Now, I hear you already…’you can’t possibly do Skye AND Kyle of Lochalsh in two days, especially without a car’! And I would not disagree with you! But I could get there by public transport (easily from Inverness where I’m currently staying) and spend two days seeing as much in that area as I could and have a great time doing it! Plus, my accommodation at the Raigmore hospital isn’t the most inspiring place and I didn’t really fancy spending the weekend with my door slamming flatmates so I thought I’d go out and explore instead.
I wasn’t actually planning to write anything about my trip but I went on my own and writing in my journal, which isn’t something I often do, came naturally during some of the quieter moments. I also took a fair few pictures! …This is what I wrote…
22nd February 2020
So, I’m on Skye! I got the two and a half hour train here from Inverness which must be THE most beautiful train journey I’ve ever been on. It started out quite sedately – a few nice rivers and rolling hills but before an hour in it transformed into something more dramatic. It probably helped add to the drama in that it had snowed on the high ground and was still trying. The weather flipped between sun to rain to snow to sun again to hail! I stared out of the window the whole time, sometimes it didn’t even click that my music had stopped.
Once I’d reached Kyle of Lochalsh I ran to the bank to get some hard cash. It didn’t seem super clever to go to an island without any (even an island with a bridge) and with that hard cash I ran into a wool shop because I managed to leave my super warm gloves at home and I was going to need something more for the West coast weather. Now fully prepared I found the bus stop and went across to Skye. I was buzzing! The bus journey was much shorter than I expected but very pretty.
I was staying in Broadford so that’s where I got off (funnily enough) – in hindsight I might’ve gone further up to Portree or Uig but without knowing how I’d feel after a week of work or how long it would take me to get anywhere, the middle of the island seemed like a safe bet.
Straight away I headed to Irishman’s point (Rubh an Eireannaich) – in the end I wasn’t actually sure what ‘the point’ was! The walk was lovely though. I saw loads of hooded crows, a couple of redshank but mostly the usual wee brown birds and oystercatchers I’m used to. I had lunch in a really sweet bay whilst the sun was shining and took some pictures. About 10 minutes up the track it was heavy hail! It was brutal! I sheltered behind a little dip in the land with my back to the wind and waited for it to pass.
I carried on for as long as the ‘land’ would let me and then had to turn back along the same path. I hit another hail shower on the way back, this one even worse, and sheltered behind somebodies boat.
I checked into the hotel (The Broadford) and ‘warmed up’. I was pretty warm already to be honest but as soon as I sat down I didn’t want to get up and I didn’t know what I wanted to do next.
Eventually I went back out with the vague thought of looking for otter and watching the sunset. I walked down the road back towards Kyle but it soon became uninspiring. Then I walked back on myself and started down Broadford river but the track quickly petered out leaving me to walk on the road and didn’t fancy that in the fading light dressed all in black. So I walked back to where I’d walked before, towards the harbour. No otter to be seen and no view to a dramatic sunset over the hills. So, I went back to the hotel to dine on instant pot ramen (I wanted to save some money for the bar!).
After dinner I headed to The Gabbro bar (where I wrote the first part of this). Not quite what I expected! If I’m honest I wanted the sanitised, Americanised stereotype; tartan, dark wood and stags. I didn’t want real Scotland/normal life, which in this case, was a fairly normal, faceless sports bar with a limited choice in whisky and drunk rugby fans who would occasionally let out a high pitched scream making the old bar lady grumpy! I wanted to drink my Talisker (made on Skye) and Drambuie (invented on Skye) wrapped in an island fantasy! At one point a dog came in that wasn’t happy to find other dogs in it’s pub. It started fighting and then a drunk girl started ineffectively yelling at the dog, Cesar, to sit. This went on for too long! The Drambiue was better than I remembered (I drank way too many as a teenager with coke). After I left the bar, I got one from the hotel restaurant to take up to my room so I could drink Drambiue and eat crisps in the bath. Classy. Incidentally the hotel restaurant did deliver the Scottish fantasy…if only I’d known that earlier!
23rd February 2020
Got up early so I could eat lots of breakfast (French toast with bacon and maple syrup plus a starter of muesli and yoghurt with lots of coffee. I also stole a banana!) before catching one of the only buses to Kyle that day.
Once in Kyle I wrapped up against the rain and headed to ‘The Plock’. I had pretty low expectations but it was much bigger and prettier than I thought it would be. A lot of it skirted the coast so I looked for otter (didn’t see any). I did however see a golden eagle which I almost missed because I was texting my dad!
I headed to a place called Hector’s Bothy about midday for a sit down and coffee and cake. I wasn’t quite sure what to do next but I had a quick look at the map and a google and decided to walk out along the path the Balmacara for 45 minutes and then head back so I could make the only train of the day.
Once I found the path there was a signpost to Scalpaigh burn (which is spelled differently on the map) and thought ‘well I can definitely make that’ – once I got there, there was a signpost to ‘’Loch Scalpaigh ½ mile’’ and I thought ‘hmm, pushing it but I’ll get a tab on’. Made it! Just! I made better time on the way back so was able to take another quick track for some good views over the bay. As with the Plock the walk was far prettier than I anticipated. I really enjoyed myself.
Made it back on time for the train and managed to sit on the opposite side for different views. So.Many.Deer! I made a little mark in my journal every time I saw one and by the time it became too dark to see I’d marked for 93 red deer! Mental.
Anyway, so I had a great weekend. For the next one I’ve hired a car to explore around Loch Ness and I’m staying in a shepherd’s hut just North of Drumnadrochit. I honestly cannot wait!
In A Kingdom By The Sea 
Scotland is the best! I can’t wait to go back to the Isle of Skye one day!
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