairy Glen is covered in a soft grass/moss and has many little alcoves to explore. In many sections you can get up high to see a wider view of the surrounding landscape. We were lucky enough to have some sunshine in the afternoon drive to our accommodation, giving us a chance to see many of the mountain tops previously hidden by mist. That evening we saw one of the most incredible sunsets, which filled the loch our lodging was situated on, with hues of pink and orange. It was definitely a day I’ll always remember, one I day I hope to return to Skye to explore the other areas of the island.
Kathleen Freeman is a graphic designer and freelance writer; she is currently undertaking a Media and Communications degree. In her spare time she continues the search to find the book/coffee shop combination store throughout the globe.
All images, unless otherwise stated, are copyright of Kathleen Freeman, and may not be reproduced without express written permission of the author.