We have been dodging wind, storms, and misty rains for the past two days. Like Iceland, the weather here on Skye can change in an instant. One moment, you’re being pelted by icy, seventy kilometre per hour winds and driving sheets of rain, and the next, the intense breath of the wind settles and the land is blasted by super-heated rays of sunshine that quickly wick away the moisture. This creates incredibly dramatic skies that are equal parts dark, roiling storm clouds and part blue skies beaming golden light across the countryside.
On our drive back home today, I shared a similar moment to Andrea’s joyful tears a few days ago. I was affected not only by the scene unfolding before us, but also overcome with emotion, and the knowledge that our time here would shortly be coming to an end. The rain, which had pelted us relentlessly for the past few hours stopped abruptly, and blinding sunshine broke through. Outside the windscreen, the steep winding road revealed the frigid North Atlantic ocean on one side- with massive, imposing storm clouds billowing above. In stark contrast to this, sunshine and blue skies dominated the skies to the East. The light created during these epic battles in the troposphere is incredible as the land below is suddenly bathed in a warm, golden glow that stirs your spirit, and seems to accentuate the vibrancy and colour of every flower, tree, and mountain.
Moments such as this have been commonplace for the past few days, as an endless series of intense storms have rolled through. When the landscape is as dramatic as it is here, the result is stunning. That is, unless you get caught in the middle of a hike on the wet side of the divide!
Andrea is now working to add Meteorologist to her resume alongside navigator. She has received much praise and adulation from the rest of the DACA clan as she’s successfully plotted our outdoor activities to avoid the majority of the foul weather we’ve encountered to date. Unfortunately, that all started to change yesterday and we all learned just how vindictive mother nature can be when she’s been outwitted so successfully!
Following our first day of amazing hikes at the Fairly Glen and Brother’s Point, our second day was looking rather dicey for weather with high winds and multiple storms expected. We planned our day in close consultation with our resident forecaster, who recommended a later start hike, followed by a castle visit (just in case of rain), then a late day hike that would allow us to cross over to an island at high-tide and in what should be clear weather. It was all perfectly planned and executed.
Our first stop at Neist Point Lighthouse was interesting, but the extreme, pounding winds and huge waves confirmed that it may be best to try this hike another day rather than risk one of the kids being turned into a kite! Dunvegan Castle was the go-to should the weather prove uncooperative, and it turned out to be an unexpected treat, with a beautiful, fully furnished interior and magnificent, sprawling gardens. The castle is the seat of MacLeod, and the only castle in Scotland that has been consistently inhabited by the same family for over eight hundred years. It had added interest and mystique for Andrea, who is currently reading a prize-winning piece of literature based partly at the castle.
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The last adventure of the day was a hike out to a place called Oronsay Island. The logistics of this walk were extra important as you are required to cross a spit that is only open at low tide. As usual, Andrea’s calculations were spot on, and we arrived at the spit with the water well out at either side, and a relatively clear sky overhead. The spit was wider than expected, and offered far more distractions than expected in the form of small shells and little sea creatures which delayed our crossing on account of our young, carefree, and animal-loving members! But, before long, we had all crossed over to the almost island and were climbing steadily up the green slopes with sheep as our only companions.
The trail ended in an impossibly high, sheer cliff dropping straight down to the cold waves several hundred feet below. As we approached the pinnacle, an incredible three-hundred and sixty degree view was slowly revealed. Just across the water, the jagged peaks of the Cullins were barely visible in a shroud of fog, and out to sea, masses of rocky islands appeared to drift like mighty sentinels. It was an awesome sight, but we did not linger for fear of seeing this pseudo-island transform into a legitimate one- and become our overnight host!
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As we arrived back at our home away from home, dry and happy, Andrea began checking the next day’s forecast to work her magic again. After some intense discussion, we landed on an ideal hike for day three, but the logistics would prove challenging again as our plan required us to wake the kids up at six in the morning!
After some bitter words and rumblings from our shortest members- still blurry-eyed and frizzy-haired- we were on the road only thirty minutes off-target! Our goal for this day was to be our most ambitious hike on Skye, called Bioda Buidhe, which we christened “Yoda Booty” just because it’s hilarious and we couldn’t pronounce the Gaelic name! The reason for the early start was to avoid the crowds of tourists at the parking lot; which is the same parking for one of the most popular hikes on Skye, called the Quiraing.
Andrea’s amazing research had identified this slightly easier, equally beautiful, but much less popular hike than the Quiraing itself. That is, we hoped the Yoda Booty would offer far less parental stress (read yelling at kids to stay away from the sheer edge of a five-hundred foot drop while surrounded by masses of selfie-indulgent tourists!)
The roads to and from the Quiraing are something to behold. Not so much for the driver, who is drenched in sweat most of the way, but more for the passengers! The roads are steep, with multiple hairpins and switch-backs. The fact that the road is two way, but barely a car-width and teeming with poor drivers only adds to the fun!
We arrived at the Quiraing just after 7:30am, after an amazing and exhilarating drive on barren roads to a nearly empty parking lot. Our smiles immediately widened and our grumpy pre-teens rapidly changed their attitudes!
As we began the climb, it was quickly apparent that this would be an absolutely epic hike. The views, even from a few hundred metres from the start, were absolutely incredible. Our hike was immediately adjacent to the Quiraing mountain range, and, as you ascend, the views of the Quiraing, the bay, and the surrounding mountains, are simply sensational, and only improve as you go higher. The mountains here are velvety and etherial; covered in lush, green vegetation and boggy hillsides that belie their incredible size. The gathering mist and fog, rising swiftly from the breeze off the bay, only added to the atmosphere and beauty of this amazing place.
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After many, many stops to marvel at our surroundings, we crested the top of Bioda Buidhe and approached the edge of our climb where a jaw-dropping vista unfolded before us. The Quiraing, now fully shrouded in mist and cloud loomed up behind, and before us lay a vertigo-inducing sheer drop, punctuated by the tops of other steep-sided green mountains and the huge crescent-moon of the ocean bay hundreds of feet below us.
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It was mesmerising, gorgeous, and humanising; but it also distracted us from a quick-moving line of grey wetness rolling in at our exact altitude. By the time we noticed the threat, it was too late! We made it about half way down the mountain before mother nature began to unleash her fury. As we arrived back to the car, absolutely drenched and cold, the tide had turned. The kids thought the whole adventure hilarious, while the parent’s began to turn rather grumpy!
We’ve made the best of our last day and a half here on Skye, but unfortunately mother nature has been increasingly winning the battles over our fledgling Meteorologist! That’s all ok, as it has resulted in some great family time playing games, making funny videos, and watching movies!
We will be sad to leave Skye tomorrow, especially with so many places left unexplored. But it leaves us with yet another reason, and another magical place, to venture back to in the future.
DACA's European Vacation 