#carbost

Carbost to Cuillin 

One of the Last Stops

Taken from /r/EarthPorn/

Today we wake to the lovely Hamie and Katherine making us another delicious warm breakfast and today we will need it because Scotland is offering to us its favorite weather.  Cold.  Wet.  Windy.

We head south and east first toward the Sligachan Old Bridge and then onto more of the mystery of Scotland and their undying belief of fairies.  We start out on a long hike over to the fairy pools.  We end up mostly wet, but it is a spectacle that is just as mystical as you can see the mist moving sideways in the wind and can see the beautiful creek (albeit a large one) cut down through the rock.  The pools are gorgeous and I have to think we would enjoy them a great deal more if we weren’t completely drenched and cold.  Still it was lovely to see them and we will be back.  With the weather as it were, the fairies were surely hiding, but we did get to see a lovely highland cow or here a "heilan' coo" up close.

We begin our long walk back and then onto warm up as we crush an 18 year-old dram of sweet nectar from Talisker Distillery in Carbost, Scotland, Isle of Skye.  It Is the oldest working distillery on the Isle and is set on the shores of Loch Harport.  This was exactly what we needed and it was quite delicious.  Even Tammy joined in and she isn’t much of a fan of single malt whisky.

Fully warmed we head off to take a look at Dunvegan Castle.  Less impressive is the inner castle itself, but most impressive is the locale of this stunning building.  Located on an elevated rock overlooking an inlet on the eastern shore of Loch Dunvegan, the castle is the seat of Clan MacLeod.  The location is quite picturesque.

We quickly usher through and head to an artist’s shop.  I like to collect art on trips.  My selection is a picture of The Old Man of Storr, by artist Daisy Budge.  I can still feel that Old Man in my quivering quads so it seems perfect.  Tammy selects a fairy painted by the proprietor of the shop.  We also manage to score some local blueberries from a lady coming by peddling her wares.

We thank the shop keeper and head out to our next destination, another brisk walk to Neist Point Lighthouse.  The walk is pure Scotland.  A drastic drop, surrounded by the sea, sheep and amazing views.  We stumble upon a million cairns near the lighthouse and stop to make our own. 

The weather and sunset is not in our favor and we want to make it to one last place.  It is an artist I discovered online named Diana Mackie. I love her use of light which is why I was initially drawn to her.  We drive through some of the most taxing single track roads we have encountered so far with potholes the size of boarder collies and bigger.  We slowly make our way down and see a car that slid off the side of the road.  It is completely sideways.  We see this as a reason to go even slower. 

We eventually make our way down to a house overlooking the Minch to the Outer Hebrides and with sheep all about.  It is, in a word, stunning.  The house is my dream home and comes with the most adorable canine, Barkley. 

We shuffle quickly into the home, it has just starting pouring rain outside.  Diana is not home so we meet her husband Alan and dog Barkley.  Alan is so accommodating, offering us tea and then taking us about the home to show us Diana’s work.  It is even more beautiful in person.  Another couple show up, but we are being promised a video incorporating Diana’s work with his.  Alan is a skilled percussionist.  As a matter of fact it is one of the first things I see on a loft second floor as we enter the main display room.  Alan gets us sorted and then tends to the couple while we watch the video.  We finish up as the couple leaves.  It was a breathtaking immersion of his art and hers.  I really do love these artists, but mostly Barkley.