Day Two: Isle Of Skye
falling in a river
I woke to a Scottish scene more classic than yesterdays glorious sunshine, it was grey and very wet. I lingered in my tent with some Earl Grey tea, hopeful the rain might pause long enough for me to pack up camp.
Sure enough the rain broke, I packed up and headed towards the path of rocks leading across the river. I had camped on a tiny island in the middle of a river, however, the rock path was not as easy to traverse in the wet. The rocks were seriously slippery and on morning legs it was risky. I felt comfortable with the extra support of my hiking poles and went for it. As I approached half way, I slipped and in slow motion sunk into waist deep, very cold water. I stood for a moment in the river, shocked and thinking how glad I was to have a waterproof pack.
So there I was, standing in the middle of the river at 8am. You really just never know how a day is going to go. This was not the ideal way to begin a day, but makes for a great story and I learned a really valuable lesson. In a rush to exit the river as quickly as possible…I went back to the side from whence I came. Back to the island, stranding myself. I probably spent the next half hour walking the perimeter of the island hoping to find another way across the river. I found nothing.
My only option was to try the same slippery path again. I did and made it across without trouble.
aND THEN, i WENT TO THE QUIRARING BUT COULDN’T SEE THEM…
Yesterday...
Today...
The flodigarry trail head + car park
I had plans to spend the day hiking in the Quiraring, a lush landscape of high cliffs and plateaus both offering epic views on a clear day. You can see the cliffs and plateau in the photograph above. Since I was to the east of The Quiraing I figured I would try and hitch a ride to the Flodigarry car park and trail head. From there I figured I would walk southwest, through the landscape to the car park on the other side.
Very wet from my failed river crossing, I stood out on the main road with a thumb out and was very quickly picked up by an older German pair. They happily dropped me off at the Flodigarry trail head where I took a moment to put on my trusty rain pants and jacket before trotting down the trail.
Unfortunately, the landscape around me was completely concealed by very low grey clouds. It was beautiful, misty and dramatic, but as I gained a little elevation I climbed into the clouds themselves. It was very wet and with no views, I turned around after maybe just 45 minutes.
Sometimes bailing because of weather makes me feel not hardcore enough, but if you can’t see the landscape then I guess it is fair to abandon ship.
I went to find a bothy instead
Duntulm Castle + Rubha Hunish + The lookout Bothy
Im not sure why but I was expecting there to be more of a castle, but this was all that was left. I had hitched a ride with an American couple who were moseying around, but after mentioning this castle they seemed very excited about a good old Scottish castle, aren’t we all? I felt their slight disappointment as well as we walked from the car down the short lane to these ruins.
Really though, green rolling hills dotted with sheep are never disappointing. That would be blasphemy to the Northern Irish half of myself.
The Scottish Bothy is a magical, sometimes illusive thing. A mountain hut or refuge by account, but the name Bothy better portrays their coziness. This one here built in 1928 is called The Lookout, positioned a few meters away from the clifftop above Rubba Hunish, the northern most tip of Skye. On a fantastic day, the window’s of this Bothy would gift epic views and maybe even some whale watching on an autumn’s day.
I had planned on spending the night here. Bothy’s are open to anyone, though it is first come first served and sometimes the most sought after requiring booking in advance. If there was space I fancied a night in The Lookout, however, I was earlier than expected having anticipated it was a farther hike from the main road and it was too early in the day to stop moving quite yet.
It is just 1.5 miles from the main road and a well defined path leads the way at a very slight incline.
Instead I brought out my lunch and ate my sandwich in the company of a German woman who was already in the Bothy when I arrived. We spoke for a while, then she left and I just hung out for a while, getting warm. As I was leaving a few fellas showed up and down the trail a bit I met another man who looked like he might have just hiked The Skye Trail - a 80 mile (128 km) long trail traveling the length of Skye. This Bothy makes either the end of the beginning of this trail.
This is Rubba Hunish, the most northern tip of the Isle of Skye. I meant to take the little trail down to walk along this epic piece of land, but for some reason I forgot and after leaving the Bothy headed straight back to the main road.
Sometimes timing works out so nicely though, and as I stood on the main road with my thumb out, in a sprinkle of rain and gusts of wind, a young German couple scooped me up out of the cold. They were on a long awaited Scottish holiday and as we drove along the coast, we listened to a Spotify playlist they had crafted especially for their drives around Skye. They very kindly delivered me to my next location.
A VILLAGE CALLED UIG
SANCTUARY at the cowshed Hostel
Back in the Bothy, the German woman I had shared lunch with had told me she was staying in a hostel called the Cow Shed. Feeling a bit chilled, having began the day falling into a river, I decided I would treat myself to a hot shower and warm bed.
The Cowshed is a beautiful hostel in the village of Uig, a very unique name indeed. I was given a very warm welcome by two lovely ladies behind the reception, and promptly shown to the dorm room. Once settled in I headed straight to the showers. Then I sat in the very cozy living room accompanied by several cups of tea and appreciated being out of the rain.
Good Night.