The Tour of Isle of Skye

Day 4

Up early for a proper Scottish breakfast including the white table cloth. The kitchen staff is noting that everyone is up early this morning. It's beautiful outside.

Across the street and just a wee bit up the road is this Church of Scotland

which has this cute signage

And to the left of the church picture is a nature walk with a gated opening which is a 45 minute walk through the forest, around the hillside and past this huge monolithic stone which we thought had to be some old celtic thing


But it turns out in 2000 the townspeople got this huge stone from a nearby sandy beach and the people CARRIED IT (4 tons) up the hill and placed it with a time capsule.

The scottish thistle, symbol of Scotland. It is not prickly at all.

Out first part of the drive begins going out through Waternish and specifically to Trumpan.

It was near this point where the Macloeds had led a sneak attack on the Macdonalds over on one of the isles as they slept. In retaliation, the Macdonalds came over to this area (Ardmore Point) on a very foggy morning and while the Macloeds were in church together, they locked the doors and lit afire the thatched roof. All burned save one small girl who escaped through a small window and ran to Dunvegan to wave the Fairy Flag.

Maybe this monument picture will be clear enough that you can read it. I love these clan stories.

Ardmore point the cemetery and old church

Going back along the same road from Trumpan, I took a small turn off to get some pictures for our daughter, Sonya.
This is a wool spinners cottage and I did not make a written note of the name. Hopefully it will show in one of the pictures.
The cottage store here is at the very end of the road. To the left is a garden with all of the herbs and flowers that are used for the dyed yarns. The store did not open until 10am and we had the entire isle to tour...so we had to move onward (sorry, Sonya)

The garden dyes



Back along the Trumpan road to Dunvegan again, we came across these views, including this thatched cottage now in residence.



Back to Dunvegan to tour the castle just as it opened at 10am. Unfortunately they were doing extensive renovation to the exterior and so much of it was tented and scaffolds.
so I only took this side of the castle. It use to be only accessed by boat because it was completely surrounded by moat.
Of course no pictures inside. However, the most notable things inside were the great ancestral artifacts. The Fairy Flag was encased in glass. The fabric dates back to the first Crusaders. The Fairy Tower, with fairy magic stories; and the chalice presented to one of the Macloed Chiefs which is en scripted with the beginning of Psalm 144. The Macloed are a great clan.

After the castle we made our way around the entire Troternish peninsula of Skye. There are several important towns along the way; Uig, Kilmuir, Staffin and on to Portree.

We tried to locate the house where Flora Macdonald was born and raised. But missed it somehow.
However we did find the monument and her burial site. Flora was the one who help the bonnie Prince Charles escape. She was imprisoned. Later in her life she and her husband lived in North Carolina and then finally returned to Skye.


At this cemetery there were several other great Scottish heroes buried. An important historical spot.

Photo of The Storr and "Old Man of Storr"

continuing on around this peninsula of Troternish

to Portree where we stopped for a wonderful lunch at the Sea Breeze, that little yellow building near the left end.

Where Dick waited a little longer than usual for lunch to be served because I ordered this wonderful organic Scottish trout baked in parchment. YUM. (yes I am getting fatter on this trip)

The last leg loop was out to the most southern peninsula to Armadale through Broadford with a quick sidetrip to Talisker.
Talisker is the only distillery on Skye
The whiskey 10yr which we tasted is very peaty. We bought a bottle.

Toward Armadale, Isle of Skye is considered the more garden part of the isle. We saw a couple of old ruin castles and at the end got an ice cream cone and I visited

Ragamuffin. A cute store with some items I took pictures of to share with my quilter friends at home

Aren't these hats fun!!


Finally back north to Broadford for a quick stop

where I had noticed a sign saying Magic Yarns Hand Spun here! Definitely a stop for Sonya this time!!
Here were some of the blue yarns drying


The Magic Yarn shop inside

This gaelic sign out back. I bought some yarn for Sonya, just enough for a scarf for her. Hope she likes it...a beautifully dyed blue hand spun silk.

HAD WE PLANNED OUR TRIP..we would have known to not make our last night again way out at Dunvegan. But that is where we returned to for the night only to have to drive back out towards this way in the morning. Alas.