Highlands Journey – Skye

While we could have stayed at Arisaig for the rest of the week, there was still more to see so we bundled back into ‘Nessi’ and caught another ferry across to the Isle of Skye heading for a little place on the map called Elgol (because it looked remote and had a funny name). A magical drive through a carpet of heath in a blaze of purple and a backdrop of towering mountains topped with a cascade of cloud enveloping its peaks. If summer occurred only once per year in Scotland this surely would be the day.

Elgol is a dispersed settlement sprinkled over the hillside above a lovely bay that leads the eye across Loch Scavaig to the Cuillin mountains. What was most amazing about the place was the small one roomed school perched at the very end of the bay directly overlooking this inspiring view. What a great place to gaze out the window instead of doing school work!

From here we journeyed back to the mainland following windy mountain passes. Apart from ‘Butch the Tractor’, it appears the other thing that you have to give way to on these little lanes is the locals. And when I say locals I mean the local cows, sheep and even red squirrels. At one point we rounded a bend to be confronted by a cow and its calf calmly lumbering along the centre of the road probably on its way to church. No amount of horn blowing or light flashing would halt their journey so it was left up to us to make room and allow the family to pass.

While we so much wanted to stay longer in Skye, ‘Nessi’ wanted to visit her friend in Loch Ness so it was time to move on and continue our Highland journey.