May 12, 2015
We have arrived at the Isle of Skye! We are greeted with a much different environment from the city life of Inverness. This very small seaside village is sparsely populated with little farms with white painted farmhouses set in a landscape of low brush. Higher mountains lie in the distance but no forest to be seen. A beauty all of it's own.
There have been fewer and fewer trees as we explored both yesterday and today. We attempted a small walk in the woods yesterday, but ended up off the trail and scampering over logs, brush, and bogs to find our way back out.
Earlier yesterday we drove out of Inverness to the more recently lived in, Dunrobin Castle. The current owners have moved into separate living quarters and filled the castle with many of their family heirlooms. Very well presented and was complete with beautifully sculpted gardens. As we came in out of the rain, it was particularly welcoming to be greeted by a warm crackling fire. The men of the family are very proud of their hunting skills and the walls were adored with many stuffed examples of the hunting expeditions.
A highlight was a presentation by their falconer exercising birds of prey in the grounds below the Castle. There were at least ten birds that he works with everyday, feeding and allowing them to fly. The birds have been trained to be very comfortable around the crowds which provided lots of up close and personal. The Harris's Hawk landed just above my (Tim) head. The camera was shooting at full speed for the whole approach and I could feel the tail feathers on my forehead as he landed. What a blast!
Leaving the castle, we stopped in the little berg of Dornoch for a cup of tea and snack. We heard about a local superstition called the Clootie well. So on our way back to the Inverness Bed and Breakfast, we ventured off the main road to see if it was findable. A bit of a risk having just gotten lost on our walk in the woods!
The local lore says that there is a a natural spring with healing waters. The drill is to take a piece of clothing worn by the sick, soak it in the spring water, and hang it on a tree. The result is restored health and lots of material hanging everywhere. It was not hard to miss the location as we approached. Walking up the trail to the top only increased the impact. There were clothes and pieces of clothes everywhere. Honestly, it was a little bizarre, if not creepy!
It has continued to rain today as we made our way through the beautiful hills surrounded by lake after lake and eventually the ocean. Waterfalls could be seen cascading down the hillsides everywhere you looked. We scanned the waters of Loch Ness for anything resembling a large reptile swimming about, but saw nothing.
While still on the Loch Ness shores we wandered around the ruins of the Urquhart Castle along with quite a few other tourists and tour groups. After the rush of people, we needed solitude so we drove up into the nearby mountains to learn about the former homes of the ancient Picts. These tall circular stone structures were very well engineered. There were multiple stories with a place for animals and humans both. A central heating system was provided by a fire pit on the second floor with ample space above for drying meat etc. There were hallways designed into the walls to get them from room to room as well as floor to floor. Amazing!
The drive was quite a bit more adventurous with many single lane mountain roads for vehicles going either direction. There is a natural understanding for who gets to proceed ahead and who pulls into the nearest wide spot. Lots of fun to drive using all six gears available in our manual shift car!
The Bealach Uige Bed and Breakfast is our home for the next three nights. A rural farm setting hosted by a young couple with several children. As with all our hosts, they are very welcoming and anxious to help in any way they can.
Tim and Kathy
We have arrived at the Isle of Skye! We are greeted with a much different environment from the city life of Inverness. This very small seaside village is sparsely populated with little farms with white painted farmhouses set in a landscape of low brush. Higher mountains lie in the distance but no forest to be seen. A beauty all of it's own.
There have been fewer and fewer trees as we explored both yesterday and today. We attempted a small walk in the woods yesterday, but ended up off the trail and scampering over logs, brush, and bogs to find our way back out.
Leaving the castle, we stopped in the little berg of Dornoch for a cup of tea and snack. We heard about a local superstition called the Clootie well. So on our way back to the Inverness Bed and Breakfast, we ventured off the main road to see if it was findable. A bit of a risk having just gotten lost on our walk in the woods!
The local lore says that there is a a natural spring with healing waters. The drill is to take a piece of clothing worn by the sick, soak it in the spring water, and hang it on a tree. The result is restored health and lots of material hanging everywhere. It was not hard to miss the location as we approached. Walking up the trail to the top only increased the impact. There were clothes and pieces of clothes everywhere. Honestly, it was a little bizarre, if not creepy!
It has continued to rain today as we made our way through the beautiful hills surrounded by lake after lake and eventually the ocean. Waterfalls could be seen cascading down the hillsides everywhere you looked. We scanned the waters of Loch Ness for anything resembling a large reptile swimming about, but saw nothing.
While still on the Loch Ness shores we wandered around the ruins of the Urquhart Castle along with quite a few other tourists and tour groups. After the rush of people, we needed solitude so we drove up into the nearby mountains to learn about the former homes of the ancient Picts. These tall circular stone structures were very well engineered. There were multiple stories with a place for animals and humans both. A central heating system was provided by a fire pit on the second floor with ample space above for drying meat etc. There were hallways designed into the walls to get them from room to room as well as floor to floor. Amazing!
The drive was quite a bit more adventurous with many single lane mountain roads for vehicles going either direction. There is a natural understanding for who gets to proceed ahead and who pulls into the nearest wide spot. Lots of fun to drive using all six gears available in our manual shift car!
The Bealach Uige Bed and Breakfast is our home for the next three nights. A rural farm setting hosted by a young couple with several children. As with all our hosts, they are very welcoming and anxious to help in any way they can.
Tim and Kathy
LOVE the pictures. The falcon one is amazing!
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