Northern Skye
“Someday you will be old enough to start reading fairy tales again.”
Rain Hike
On Thursday (Jul 27) we stayed home…except that Dave and I didn’t.
Instead, we scaled an unnamed peak that sits between our cottage in Eynort and Glenbrittle where the Fairy Pools are located.
The rain was supposed to end…except it didn’t.
Here was our view: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aEsjwLIhY5w
Old Man of Storr
The Isle of Skye Candle Company in Portree recently took over the Aros Center, inheriting the local movie theater and stage.
They renamed the theater Las—which is Scottish Gaelic for kindle, light, ignite, or set alight. What else would a candle company call their theater?
On Friday (Jul 28) we caught the 2 pm showing of 45-minute film titled Skye Story.
After seeing the film, we headed north to hike the Old Man of Storr.
The gals decided halfway up was good enough.
So Dave and I completed the hike to the summit while they waited at the saddle.
This is probably the most famous walk on the island.
The Old Man of Storr is a large pinnacle of rock that stands high and can be seen for miles around.
The Old Man is in fact just one element in an array of fantastic rock features, including this stalagmite-looking pinnacle.
The area in front of the cliffs of the Storr is known as the Sanctuary.
The Old Man of Storr and the Aging Men of Neumann.
The Sanctuary has a number of weirdly shaped rock pinnacles, the remnants of ancient landslips.
It’s hard not to take a lot of photos on a day as gorgeous as this!
At the summit of the Storr Lookout Point with the Old Man and the Sanctuary below, and the Cuillins in the far distance.
Reunited with our better halves.
Back to the car park.
Talisker Bay Beach
There may be a summer pattern here:
Wednesday at the Highland Games was gorgeous.
Thursday was miserable and rainy all day.
Friday at the Old Man of Storr was epicly beautiful.
It only stands to reason then, that our last full day on Saturday was miserable and rainy.
Dave had his heart set on hiking to Talisker Bay Beach. Despite two attempts, the weather simply did not cooperate.
If the pattern held, however, our departure from Skye on Sunday morning should have been a glorious day.
It was!
The third time was the charm. After moving out of our cottage (Jul 30), we made it to Talisker Bay Beach with the full cooperation of Mother Nature.
We easily could have been on a Hawaiian island.
Talisker Waterfall
Talisker Bay Stack
Fairy Glen
After our successful visit to Talisker Bay Beach, we drove north for about an hour to reach the small village of Uig, where the ferry terminal is for our journey to the Isle of Lewis.
Before checking in for the ferry though, we drove into the hills just above the port to visit the Fairy Glen.
We’ve been seeing images like this for years and couldn’t wait to visit. If you Google Fairy Glen Skye, you’ll see some amazing professional photographs of the site.
The Fairy Glen (much like the Fairy Pools in Glenbrittle) has no real legends or stories involving fairies that can be traced.
Instead, the name comes from the many small round-topped grassy hills and lochans (ponds) that give the glen a decidedly otherworldly feel.
One of the hills still has its basalt topping intact which, from a distance, looks like a ruin and has been called (inexplicably) Castle Ewan. It is possible to climb to the top.
At the top of Castle Ewan.
Climbing down Castle Ewan.
Christa captured this panorama.
Such a fun final spot to visit before leaving Skye.
Uig Skye Ferry Terminal
We made it to the ferry terminal only to find out the ferry was delayed. You can use the map above to see the ferry terminal in Uig and our destination at the Tarbert Ferry Terminal on the Isle of Harris (off to the northwest).
In less than a week the bottle of Talisker was gone!
We simply couldn’t figure out where it all went…but then we figured it out.
While we were waiting, we stopped in the Isle of Skye Brewing Company, which just happened to be located in the harbor.
Brewed with “Faerie Glen water”!
