Itinerary followed throughout Scotland

Stirling - Linlithgow - Edinburgh - Oban - Glencoe - Fort William - Eilean Donan - Skye Island - Plockton - Strathpeffer Highland Games - Loch Ness - Inverness - Western Ross - Fort George - Glasgow

In order to accede to the island with the car it is necessary to cross a bridge located at Kyle of Lochalsh and to pay a toll.
This island has one of the most amazing landscapes of Great Britain.
The relief may be either abrupt or mild and undulating. It was like moving through the edge of the world, since we were the only tourists around there. At dusk the colours and the atmosphere are magic. The landscapes are so will that a sensation of absolute calm and liberty invades your body.

Farmers who cultivated the land, bred the livestock and fished inhabited the island. After the Culloden's defeat, the inhabitants helped Bonnie Prince Charlie to escape, so both the Highlands and the island suffered the English reprisal. Nowadays fewer people live here, although they expect to increase it in a repopulating attempt.

From the bridge to the capital Portree we needed around 45 min. by car. The city has a precious port with small houses painted in colours. The spot is charming and it keeps many nice restaurants.
The most wonderful part is located to the north from Portree, the Trotternish Peninsula . Here the roads are so narrow that only a car can circulate. Every certain distance the road widens to let two cars crossing. The lambs walked and crossed the roads with an absolute calm.
We passed near Storr , a big stone 50 m. high that seems to be planted there. We reached the Kilt Rock , a waterfall that falls sharply parallel to the cliffs into the sea.

Afterwards it came a magnificent wild bay, the Staffin Bay .
We advanced solitaries through incredible desert stunning landscapes .

The island (and in general the western region of Scotland ) are proud of their Celtic past and the panels show the information in English and Celtic languages.

At the occidental side of Scotland there are fewer persons that speak Gaelic, the language of the Celtics that settled in Scotland. It is related to other Celtic languages: Irish, Briton or Welsh. In United Kingdom they are trying by all means to keep this language through TV programs, music, etc. There are numerous folk festivals where the Celtic music is the main dish.

Later on the ancient Duntulm's castle atmosphere impressed us. It is a ruined stronghold and there is a child's ghost (who fell through a window) wandering.
In Scotland there are many legends of ghosts, and every owner of a castle or residence with such a tenant is proud and he will tell that to everyone. These stories are another addition to the mystery that envelops the Scottish lands. The true is that Duntulm, in ruins and dominating the wide sea, is located at an escenario that contributes strongly to this sort of stories.

This fortress was Pict's feud and afterwards the clans MacLeod and MacDonald alternated in it. Finally the second one occupied it in 1539.

There is a funny anecdote about the island. The clans of MacLeod and MacDonald discussed about who was the island owner, so they rush into the ships and sailed to Skye in a race. Since near the sand both ships continued parallel, a MacDonald member cut his hand and threw it to the land.

We followed the road until Uig , a small Scottish village of disperse white houses; and so we passed across the Fairy Glen , low hills with a perfect conical shape that doesn't seem natural.

At our return we were looking for a Bed and Breakfast near the road, as we had been told that it was an easy task. However, despite there were many, all of them were complete. Maybe it was because of the weekend. Anyway we didn't find accommodation, so we finished in a hotel at Kyle of Lochalsh, the last double room available, and paying twice the average amount that we had paid during our stay in Scotland. At least the views from our window were magnificent.

Amazed after Skye we hesitated about either visiting the western part of the island or continuing towards the Highlands . We chose the second option because we had had to pay again the toll and to drive for another 45 min. until Portree (and 45 min. back). We missed the astonishing landscapes, the Dunvegan's castle, seat of the clan MacLeod, the Neist Point, the impacting Cuillings' mountains..The Skye island requires of one entire day or even more to drive through both the North and the West (half day for each of them), as well as a visit to Portree or the Cuillings.