Day Trip to Isle of Skye

We started off the morning going on a short walk to find an ATM. Along the walk were beautiful flowers. 

Columbine

Primrose

Greig Street Suspension Bridge

This is George, another guide, not ours.

We decided to stay in Inverness and take a day-trip to the Isle of Skye. Traveling on our own was restricted by bus schedules, and lodging on the Isle was costly. Hiring a guide for a day-trip from Inverness was cheaper and less stressful. Fortunately, we made this decision early and obtained the services of one of the best-rated guides.

We left the Fraser House before breakfast was served this morning so we both relied on some small snacks from home. Our tour guide picked us up and off we went. Before I go any further, I have to comment on the beautiful morning, with clear blue skies. If you recall from an earlier post, I mentioned that we would not be able to do these hikes today if the weather was raining or foggy. Thank you to those who prayed for good weather for us. It was remarkable. Our guide kept commenting on what a perfect day it was and saying he didn’t know who gave us this great weather. I said I do. The Lord gave us this extraordinary day. 

I had read that the Isle of Skye is quite touristy, so I debated going there, however, it has always been on my bucket list so it's now or never. The articles said that the Skye Bridge had made the Isle of Skye rather too accessible, diminishing its beauty as it grew more popular. They couldn’t have been more wrong! There might be touristy spots on the Isle of Skye, especially in peak season, but it is still worth visiting! 

Jo Anne said she wants to see ALL the photos so that’s what she’s getting. 😆 You can blame her. 

Loch Ness

Gorse 

As soon as we got back to the car, Donald said come to the back of the car. He had the boot open with a bottle of whiskey and two shot glasses. It was about 9 am. We said no thank you, we don’t drink. He was gob-smacked. When our innkeeper was telling us about places to eat last night she kept mentioning places with good beer, whiskey, etc. we told her we didn’t drink and she said you’re in Scotland and you don’t drink? Yep!

First stop - highland cows 

This one kept acting like he wanted Kody to pet him but as soon as she did, he would butt her away with his horn. Funny guy. Donald, our guide, took us right to the cows. There were about three tour buses of people across the field trying to get them to come to them but they weren’t having it. 

Next stop - Eilean Donan Castle

Eilean Donan is recognised as one of the most iconic images of Scotland all over the world. Situated on an island at the point where three great sea lochs meet, and surrounded by some majestic scenery, it is little wonder that the castle is now one of the most visited and important attractions in the Scottish Highlands.

The name Eilean Donan, or island of Donan, is most probably called after the 6th century Irish Saint, Bishop Donan who came to Scotland around 580 AD. There are several churches dedicated to Donan in the area and it is likely that he formed a small cell or community on the island during the late 7th century.

The first fortified structure was not built on the island until the early 13th century as a defensive measure, protecting the lands of Kintail against the Vikings who raided, settled and controlled much of the North of Scotland and the Western Isles between 800 and 1266. From the mid 13th century, this area was the quite seperate “Sea Kingdom” of the Lord of the Isles where the sea was the main highway and the power of feuding clan chiefs was counted by the number of men and galleys or “birlinns” at their disposal. Eilean Donan offered the perfect defensive position.

Over the centuries, the castle itself has expanded and contracted in size. The medieval castle was probably the largest, with towers and a curtain wall that encompassed nearly the entire island. The main keep stood on the island’s highest point.

It takes a couple of hours to get to the Isle, so Donald regaled us with stories of previous clients. One story was about some Italians who just looked mad and unimpressed the entire day. He was feeling very bad about the day. At the end of the tour they went on about what a great day it had been and how much they enjoyed it. He said, “well you might want to tell your face that!” 

the Skye Bridge is the only means of getting to the island other than a ferry. 

Photos on the Skye bridge above

Photos from the Skye bridge below

Walk or Hike?

