My two-part post on the 2007 tour of the Hebrides now becomes three parts
with this side trip from North Uist to and from the famous Isle of Skye --
one of the homelands of my ancestors.
The Isle of Skye can be reached from more directions than any other island in the Hebrides. For us, this meant taking a side detour from the outer islands via the Calmac ferry from Lochmaddy in North Uist "over the sea to Skye" to Uig on the northernmost peninsula of Skye thus arriving on the island from the west. The voyage lasts 1 hour 45 minutes.
This route is served by one ship, sailing from Uig alternately to Lochmaddy and to Tarbert in Harris, at 1 hour 40 minutes sailing time the shortest sea route to travel to or from the Outer Hebrides. During the voyage, you get an early introduction to the rocky coastal scenery of Skye even before you land on the pier. Skye is an island with an unusually mixed geological history, and the wildly diverse scenery reflects that fact.
Already there are the typical hallmarks of the landforms in the northernmost peninsula of Skye, which is called Trotternish: steep slopes alternating with vertical cliff faces, and with rock segmented into separated spires and pinnacles on occasion.
As you drive away from the pier on the A87, Skye's "main street," the road circles the bay and climbs the hillside, where a pullout gives a good panoramic view of the village, pier, and ferry. The harbour village of Uig typifies the Hebridean or Highland small community -- the houses well spread out, with ample room from each one to the next, not crammed close together as in more heavily populated regions.
The A87 runs all the way down the island to the eastern end where the Skye Bridge carries the road over to the mainland just west of Kyle of Lochalsh, for its continuing journey east to the Great Glen. There, you can continue via the A82 either north to Inverness or south to Fort William and on through Glencoe and Loch Lomond to Glasgow. Here's an internet photo of the Skye Bridge, taken from Kyleakin in Skye.
August Schwerdfeger photo.
The bridge connects across the island on the right in the photo, Eilean Ban, to a low viaduct which completes the journey to the mainland. The word "kyle" refers to a very narrow strait between two land masses, connecting two different sections of the ocean. The waterway at Kyle of Lochalsh itself is only 500 metres wide, and was for centuries the site of a ferry crossing. Even when the ferries shuttled back and forth every 15-20 minutes and each held 60 or more vehicles, there could still be immense lineups in summer that took hours to get through.The impetus to construct the bridge might seem obvious -- but it was stoutly resisted by many islanders who feared that the Isle of Skye's traditional way of life would be irreparably disrupted. The exact same arguments were advanced in Canada against the construction of the Confederation Bridge linking Prince Edward Island to the mainland. Both P.E.I. and Skye seem to have weathered the "disruption" just fine, as far as I could tell after visiting each of them both before and after.
However, this bridge was constructed by a private consortium which was given the authority to charge tolls. There was an ongoing controversy over the tolls, with many islanders refusing to pay and being charged and tried in court. During these legal cases, it came out that the ferry crews had in many cases not been collecting tolls for the sea crossing from the local residents. The debate lasted for many years until the authority over roads was transferred from Westminster to the Scottish Parliament. Then, the bridge consortium was bought out by the Scottish Ministers and the tolls were immediately lifted.
The third main access point to the island is the popular ferry crossing from Mallaig on the mainland to Armadale. For those not travelling by car, there is rail service to both Kyle of Lochalsh (from Inverness) and Mallaig (from Glasgow), with connecting bus services into Skye. Both are among the most spectacularly scenic rail journeys to be found in the UK.
Here's a map of the Isle of Skye to show the main roads and focal points.
Base map contains Ordnance Survey data © Crown copyright and database right
The complex road network becomes a bit easier when you notice the two main junctions of Broadford and Portree. Sooner or later, every road will feature a sign pointing you towards one of those two key spots!
Although Skye is well-provided with places to stay, they can often be all filled up during the summer, as this island is one of the most popular holiday spots in Scotland. Advance reservations, as in the Outer Hebrides, are essential during peak season! The B&B where we stayed was placed about halfway along the A87 from Uig to Portree, and gave a us a comfortable room, a spectacular breakfast of scrambled eggs and local smoked salmon in generous portions, and a beautiful view out the front over the sea loch which extends inland from Uig, Loch Snizort. Why does that name always give me the urge to shout "Gesundheit!"?
Although there are highland and mountain areas all over the Isle of Skye, it is the Cuillin in the centre of the island which gives the most dramatic scenery -- if you can see it.
Although often referred to in the past by the laconic description "Cuillin Hills," these jagged peaks are true mountains in every sense of the word, soaring straight up from the ocean to the highest peak, Sgurr Alasdair, at 992 metres (3255 feet). Here's an internet photo to give an idea of what they look like when they aren't busy generating their own weather due to the sudden and hefty elevation difference.
Dunvegan Castle photo.
