A Little Rain never Hurt Anyone

Day 9: Across the Isle of Skye

Day 9 started out with some rain and mist, but after a quick consultation with a map, we decided to reverse course and complete the loop clockwise, hoping the weather was limited to the western side of the island. Our hunch worked out, and we visited a lighthouse, two castles, a cemetery, some falls as well as the iconic rock formations of Skye.

Neist Point & Lighthouse

"To get a truly edge-of-the-world feeling, consider an adventure on the back lanes of the Duirinish Peninsula, west of Dunvegan. This trip is best for hardy drivers look to explore the most remote corner of Skye and undertake a moderately strenuous hike to a lighthouse. Although it looks close on the map, give this trip 30 minutes each way from Dunvegan, plus at least 30 minutes to hike from the parking lot to the lighthouse (with a steep uphill return). After hiking around the cliff, the lighthouse springs into view, with the Outer Hebrides beyond."

~Rick Steves' Scotland

Dunvegan Castle

"Dunvegan Castle sprawls over a rocky outcrop, sandwiched between the sea and several acres of attractive gardens. It's been the seat of the Clan MacLeod since the thirteenth century -- and the chief still lives here with his family today -- but the present façade is a produce of Victorian romanticism. Older architecture remains inside, where you get the usual furniture and oil paintings alongside some more noteworthy items, with tour guides on-hand to bring the history to life. The most intriguing display is the remnants of the Fairy Flag, carried back to Skye, they say, by the Gaelic boatmen of King Harald Hardrada after the Battle of Stamford Bridge in 1066. MacLeod tradition states that the flag was the gift of a fairy to protect the clan -- as late as World War II, MacLeod pilots carried pictures of it for luck."

~Rough Guide to Scotland

The Folly at Uig

The Uig Tower, also known as Captain Fraser's Folly, is a nineteenth century folly located in Uig on the island of Skye in the Highlands of Scotland.

Monument to Flora MacDonald

"This local heroine supposedly rescued the beloved Jacobite hero Bonnie Prince Charlie at his darkest hour. After his loss at Culloden, and with a hefty price on his head, Charlie retreated to the Outer Hebrides. But the Hanover dynasty, which controlled the islands, was closing in. Flora MacDonald rescued the prince, disguised him as her Irish maid, Betty Burke, and sailed him to safety on Skye. (Charlie pulled of the ruse thanks to his soft, feminine features -- hence the nickname "Bonnie"). The flight inspired a popular Scottish folk song: "Speed bonnie boat like a bird on a wing, / Onward, the sailors cry. / Carry the lad that's born to be king / Over the sea to Skye."

~Rick Steves' Scotland

Duntulm Castle

"Duntulm Castle, which was the first stronghold on Skye of the influential MacDonald Clan. It was from here that the MacDonalds fought many fierce battles against Clan MacLeod. The castle was abandoned around 1730 for Armadale Castle on the southern end of Skye."

~Rick Steves' Scotland

Quiraing

"Just past Staffin Bay, a single-track road cuts east across the peninsula into the Quiraing, a spectacular area of rock pinnacles, sheer cliffs and strange rock formations produced by rock slips. Once you're among the rocks, you can make out "The Prison" to your right, and the 131ft "Needle" to your left. "The Table", a sunken platform where locals used to play shinty, lies further up the rocks."

~Rough Guide to Scotland

Kilt Rock

"So named because of its resemblance to a Scotsman's tartan, this 200-foot-tall sea cliff t ma layer of volcanic rock with vertical laval columns that look like pleats (known as columnar jointing), sitting atop a layer of horizontal sedimentary rock. Don't miss the dramatic formations in the opposite direction, too."

~Rick Steves' Scotland

Lealt Gorge

"Where the River Lealt tumbles toward the sea, it carves out a long and scenic gorge. To stretch your legs, you can walk about five minutes along the lip of the gorge to reach a viewpoint overlooking a protected, pebbly cove and some dramatic rock formations. The formations on the left, which look like stacked rocks, are the opposite: they've been weathered by centuries of battering storms, which have peeled back any vegetation and ground the stones to their smooth state. Peering down to the beach, you'll see a smokestack and some other ruins of a plant that once processed diatomite -- a crumbly, clay-like substance made from algae fossils, which has hundreds of industrial uses. This factory, which closed in 1960, is a reminder of a time when tourism wasn't the island's only source of income. When this was functioning, no roads connected this point to Portree."

~Rick Steves' Scotland

Old Man of Storr

"The most celebrated column of rock on Skye, the Old Man of Storr is all that is left after one massive landslip. Huge blocks of stone still occasionally break off the cliff of the Storr (2358ft) above. A half-hour trek from a car park ascends to the pillar, bud don't expect to have it to yourself -- this is one of the island's signature sights, and will be busy whatever the weather."

~Rough Guide of Scotland