Scottish Highlands and the Isle of Skye July 5, 2000
We're
lucky to have some friends come and visit while we're enjoying the summer in Scotland.
Our Wisconsin 
visitors,
Judy, Al, and Margie, are here this week, so we did a tour
of the some of the Scottish countryside. The trip included the Scottish Highlands
and Glen Coe (with Margie radiant in the blooming heather), the Isle of Skye, Loch Lomond
(over-rated), Lock Ness (no monster visible), Fort William (a pretty town with a
nightly Scottish dinner show) and Inverness (where we just missed seeing the
Queen).
Skye was the highlight of the
trip. It's located off the 
western
coast of Scotland, about 150 miles north of Glasgow, which is pretty far
north. It got light real early in the morning, and there was still some
light just before midnight! Skye is a large island, about a 200 mile drive
if you follow the roads around both lobes of the island. Until 5 years
ago, the only access was by ferry. Now there's a bridge, though the toll
($8 each way) is steep enough to stop one Scotsman we met from making the trip
over. The Scots do live up to their frugal reputation.
The drive to the Mallaig ferry, which runs every 90 minutes or so, was an adventure. We got lost on the way, and hadn't heard about the windy, narrow roads -- wide enough for only one car at a time in many places -- so we underestimated the time to Mallaig. It was a long hard drive. Driver Dick kept his cool, and we somehow arrived with a couple of minutes to spare. He asked two motorcyclists, who got there just after us, what they thought of the road. One grinned widely and said (with a strong Scottish accent): "That might a bin the best road I ever bin on." Clearly it's all a matter of perspective.
Skye
is well known for its marvelous scenery, especially when the sun is shining.
We
were extremely lucky -- there wasn't a drop of rain during our trip. Skye
is hilly with bare hills, cliffs overlooking the water, grazing lands for sheep
and the hairy highland cow, and the very occasional farmhouse or B&B,
usually built of stone or painted white. Above are some young sheep
practicing their head-butting skills. A few white houses in this densely
populated area are visible in the background.
We spent the night at Kyleakin,
right near the new bridge. Remnants of the Moir Castle 
(an
ancient Norse outpost) add to the lovely scenery in this little fishing
village. Outside of town is the Rendezvous restaurant, where we celebrated
Judy's birthday. Ambiance, fresh fish, and great food. Here's the
birthday girl in front of our little 2-door Rover.
We did the trip in three days,
though it would have been nice to take a week. 
With
a bit more time, one can spend hours hiking through the glens and about the
moors, or contemplating the beautiful scenery. Here Al is doing some of
the latter at Eilean Donan Castle, one of the most picturesque spots in
Scotland. All in all, it was a memorable trip, made more so by some very
special people.