There are actually two different ranges, the Black Cuillin (the more westerly) shown here and in the foggy photo above, and the Red Cuillin to the east. The names accurately reflect the completely different rock types of the two ranges.
Here's another view, a real close-up, to reveal the jagged nature of the Black Cuillin's peaks. This isn't so much walking country as it is scrambling country (as it's known in Britain) and you have to be a dedicated, skilled, experienced scrambler to tackle any part of the Black Cuillin, especially the traverse along the crest line of the entire range. One or two of the peaks are only accessible with full rock-climbing training and gear.
Adrian Pingstone photo.
Aside from views from the roads to the north and west, the other highway-accessible spot to view the Black Cuillin is the village of Elgol. The drive from Broadford to Elgol is itself one of the most dramatic roads in Skye, with views of the outlying Cuillin peaks Bla Bheinn and Garbh Bheinn along the route -- and then the panorama of the main range of the Black Cuillin across the water from the Elgol pier. I drove that road on my first visit to Skye, back in the 1990s, and while the views of Bla Bheinn and Garbh Bheinn were spectacular, the Black Cuillin range was -- as usual -- hidden in clouds.
The Black Cuillin is part of the largest single estate on Skye, the estate of Dunvegan Castle, traditional home of the Chieftain of Clan MacLeod (MacLeod of Harris, that is; MacLeod of Lewis and MacLeod of Raasay have their own Chieftains). Dunvegan is an intriguing combination of medieval fortress and manor house, and is open to the public. On the road there from Portree, you see some intriguing views of the southwest sea coast, replete with grazing sheep scattered across the green slopes.
You also see a couple of small flat-topped hills, of which there are a fair number in this area.
A mile north of the village of Dunvegan is the Castle. As well as the main building, there are extensive gardens with seasonal flower displays -- if the rain lets up long enough to let you enjoy them (it didn't on this occasion).
With a little help from the internet, here's a photo of the more dramatic water side of the castle, lording it over Loch Dunvegan from its rocky crag. Funny how everyone else except me seems to find sunny days to tour around the Hebrides.
Pam Brophy photo.
The exhibits in the castle include significant clan artifacts, and especially the legendary Fairy Flag, which is said to have the property to save the clan from disaster three times (a good magical number). As any experienced traveller normally expects, the self-guided walking tour through the castle conveniently ends in the gift shop. I was quite tickled on my first visit here to recognize the cashier in the shop. It was the 29th Chieftain, John MacLeod of MacLeod, in full tartan dress, taking patrons' money and giving change and receipts. At the time, I thought it was a cool marketing idea. Many years later, I learned that lean times and a dwindling financial base may have been a more likely explanation.
Although I've been the first in my family at many of the places I've visited, Dunvegan wasn't one of them. My parents were here before me. My mother was a clan member, and actually an unusual one since she had a foothold in both main branches -- her mother and father were both named MacLeod (although with different spellings from the official clan titles, and from each other), with her father a MacLeod of Raasay (a subdivision of MacLeod of Lewis) and her mother a MacLeod of Harris. In visiting places from my family history, I have now been 4 times in all to Aberdeen and three times to Fraserburgh, the heart of Stephen land, and twice to Dunvegan. However, I've yet to set foot on Raasay, easily reached by ferry from Sconser, between Portree and Broadford -- a definite piece of unfinished business.
My parents' visit to Dunvegan occurred during the later years of the four-decade Chieftainship of Dame Flora MacLeod of MacLeod, the 28th Chieftain, who did so much to raise awareness and build links among descendants of the clan in many different countries. Dame Flora also opened Dunvegan Castle to visitors as a way of raising money to maintain the estate. She was among the earliest landowners in Scotland to take this step, which many others have now followed.
A side note: many of the historic sites, monuments, ruins, and stately homes and castles in Scotland are owned or at least managed and maintained by The National Trust for Scotland (NTS). Visitors will quickly become accustomed to the distinctive brown road signs with the stylized oval thistle logo giving direction and distance to the properties under NTS stewardship (including Dunvegan Castle). Here's an example from the Corrieshalloch Gorge near Ullapool.
Across Loch Dunvegan from the Castle, to the west and southwest, are the two biggest flat-top hills in Skye, Healabhal Mhor and Healabhal Bheag, collectively known as "MacLeod's Tables." Thanks to cloudy, misty weather, I have yet to see them personally (sigh). By the way, don't let the appearance of those Gaelic names fool you. The adjective "bheag" may resemble the English "big" but it actually means "small." "Mhor" means "big". To completely confuse the issue, Healabhal Mhor appears smaller in this photo.
Andy Malcolm photo.
