Claire's Highland Fling 3rd Leg - Tobermory to Uig, Isle of Skye

Sunday 1st June

      We travelled to Tobermory to catch the ferry to Kilchoan.  Tobermory is famed for its colourful houses which we just about all we saw.   The ferry crossing was fine and we went up on deck. We arrived at Kilchoan on the Ardnamurchan Peninsula (most westerly point on the British Mainland).  Previously, we'd had problems finding somewhere to stay here but I found a lovely spot at Kentra Bay.  It was situated almost on the beach and it reminded me of Appledore in Devon.  It was really idyllic.We were the only motorhome at the site and we were able to park right at the foreshore overlooking the mud flats. It was idyllic. 

    In the afternoon,  I took myself off for a bike ride in search of the Singing Sands while Mike wanted to explore the bay and maybe get some razor clams.  Such a lovely peaceful ride. I only saw 2 people and 2 dogs.  The track took me through forestry land so many tree stumps and massive log piles.  At the top of this hill or brae, I saw the long sweeping downhill stretch, which I knew I'd have to come back up, so decided to turn back.  I'm kicking myself now of course but at the time I didn't realise how close I was to the Singing Sands.  I still clocked up 10.5 miles though.

     That evening, we sat looking out whilst the tide came in and we saw an otter darting around in the water. We must have been watching until 11.15 and it was still light!  It is such a beautiful spot that you forget time. It was with a heavy heart that we left the following day.  It's magical place and I wouldn't mind coming back.

Monday 2nd June

    We've seen many sheep on the hill sides but here we've seen many black sheep grazing on the grass banks around the mud flats. They have very straggly wool which is falling off their backs in a very random fashion. 
    We travelled up to Fort William today.  On the way there, we passed the Glen Finnan viaduct made famous by the Harry Potter films.  It was mobbed with everyone parking up in the most inappropriate places.  All trying to catch a glimpse of some steam engine chuffing through.

    We were able to get onto the site in the shadow of Ben Nevis early so we're able to get some washing done. The machines were like the ones now seen at petrol stations and were very expensive - £30 for our 2 wash loads but everything was done within the hour.

    We cheered ourselves up by getting on our bikes and cycling, again part way along a designated cycle track, to Fort William.  There isn't a great deal there.  Touristy shops and plenty of tartan for sale.  However we did see a model of a Model T Ford with Henry Alexander who drove it up to the summit of Ben Nevis in 1911.

 

   We were knackered when we got back so restful evening.  That night, however, the fridge started playing up and every now and again would sound an alarm - and there was nothing we could do to stop it!  Until the morning that is when Mike turned it to gas (why didn't we think of that during the night).  The alarm seems to have been sorted by increasing the temp then reducing it again.  Why?  Who knows. Mike thinks that it's a relay on the circuit board but nothing that we can fix now.

Tuesday 3rd 

Chillout day, just sorting things out and shopping.

Wednesday 4th

    We woke up to snow on Ben Nevis!  I thought it was a little cold during the night. 

It was a ffffffreezing last night

        Set off for Kyle of Lochalsh then onto the Isle of Skye over the Skye Bridge.  

    First impressions are not great.  Mountains of course and rain, which hides a lot.  We did see a rock with a model dinosaur standing proud on the top though.  That bought a smile to our faces. 
    We stopped on a site at Uig right next to the ferry terminal.  It is quite a large site and the vans are certainly packed in.  There were 25 vans, 2 tents and 1 caravan on our first night, nearly all of which left the following morning only to be replaced the following day with more.  The site owner must be making a fortune during the summer months.
    We went down to the pub for a meal on our first night. The meal was quite good then we headed into the bar.  There is a Skye Brewery here so we partook of a few pints then I wanted to try a Malt whisky.  The barman (the only Scottish person we spoke to) suggested a Tamdhu which, I must say was rather nice (I had 2).
    Mike challenged me to a game of Pool. We had the best of 3 (Mike won) then a game of darts (I won). Then the barman challenged me to a game of pool (he won). It was a really good evening!

Thursday 5th

    The morning started off with heavy rain so I settled in to some knitting.  Then the sun came out!  So we got out our bikes and cycled to find the Fairy Glen.  It was up, up, up hill. Mike's battery started playing up so I left him and found the glen.  

    There was a carpark then footpaths, which seemed to go on forever.  I took a few photos then walked back.  I didn't find the famous picture that depicts the Fairy Glen but Mike had mentioned that it was a tourist company who encouraged tourists to put stones in (fairy) rings which isn't very natural at all so I'm not too disappointed.  Down hill cycle and back home!

Friday 6th June

    Sunshine! I took myself off for a walk to Uig Woodland walk while Mike did the laundry. It was 1 mile to the start of the woodland walk, then 0.1 to the top to see the beautiful waterfall on the river Rha.  Not far at all but it was a lovely walk and I could smell Ransoms!  I love Ransoms - a lovely garlicky smell.  The ones here are smaller than at home and have a faint smell but still lovely. 
    On the way back - I saw a Golden Eagle!  

It's just above the cloud

This is it, zoomed in, being mobbed by a buzzard?

    That's 5 of the big six - red deer, seal, dolphin, otter - only need a whale now.  I'm listening to a cuckoo in the background as I'm writing this!  There can't be many places where you have a cuckoo and snow in the same month.  It was Mike's habit of shaving his beard off when he heard his first cuckoo of the year and stop shaving when he saw the first frost.  He wouldn't know what to do now!