The Isle of Skye

A road trip through Scotland – Part III

Strengthened by a delicious breakfast at the SeaView Bed & Breakfast in Mallaig, we’re ready to embark to the ferry taking us on a short journey over to Armadale on the Isle of Skye (ferry has to be pre-booked at 9.40 GBP (10.50 EUR) per car plus 2.80 GBP (3.13 EUR) per adult). As soon as we get off the ferry, it seems like the sky is opening up for us and we drive through the beautiful coastal scenery, the blue ocean contrasting against the lush green of the grassy hills and fern in the beaming sunlight.

From Armadale, we’re heading along the south coast up north, towards Sligachan where Mona has found a campsite for us. We cannot believe the sheer beauty of the landscape we’re passing, and our luck with the weather. Scotland isn’t exactly known for its abundance of beautiful sunny (and hot!) days. Sheep are flocking a lot of the grassland and at some point we’re coming across a herd of Highland cattle.

When it comes to campsites, I usually consider myself lucky if the location is somewhere scenic, such as near a lake, the sea, a stream or a mountain. If there is a pub around – even better. But the Isle of Skye spoils us yet again with Sligachan Camping nestled in between the mountain scenery and right next to a gurgling stream – River Sligachan – and overlooking Loch Sligachan a bit further out. The pub is only a short walk away across the road and camping is cheap at only 7.50 GBP (8.25 EUR) per person and per night for a campsite with proper showers and toilets. We happily pitch the tent right at the end of the campsite, a bit away from the other campers, and jump back into the car to explore the area.

There are a lot of single-track roads on the Isle of Skye which makes driving a bit tedious because you always have to expect someone coming around the corner and frequent stops are needed to let other motorists pass. We head inland towards the Fairy Pools, a popular and short hike of about 2.5 – 3 hours return to a beautiful stream cascading down the hill via multiple waterfalls and pools. Before we even get to the main parking lot, other drivers are pulling into an overflow parking because the main parking is full. Mona and I are not a big fan of crowds but at the same time, we are keen to see the Fairy Pools so we join the pilgrimage of tourists up to the spectacular site and try to ignore everyone else as best as possible. The water in the stream looks wonderfully refreshing but so many people are already bathing in the pools and standing around them for pictures that we really can’t be bothered to hang around although it is absolutely stunning.

By the time we get back to the campsite, we’re both absolutely starving so we bravely decide to try some Haggis for the first time – after all, local food is all part of the travel experience! For those who don’t know, Haggis is a local dish made of sheep intestines. That doesn’t sound appealing to me the slightest bit but everyone said it tastes great and I can confirm it’s more than edible. As it also goes well with the locally brewed Seumans Lager and the Black Isles Lager on tab, two very happy campers leave the pub, also featuring live Scottish country music, after a few hours.

At the campsite, our next neighbours are a trio of motorcyclists from Cuxhaven in Germany who spontaneously invite us over for a drink when we are just about to hit the sack. So we end our first and only night on the Isle with some red wine provided by our friendly hosts and chat about travelling, Scotland and life in general, while fighting off the nasty midge flies. Plenty of insect repellent is a must-have in these regions, especially when close to a body of water!

Our journey continues the following morning after a quick pit stop at Dunvegan Bakery, the oldest bakery on Skye, where we treat ourselves to a delicious bacon and cheese pastry. This little gem is really worth a visit. Our pastries not only look delicious but also taste amazing and all other baked goods look fantastic too; the café inside the bakery provides all sorts of cooked breakfasts and snacks. This gives us plenty of energy to head on towards Neist Point Lighthouse, first lit in 1909, erected on the most westerly headland on Skye. A short 2-hour return descent takes walkers to overlooking the majestic cliffs, grassy hills with of course plenty of sheep and the ocean. The bay is full with jellyfish and we just sit there for a while, looking at the miraculous looking creatures in the water before we exit the beautiful Isle of Skye returning via Portree back to Sligichan and over the Skybridge taking us back to the mainland.