The Isle of Skye

Day 10 - 2nd day on Skye
Portree, I think, is the largest town on the Isle of Sky (IoS) and is our home base for the next couple of days. Our AbnB is located above the IoS information center. We got off to a slower start this morning as the travel started to wear us down a little, but the extra sleep was welcome. The first place on the agenda is the big one, The Old Man of Stor.

I'm not sure I know what's happening, but the weather is 100% clear and warm. A week ago, this was not the prediction. We came to Scotland prepared for colder and wetter weather. I was expecting most of my pictures to be grey and for my feet to be muddy. Not today.

We started our hike to the upper viewpoint along with so many others. Carrie went along for a bit and then went back to the car, where Kim stayed, to wait for us guys. The 3.5-mile loop (1,200 ft elevation gain) is the most popular destination on the IoS. By the number of people heading up the trail, it reminded me of a hike up the most popular 14er in Colorado - just a long line of folks marching upward. Women were hiking in dresses and shoes you would only wear to dinner. Couples from Germany, dressed to hike, moved rapidly up the trail. There were kids in packs, packs of kids, and dogs on leashes. And then there were two brothers adding to this crossection of humanity from all over the world. The whole trek was georgeous with views of the ancient rocks ahead and the sea behind us. After climbing a thousand+ steps, we arrived at the viewing area and took a brother selfie picture. We arrived just in time to be attendees of a wedding ceremony. The mountains, rocks, vegitation, and trickling waters make this entire part of Scotland seem so fantasy like and other worldly. The hike took us 2 .5 hours. The girls were beginning to wonder if we were ever going to come back.

We left the Old Man, who, by the way, is a face in the rock of the most prominat spire. Or, as legend has it, it is the thumb of some giant mythical creature. We next headed to the Mealt Falls. This is the waterfall that drops from a cliff into the sea. After a brief stop for lunch at a tiny grocery store along the way, I recommend you pack a lunch, we drove to the Quiraing overlook. Again, breathtaking views all around.

Our final destination for the day was to The Fairy Glen, which is down the mountain from the Quiraing. I will admit that this place was not even on my radar as a place to stop. But, I saw it on a map and we had some extra time. You should put this place on your must-see list. It is a mystical kind of place where you think that if there were fairies of unicorns in this world, they would live here. There are grass covered conical mounds and paths weaving through them and over them. There are small ponds in the tiny valleys. Trees and rocks jut up here and there. One prominant rock called Castle Ewen has several Rowen trees, with their red berries, growing out of it. This is the tree of the fairies and is said to bring good luck and protection, but beware if you ever cut one down!

Tomorrow, we plan to take a vacation from our vacation and hang out in Portree for the day - or maybe not.Read more