Skye's The Limit!

Hello again, Blogonauts!

If there were nothing else, my visit to the Highlands and the Isle of Skye would have made scooting over to Scotland worthwhile.

Over the last two days, I have covered a lot of ground, so today's entry could be quite lengthy.

But we're lucky! Because as we all know, a picture is worth a thousand words, we'll rely mostly on the lens and shutter to lay out the story.

My trip to Skye was round trip from Edinburgh via a 3-day tour I booked online. Always these are a bit risky, but I'm happy with the way things are turning out.

Let's begin with some Highland scenery: 

Three Sisters Mountains, Glencoe (in the Highlands)

Neaer Loch Achtriochtan, Glencoe (in the Highlands)

Our guide told us of the ways that the clans fought over opposing rule by the English or collaborating with them, culminating in the 1692 Massacre of Glencoe. Surely 3 centuries is long enough to let bygones be bygones. But no! Walter Scott solemnized the event in poetry, and each year a commemoration is held in Glencoe village.

Nowadays, the Highlands may be best known for their cows. It was definitely a touristy stop, but we got a chance to visit 3 Highland Cows, along our route. (They live in more of a petting zoo, than a genuine farm.)

A tufting-topped Highland Cow

After leaving the Highlands, we crossed the bridge onto the Isle of Skye, where we spent the night in it's largest hamlet, Portree.

One of two harbors in Portree.

And to my surprise (and the surprise of our guide and my innkeeper), we awoke today to see nearby the Black Cuillin mountains dusted in snow...the first for this season.

Black Cuillin Mountains

Our 2nd day we traveled out from Portree to a variety of truly stunning vistas. (Let's let the pictures speak for themselves.)

The Old Man of Storr






To wrap out our day, we visited a monument to a pair of men, John Mackenzie & Norman Collie, who in the late 19th and early 20th centuries pioneered mountaineering in Skye, and who mapped and named many of its peaks. Neither of them married, they were together 50 years, and they are buried side by side near here. Methinks there may be more to the story.

 

That's all for today, but there's more to come!

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Blog to you later!

Comments

  1. Allen YoungOctober 10, 2024 at 5:31 PM

    The photography and narrative are very enjoyable. Thanks for taking the time to do this, Larry.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. AnonymousOctober 10, 2024 at 8:30 PM

      Thanks Larry, a wonderful trip, beautiful sights, Bob Brown

      Delete
  2. AnonymousOctober 10, 2024 at 9:26 PM

    I never made it to Skye so your lovely photos have filled in the blanks. Celt

    ReplyDelete
  3. AnonymousOctober 11, 2024 at 10:50 AM

    Nice photos of the Scottish Highlands, Larry.......Moe O'Connor

    ReplyDelete
  4. AnonymousOctober 11, 2024 at 11:22 AM

    Pogoso: so beautiful!! One of my favorite places too. I remember running into one (Not literally ) of those large horned critters on a dirt road who was very slow to move. s/he won. The beauty of the country helps you to understand how attached the clans are to their land. Thanks for the lovely pictures.

    ReplyDelete
  5. AnonymousOctober 11, 2024 at 5:28 PM

    I loved Skye when we were there 20 years ago. Great photos and info— I hadn’t heard about the pair that mapped the island. Anna and Joe

    ReplyDelete

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