Ah! The regional differences in English. In the United Kingdom, where Quiraing is located, the word walk can mean any walk such as a leisurely stroll in the park or a difficult hours-long hike like the Quiraing. On the other side of the pond in English-speaking North America, walk usually refers to a leisurely stroll while hike is the preferred term for longer walks, usually in mountains or deserts, that require greater physical exertion. Since I am on the North American side of the pond, I will most definitely be using the word hike in this post!

The Old Man of Storr is one of the Isle of Skye’s most iconic sights, and can be seen for miles (well, on a clear day!) The Old Man is the single tall rock standing 50 meters tall. With its spectacular landscape, magical views and varied terrain, it is an awe-inspiring site. If you want the best experience (and best views!) of the Old Man of Storr, you do have to hike! The Old Man of Stor Walk is a 2.75 mi/4.5 km trail rated as moderate. There is an elevation gain of 1,059 ft and the trail takes an average of 2 hours to complete. The hike is not for the faint of heart. It is quite the climb. It took us 1 hour and 25 minutes from start to finish.

Kody is like a mountain goat heading up that trail. 

This is the “Old Man”

Panoramic view from the top. 

Just chillin

To fully experience the Isle of Skye, hiking is key. One must-do hike is the Quiraing Walk. The Quiraing Walk, or Quiraing Circuit, is a 4 mi/6.5 km loop trail rated as moderate. There is an elevation gain of 1,286 ft/391 m and the trail takes an average of 3-4 hours to complete. 

We did some bouldering in areas. Kody said we had to put it in 4-wheel drive. 

As we walked along, we passed some hikers who had stopped and were talking about someone. One of the guys asked, “who”? He said the old American lady. Kody heard him and said hey I’m an old American lady. He said, “y’er aright then. Well it depends on what color you are, red or blue.” Kody said hard red. Then he said we’re going to have to have a talk. There are some tariffs for you just around the corner. 🤣 

I stayed behind Kody a good way. I was literally eating her dust because the wind was blowing so hard. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it!

Truthfully the wind was fierce and there were places that were a sheer drop off so it was very treacherous. There was some praying going on. 

The Atlantic ocean

I think this is one of my favorite photos with the sea in the background and the crazy climb we just made up that hill. We literally pulled ourselves up using the fence because there were no footholds. It was so steep (can’t tell from the photo) that we were almost horizontal. 

This place is epic! The craggy landscape is just magical looking and the scale is immense! It was created by an ancient landslip, the biggest one to happen in Britain and its name comes from Old Norse, a Viking name for “Round Fold” – there’s a flat area hidden by rocky pillars. I wish you could see it for real because the photos just don’t capture the magnificence of His creation. 

One of the best things about driving around Skye are the fantastic photo opportunities, and as you all know, I love taking photos. At times some of the landscapes remind me a bit of South Iceland where tiny white-washed homes stand against a mountain in the middle of nowhere. Donald was driving so fast and crazy that I couldn’t get a photo of them. The Isle of Skye’s diverse landscapes have been used in many movies including The BFG, Prometheus, The Wicker Man, Transformers, and The Last Knight, to name a few. 

I kept thinking that we would stop for lunch at some point during the day, but every time we got back in the car there would be a sweet for us. It was 1 o’clock when we started hiking the Quiraing and we had not had anything to eat since our breakfast snack at 6 am, other than these sugary “treats”. 

We were definitely ready for food when we returned to Inverness at 7:30 so we went to the locals fish and chippery for dinner and sat on a park bench by the river to eat. 

Afterwards we climbed the steps to our room on the third floor.

I didn’t get a sunset photo for you today but here is a night pic from our room over the river. 

Finally some stats for you: 

Steps: 26,702

Miles: 10.7

Floors: 169

The day was stunning, incredible, magnificent, perfect, remarkable, impressive, outstanding extraordinary and so much more. We are so blessed!

Genesis 16:13 "He that sees all, sees me." That is easy to forget when we are standing in the majesty of His creation such as we have been today. 

"We are not insignificant to the Lord and He takes special notice of us because we are His people. He cares for us and provides for us both when we are strong and when we are helpless." Matthew Henry