They're Back...Again !

There's no arguing that Skye is a stunningly beautiful place. The scenery has been used as the location for a number of recent big-budget films. And with snow on the hills and bright spring sunshine... it's just 'wow!' Today, I watched the TV, bemused, as it was announced that Skye is the only place in the UK where dinosaur footprints can be found. So - OK,  it really is not too surprising that many people travel from all corners of the globe to visit our lovely and fascinating island. Of course - Sue and I chose to make Skye our home because we wanted to become part of the network providing self-catering accommodation for visitors. We expected to be able to let our holiday cottages here rather more easily than if we had set up our business in a more remote and little-visited corner of the country.

Skye dinosaur footprint.
The prints are on a tidal shore, and often hidden by sand or seaweed.
I'll bet not many visitors ever find them

So - we must try not to moan when our winter silence is suddenly disturbed by the distant sound of passing traffic, and the Co-op car park is rather more crowded than we have become used to in the past few months. We know the places to avoid in summer, and certainly know any number of places we can go that very few visitors ever discover.

Dunvegan village
I swear the camper vans get bigger every year..

But we may have to alter our dog-walking routines a bit. In winter, we can happily walk on the verges of our local 'main' road, where we are likely to see fewer than half a dozen cars in a two-mile walk. However - this evening, I was jumping out of the road every few seconds as another scenery-gazing visitor in a brand new rental car whooshed past far too close to us. The visitors seem not to offer pedestrians the courtesy of slowing, or giving a bit of space.

No worries - we can adapt. We have our 'secret spots'...!

Holm
Located about one mile from The Storr - which is one of Skye's most-visited natural features.
Here, on a beautiful day in mid-summer 2014, I walked all day without seeing another person.