Isle of Skye

More specifically, greetings from Stornoway, Outer Hebrides,
Scotland, UK. Today is day six of the thirteen day tour of
Scotland with Michelle. She arrived last Saturday on an
early flight and we were off and running within the hour.

Day 1: Michelle arrived around 0830 and cleared customs
around 0930. We stopped by the apartment long enough
for me to pick up my luggage and for her to freshen up
and then we were off to Scotland. The drive up took us
by the Lake District and across the Scottish border at the
SW corner. Our first night was spent at the Queensberry
B&B in Moffatt with hosts Paul and Denise. They are retired
school teachers and she makes a great salmon omelette for
breakfast. We spent the afternoon walking around Moffatt,
which was home for a walkers convention that weekend.

Day 2: We drove from Moffatt and through Glasgow to
get to Ardlui the next day. Along the way, we stopped and
toured a local village; walked along the bonnie, bonnie banks
of Loch Lomond; and took a cruise on a tour boat.
Our accommodations that night were at the Ardlui Hotel,
which is located on the very northern tip of Loch Lomond.
The view from our hotel window included the lake and
surrounding mountains. The hotel has a good restaurant
and a decent pub.

Day 3: From Ardlui, we drove to Fort William. This is a
great drive because it takes you over the southern tip
of the highlands. It was a drive interrupted by frequent
stops for Michelle to take pictures. We stopped in Fort
William long enough do some grocery shopping for snacks,
tour the pedestrianized downtown, eat lunch, and check in
at the Glenlochy Guest House. We then drove to Glen Nevis,
strapped on the hiking boots, and started up Ben Nevis.
The weather and the time of day would not allow a climb
to the top, but we walked about an hour and a half before
sitting down to eat our snacks and enjoy the view. That
night we ate at a local restaurant with a few other
American tourists seated not far away.

Day 4: Our destination this day was Portree on the
Isle of Skye. The Isle of Skye is where pagans go when they
die to await admission to the Outer Hebrides for the rest
of eternity. It is SCENIC. Our day included a drive around a
large portion of the southern and central part of the island on
single track roads where the sheep have right of way, a tour
of a castle built on the bank of a sea loch, and many stops for
pictures. In Portree, we checked into the Rosedale Hotel.
The hotel is located right on the harbor front. We walked
around town until the restaurants opened for dinner.
Dinner and dessert were both memorable. Breakfast the
next morning was spent in the hotel dining room overlooking
the harbor.

Day 5: The Outer Hebrides was our destination for the day.
We spent the morning exploring the northern end of the
Isle of Skye (magnificent) before arriving at the ferry
terminal in Uig. While we waited for the ferry, we had
lunch at a proper tea room run by an English couple from
Yorkshire. The ferry left Uig at 1400 and arrived in Tarbert
around 1540. We did not sit down for more than a minute
or two during the entire crossing. The shorelines of the
Isle of Skye and the Outer Hebrides Lewis Island are
cliff lined and spectacular. At the end of the crossing,
we toured the southern and central portion of Lewis Island
before heading up to Stornoway and the Royal Hotel.
Again, the hotel is located on the harbor front and we
have a room facing the harbor. There is one main road
on Lewis Island. It is a two lane road. All other roads are
single lane where sheep have right of way and frequently
exercise it. The landscape here is
surrealistic. It is all about water and rock. Where there
is not water or rock, there is peat. More about peat another time.

Day 6: Today was spent touring the northern end of
Lewis Island. Again, it is all about water, rock, and peat.

Well, luckily for y'all, the library is about to close
and I am being chased away from the keyboard.
More later in the week. I hope this finds all
well where you are.

DWR