AN EXCITING DAY (posted by Sue)

It is just six months since we lost our very dear friend,

 Rosalind Burgess and those who knew  her

miss her tremendous warmth, gregarious personality

 and lust for life!

Rosalind's wee cottage and her lovely garden!

There are a lot of us left behind and amongst them,

a lovely couple, - Robert and Anne, living on the nearby 

Isle of Soay, south-west of Skye.

I was in contact with them after Rosalind's passing 

and have been doing so ever since and 

recently received an invitation to attend 

'a Book Signing' of Anne's account of life on Soay, - 

'Island on the Edge'  How exciting!!

I duly drove down last Sunday morning through 

THE most amazing scenic route to the appropriate

spot at Elgol Pier.   It was an incredible day and the photos

I took were numerous......!

This is one of the views from my car en-route to Elgol

It was lovely to finally meet up with Anne and Robert

basking in glorious sunshine down by the pier!

They had lots of support from friends and neighbours

and were kept busy throughout the day....

Anne and Robert at Elgol Pier proudly present 

'Island on the Edge' !

After soaking up some sunshine, chatting and

enjoying such a convivial atmosphere I left 

for the journey home clutching five books.

Along the way I encountered just a few lovely panoramas!

The view of The Cuillin from Elgol Pier

 There were similar breathtaking views like this around every corner!

Looking back at Bla Bheinn 

Puffy white clouds and a blue sky frame Beinn na Caillich!

Back in Broadford the weather was still amazing so 

I decided to go for a walk to take in some of the 

more local scenery.....

The view across Broadford Bay from the Co-Op carpark.....

I just love the vivid blue of this beautiful scabious plant!

Just look at that beautiful sky.....

..... and it just gets better and better.

This was taken just before Struan, en-route home to Dunvegan.

A picnic bench with evening views towards MacLeods Tables

And finally:

A spectacular sky above MacLeods Tables about two minutes from 

home at Roskhill......

What a day! :)

Skye Sighs… Peace is Returning !

Now, as each day passes, there are greater gaps appearing between the convoys of camper vans that lumber onto Skye over the bridge. Timid left-hand-driver overseas visitors in their right-hand-drive rental cars are becoming fewer and further between. There are even a few empty spaces in the car park in Portree. Skye and its residents breathe a collective sigh of relief. The summer season is coming to an end.

The powerful promotion of the Scottish Highlands, and Skye in particular, as a tourist destination has been very successful. Year on year our visitor numbers are increasing, and it is a delight to see so many people discovering this most fabulous part of the world. But at what cost?

In ‘our’ part of Skye, we have three natural attractions that have been much promoted on social media with brightly coloured over-photoshopped images. These are the Fairy Pools, the Coral Beach and Neist Point. All lie at or near the end of several miles of single track road. The car parks at each of them are tiny, and there are no other facilities such as shops, cafes or toilets. Just about every visitor heads for one or all of these locations, with the result being blocked roads with damaged verges, and damage to some of the rental cars and camper vans too. It is hard to imagine how a visit to a crowded and muddy ‘scenic’ location is going to leave a visitor with the best impression of what they have seen.

For me, the silence and solitude on Skye is a big part of the island’s magic. Somehow, Skye needs to find a balance between providing for the numbers of summer visitors without spoiling the wild and ethereal beauty of the landscape. It would be good if fewer visitors came in July and August, and more came in winter. November to March, Skye is empty of visitors, but the scenery is still here! Sure, the daylight hours are shorter, and it‘s a bit colder, but rain is not much more likely, and there will probably be snow on the hills which adds to the majesty of every scene. Some of the touristy shops will be closed – but consider that a bonus! The canny folk see Skye at its sparkling best by visiting in April/May or October.

Plans are in place to provide visitor facilities and larger car parks at one or two popular Skye attractions, but I would hate to see our single track roads being widened, visitor centres created, and over-commercialism kill the essence of this lovely land – though for now at least, I know plenty of spectacular secret and virtually unvisited locations to sneak off to while the crowding tourists fight for a parking place at one of the more congested spots.

Away Day

... almost two days in fact. We booked Cupar into the kennels for the night, and set off east - the west coast is too busy with tourists at this time of year! I had booked a B&B in Elgin, but we spent most of day one in Burghead and Lossiemouth. We have never visited these places before, and found plenty to keep us occupied as we explored the streets and harbours. It was pleasing to find a number of information plaques which explained a bit about some local history and places of interest.

Later, we arrived in Elgin to check in to our B&B and have an evening meal in the town. Next morning, we had a fairly brief wander through the town centre, and also walked round the ruins of the massive cathedral. We probably spent most time in the beautiful Biblical Garden. This features many of the plants which are mentioned in the Bible, together with plaques giving Bible quotes mentioning plants. The garden is beautifully maintained. It is a community project, managed by Moray Council.

Next week, I make one of my regular trips south, staying in Devon and Hampshire, visiting friends and family, but this time, Sue and Cupar will be staying home.

Heading east

Burghead village

It was a bit breezy...

Burghead Harbour

Old Harbour - Lossiemouth

Former fishermen's cottages in Seatown, Lossiemouth

Lossiemouth has a wonderful beach, accessed by a footbridge

Sue at Elgin Cathedral

Elgin - The Biblical Garden

Inside the Biblical Garden

What Do We Wear On Skye?

 I will shortly be making another of my regular trips south, to visit friends and family in Devon and Hampshire. Every time I go, even in summer, I carefully pack my bag with jumpers, waterproofs and woolly hat… and seldom if ever wear any of them. I’ve become so used to our weather here, that I kind-of assume it’s the same everywhere else in the UK.

Only yesterday, I came across a question from a lady who is about to visit Skye in August for the first time, asking what clothing she should be bringing with her. Good question! Glancing at the way many of the visitors are dressed – they clearly didn’t think to ask that question before they packed!

Daytime summer temperatures here can be as low as 13C or as high as 26C (possibly all within the same day…) so wearing layers is good. Just because it is a bright sunny morning, doesn’t necessarily mean it won’t be windy and wet by the afternoon, so be prepared for anything! Personally, I prefer to keep my arms and legs covered in all weathers, as biting insects seem to like my flesh – so there are no shorts in my wardrobe!

Obviously, it depends a bit on what you are going to be doing, but for any trip which involves being outside for any length of time, you are likely to need protection against rain. Since our rain is very often accompanied by gusty winds (60 mph winds are not uncommon, even in summer…) then an umbrella is not a lot of use. Likewise, poncho-style rainwear is not very wind-friendly. The ideal is a lightweight, zipped, waterproof jacket with fitted hood, which can be worn just over a shirt when warm enough, or maybe over a jumper or fleece if chilly. Waterproof trousers (or over-trousers) are also essential to have with you if you are going to be outside for long. The woolly hat can be good when it is windy – at least it helps keep your hair out of your eyes!

Footwear? Anywhere off a tarmac or gravel surface is likely to be soggy, so shoes should be well-fitting, stout and waterproof.  Wellies are not comfortable for walking. Full hiking boots are only necessary if you are doing any serious trekking. Also – you won’t need gloves in summer unless you are going high into the hills, and I wouldn’t recommend doing that if you are not fully conversant with hill walking in Scotland.

Evening-wear can be the same as day-wear – certainly in the pubs and eating places that we frequent. There’s not much formality on Skye, though you might feel like putting on a bit of sparkle if you are dining in one of the posher restaurants.

I hope this post may be useful to some of our visitors – come prepared, and enjoy Skye in all of its moods!