Isle of Skye

Last weekend, I took a trip I've been meaning to take for a year now. I can now say that this must be the most important trip I made this past year.

This post barely includes any food and you will see why. When in Skye, it is your soul that you feed, enveloped in unprecedented beauty.

So, it just occurred to me late on Friday night, and I really couldn't find a reason why I shouldn't do it. At that moment, I decided that I should under no circumstances further postpone it, so on Saturday morning I was on my way, eyes full of dreamy excitement and wondering what I would witness once there. Skye is a place I had heard so much about and, to be honest, you have to see it for yourself to understand. Not even the most eloquent stories could have prepared me for what I witnessed and experienced. A few photos in this post might transfer some of its magic to you, but I really hope one day you see it in person.

I said goodbye to Glasgow early in the morning, as I had a long way ahead - Skye is located roughly 230 miles northwest of Glasgow. It was particularly quiet and foggy that morning - I hadn't seen that much fog in Glasgow in a year I've spent here.

The scenery was extraordinary all the way up to the Highlands. First stop: Loch Lomond. Loch Lomond crosses the Highland Boundary Fault and it's the largest loch in Scotland by surface area.

Breathtaking view of the loch with the funniest name: Loch Tulla - near Glencoe

Next, we stopped at Glencoe to admire the Three Sisters, lying in the heart of Bidean nam Bian in the old county of Argyll. Lovely place to hike and inhale the crisp autumn air.

I saw gorgeous blackhead sheep on the way, blissfully grazing on emerald fields.

In a small stop at Fort William, I seized the opportunity to visit a lovely sweet shop. If you find yourselves in Fort William, do visit Waltons traditional sweet shop! Look at all those shelves crammed with those huge jars! Now try to imagine the sweet smell that I kept sniffing in.

I recommend the strawberry and cream fudge and the jaffa cake fudge (I do like fudge quite a lot, yes)

Another great place in Fort William is The Whisky Shop, where I got to try a 10-year-old local product of The Secret Highland company (Glenkeir Treasures). It was a captivating combination of woodsmoke and toffee, wonderfully balancing the smokiness with caramelised sweetness.

On our last stop before reaching the Isle of Skye, we saw the Eilean Donan Castle when the tide was low. The Eilean Donan Castle is dated back to the 13th c. - I just couldn't stop gazing into the horizon and back to the castle. Your eye wanders a lot in front of such beauty.

When we finally reached Skye, I was holding my breath from the very first moment, as if there was something magical surrounding the place. It occurred to me that places like this totally make the existence of folktales make sense.

Kyleakin at dusk - view from Skye Bridge.

Dunakin Castle, Caisteal Maol in Gaelic, dates back to the 15th century, and was fascinating. Other names for it include Castle Moil, Castle Maol, Dun Akyn, and Dun Haakon.

Trying to reach the castle while the tide was changing turned out to be a bit more adventurous than I thought. Instead, I ended up climbing the hill and going through swampy fields to reach the top and get an amazing view of the castle and the sunset.

As it was getting dark, we enjoyed the sunset and later the incredibly starry sky - I was mesmerised by the fact that I could see the Milky Way. We had a long way ahead on Sunday - full of hiking and taking in all the charm of this island.

The weather was incredible all day long - it didn't rain at all and we got to enjoy the blue sky on waters like mirror.

Can you tell the sky from the water?

Lovely Portree where we got to try crispy fish & chips.

We crossed Sligachan Bridge to reach ice-cold singing waters and then immediately fall in love with the serenity of the landscape.

According to the legend, there were two Scottish clans that, in order to reach a truce, decided that the most handsome man of one clan would marry the most beautiful woman of the other.

The day she was getting married, the beautiful woman set forth with a male servant on horseback in order to meet her soon-to-be husband. However, misfortune was upon her that day and she was thrown off the horse down a bridge. She was injured by the rocks below and barely survived the fall. The once beautiful woman was now horribly disfigured.

Upon discovering how hideously scarred she now was, the handsome man lost it. With no place to go, the woman returned to the bridge, wishing for death to take her out of her misery. Suddenly, the fairy queen appeared. Seeing her pain and despair, she told her that if she dipped her face in the water for 7 seconds, she would become beautiful again. She told her that the water was magical and that it would grant her wish to be as beautiful as she used to.

And the woman did as the fairy queen told her and, as the fairy promised, she was healed and more beautiful than ever. The beautiful woman and her servant fell in love and lived happily ever after.

The magical waters.

Sgùrr nan Gillean as seen from Sligachan Bridge.

DeLiz on the Man of Storr, looking very pensive while gazing at the horizon.

Overall, throughout the whole weekend, I couldn't get enough of how close I felt to nature.

I was really excited to spot heather and thistle too. I absolutely love a warm cup of heather tea with its honey-like rich scent.

The thistle is the national flower of Scotland. It is a tough plant, able to resist strong winds and harsh weather. Milk thistle is known for its use as a natural treatment for various health problems.

I came back to Glasgow full of an indescribable feeling of peace and utter relaxation. Until next time, Skye, you hold a dear place in my heart.

#travel #nature #fishchips #Highlands