Highlands and the Isle of Skye

Our last big trip was a tour of the Highlands and the Isle of Skye. We began the tour heading up to Inverness and Loch Ness. The Loch and the glen is very dramatic and beautiful. We stopped at the Urqahart Castle ruins. The drive to the Isle of Skye was through the Great Glen which was filled with Lochs and waterfalls and the castle Eileen Doonan. We stayed for a week on Skye on the Sleat peninsula--one of the few areas of the island with trees. The single track road to our cottage was harowing with blind curves and no barriers! We had a sweet local rocky beach where we harvested our own mussels for several scrumptious dinners. We also enjoyed the many little art galleries dotting the Island.

We spent the week hiking around the beaches (too cold to swim), Armadale Castle, collecting sea glass, and sitting by the fire. Making morning fires in July was something we never expected to do! Our fisherman neighbor caught us some lobsters and crabs, which made for a great dinner. We got to hear some tradition gaelic music during the Skye Festival. We made our way home via the ferry to Mallaig and a windy drive by Ben Nevis and the many glens of the Highlands.