From Dunvegan, you can complete a circle tour and head back to Portree. As the island's centre of local government and its largest centre of population, Portree is considered the "capital" of Skye. Here you can find a good assortment of accommodations -- including self-catering apartments for those wishing to make longer stays -- plus shops and restaurants.
The view across the bay at Portree gives another dramatic Skye landscape.
Like the more famous example at Tobermory on the Isle of Mull, Portree also features some colourful painted houses along the waterfront.
The third and final group of scenic highlights in Skye are found by driving north from Portree along the A855 on a circle tour of Trotternish. Since we'd already driven south from Uig on arrival, it was a sensible step to complete the circle on the way back to Uig for the return ferry to Lochmaddy.
Driving up the east shore of Trotternish brings you into a different geological environment, up close and personal with the cliffs, slopes, and pinnacles that we observed from the arriving ferry. This strange sequence of landforms is in large part the result of successive landslip events, as sizable portions of the island have, over the eons, sheared away and slid down into the ocean below. This in turn demonstrates that the rock here is much more fragmented and collapsible in nature.
One of the main sights is the hill called Storr. Notice how the mist completely swallowed the summit in the few minutes it took me to drive from the site of the first photo to the site of the second.
Also completely obscured in the mist was the large and distinctive rock pinnacle called The Old Man of Storr. I'd seen it, or perhaps half-seen it, on my first visit but not this time. But there is no shortage of smaller pinnacles and breakaway portions to be seen in the second photo above.
More of the same can be seen almost anywhere you point a camera along this road.
Two of the most distinctive sights happen in quick succession on the right-hand side -- the ocean side -- of the road. The first is the Falls of Lealt.
Then, a short distance further along, you come to the signs and parking area for Kilt Rock.
The resemblance of the flutings in the rock face to the pleats of a kilt is unmistakable. Looking the other way from the viewpoint shows a whole sequence of similar formations, although none are quite so cleanly symmetrical.
Continuing north, the road cuts across the northernmost part of the peninsula to the west side, where you pass through the village of Duntulm and then come upon the dramatically situated ruins of Duntulm Castle. This medieval castle was once a stronghold of the MacLeod of Lewis, and later passed to the MacDonalds.
There's a good but steep walking path from the parking area down the hill and across the stream and then up the even steeper far side to the castle on its rocky crag.
Coming down the west side, a valuable re-creation of life in older times is found at the Skye Museum of Island Life, housed in a small collection of black houses. The name "black house," by the way, doesn't refer to the outside colour but rather to the way that smoke from the peat fires would colour and coat all of the interior.
Just a short distance up the side road here is the grave of Flora MacDonald.
When the road takes a couple of sharp zigzags down a sizable hill, you know that you've arrived at the end of the tour in Uig. A right turn at the end of the A855 brings you in another minute to the ferry terminal. If you're lucky, you can enjoy some placid reflections on the water from out on deck as you wait for the ship to set sail back to the Outer Hebrides.
Helpful Hints:
[1] Weather: "If you don't like the weather, wait ten minutes." That's the most famous gem of Scottish wisdom on this subject. Here's a less-known but even more pertinent one. "If you look out from the west coast and you can see the Isle of Skye, that means it's going to rain. If you look out from the west coast and you can't see the Isle of Skye, that means it's raining already." I'm sure I am not the only person who would have preferred better weather during my two visits. But what can you do? Dress in weatherproof layers and keep your fingers crossed.
[2] Places to Stay
There are many in all parts of the island, but if you want to stay in just one spot and use it as a hub, the advantages of being in or near Portree are obvious. Note, however, that an accommodation many miles away from Portree may be listed in tourism websites as "by Portree," a term which is about as flexible as a description of distance can get. Use an online map source to double-check exact location before reserving.
[3] Walking/Hiking
Skye has perhaps the widest range of hiking possibilities in the entire Hebrides, ranging from easy level prepared paths to rugged, rock-strewn scrambles such as the Black Cuillin. It's an excellent idea to consult one of the detailed websites geared to hikers and climbers, and get some feedback from them before venturing out. Be aware, too, that the clear-looking streams you see tumbling down the hills may very well be contaminated with sheep and cattle feces. Bring your own water supply with you -- a good rule for hiking anywhere in the Highlands and Islands, and for the same reason.
[4] Reservations
The importance of making advance reservations for accommodations or campsites, and for ferry travel if necessary, cannot be overestimated -- especially in summer.
[5] Sundays
Some of the more rural areas of Skye may still face Sunday closures. If you will be driving around on Sunday, be sure to top up with petrol in Portree or Broadford before venturing further afield -- just to be on the safe side. It was a service station in Broadford which saved my bacon when I arrived on a Sunday evening in the 1990s from the Isle of Mull via Mallaig and Armadale, with my hired car running on fumes. There was not one single gas station open on Sunday in Mull -- anywhere. Perhaps today there would be.
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