Isle of Skye

Skye conjures up romance. It has some of the most dramatic scenery to be found anywhere in the British Isles freighted with Jacobite associations from one of the most romantic episodes in British history. The object of the morning’s coach ride across the island to Portree was to see the scenery and to learn more of the history and in this we were helped by perfect weather, the Red and Black Cuillins resplendent in late summer sunshine. We crossed from Kyle of Lochalsh on the new road bridge that controversially linked the island to the mainland at the narrowest sea passage in 1995. One of the first acts of the newly independent Scottish legislature in 2004 was to abolish the tolls on the bridge. Portree was delightful on market day, its picturesque bay full of yachts and one larger cruise ship. A sizeable proportion of our party had opted to walk in the Cuillins, led by Naturalist Ian Bullock, braving the ferocious Scottish midges (no see ‘ems) to make an ascent of one of the ridge trails.

During lunch we cruised through the Kyle of Lochalsh itself, the word Kyle being an Anglicization of the Gaelic word caol meaning narrows. The tidal race here can add 4.8 knots to the ship’s speed, or slow it down by an equivalent amount depending on the direction of travel. There were sightings of otters and seals, Manx shearwaters and gannets before we arrived at Armadale on the Skye coast. Here, after lunch, we walked to the Clan Donald centre where an excellent museum outlined the history of the Hebrides as the Gaelic clans metamorphosed into the Lordship of the Isles before meeting their fate at Culloden. Konia Tack led a tour of the gardens and Ian Bullock and David Barnes led a walk along the longer of the estate’s nature trails, one which afforded dramatic views over to the mainland at Mallaig.

In the evening we cruised the breath-taking scenery of Loch Nevis before berthing during dinner at Inverie where Britain’s most isolated pub, The Old Forge is happily situated, an obvious destination for a postprandial stroll.