Sligachan Bridge and Cuillins

Old Man of Storr - Trotternish Peninsula

The Old Man of Storr (the pinnacle on the right)

Mealt Fall

Kilt Rock and Sound of Raasay

Lealt Gorge

That awkward squinting through the rain look

Sheep will never waste some tasty grass, no matter how obscure the location

Sound of Raasay

Portree

3/3/19

On Sunday we set out to explore Skye. 

First we visited Sligachan Bridge and the Cuillins. There’s a legend that if you dip your face in the river for 7 seconds, you will be eternally young and beautiful. I didn't do this myself, since the water was freezing, but lots of others did. It was really beautiful there - the river was mesmerising, and seemed to have a life of its own.

Next we went for a hike to see the Old Man of Storr. It was a short hike, only 20 minutes, but very steep! From here we could see the Old Man of Storr, emerging from heavy cloud, on one side, and a spectacular view of Loch Leathan and the Sound of Raasay. There are various folklore stories about the rock formation. One interesting story is that they are the fingers of a giant, buried under the earth. Another one is that a couple used to walk along the peninsula everyday, while mythical fairies watched them. Eventually, the wife was too old to reach the top, and so the fairies offered the husband a wish. He wished that he and his wife could always be together, however, the fairies tricked him, and turned them both to stone, doomed to stand together forever. It was very windy here, with a heavy dose of rain and shine - a pattern that would continue throughout the day. 

Later we visited Kilt Rock, the Sound of Raasay, and Mealt Fall. Kilt Rock is an interesting cliff-face, formed by volcanic activity. It is supposed to look like a kilt, but personally I don’t see it. The waterfall is also interesting, because it is one of few that falls directly into the ocean. The Sound of Raasay is a saltwater inlet, separating Skye (as the mainland in this case), from the Isle of Raasay. Sound is the Gaelic word for this specific type of body of water. This site was also our most northern stop on Skye.

Next we went to Lealt Gorge and Lealt Falls. This was my favourite spot on Skye, looking out over the Sound. I feel like this place symbolises all the best parts of Skye. From rugged cliffs, scattered with local creatures, to the deep blue sea. It was a truly blowing a gale, and it was the first time I ever thought the wind would pick me up and carry me away. Skye is a natural wonder, and it is everything I hoped Scotland would be.

Finally, we had lunch in Portree. It is the largest town on Skye and we enjoyed some classic fish and chips there. One thing we saw a lot of, being a fishing village, were seagulls. We see them in Edinburgh too. I’m always surprised at how big they are - they are about 1/3 bigger than Australian seagulls, and a bit prettier I think.