18 September 2014

Another really nice day. We left Oban about 9:45 and headed for Skye. Only 150 miles, but estimated time is almost 4 hours – not allowing time for photos. And there is a photo op around every corner. I finally had to give up stopping in favor of getting to Skye before dinner. I picked up a more detailed map of Scotland this morning. After yesterday’s issue with the TomTom, We were checking every turn. No problems today.

The scenery is spectacular. You cannot capture it in a camera. Lochs and glens around every corner. 

Ben Nevis is in there - really. 

Driving is fun around these turns

We stopped for lunch at a hotel along the way. I had Cullin Skink and Michael had a ham baguette. What, you may ask, is Cullin Skink? Think fish chowder with cream, and smoked haddock instead of fresh. They also use leeks instead of onions. It was fabulous. Not exactly low fat, but a wonderful lunch. Michael took a picture of the bar with all the malts. Three different Glenlivets – 12, 15, and 21 years old. Back in the car for the last hour and a half to Portree, which, of course, turned into 2 hours.

There was some sun today and interesting clouds. Ben Nevis was covered in clouds, of course. Note to Scotland Power – can you move the power pole that’s right in the frame for a photo of Ben Nevis from the Commando Memorial? J

Once we crossed onto Skye we started noticing fog banks in the lochs. If you have been to San Francisco, you have probably seen the fog moving into the bay in the afternoon as the interior valleys heat up. The tops of the hills are sunny, but sea level is foggy. This was the same thing. When we got to our B&B, it was sunny on shore, but you could not see across the harbor. I could see the fog moving in from our window. 

Fog bank

We decided to drive the 5 minutes to the center of Portree and wander around and find something for dinner. The first place was a bit pricey, so we did the “ walk”. It’s funny to see everyone going from pub to hotel, to restaurant checking menus. We also found a wonderful store, called Skye Batiks. They carry some batik items that are now made in Indonesia, and a variety of items made of cotton that are designed, woven and sewn on Skye. They are customizing a jacket for me at no extra cost - including the shipping. Really nice people. They used to do the batik on Skye, but they could not keep up with the demand.

Since Portree is on the water, all the restaurants serve fish. I was looking for something else for a change, but no luck. I will say that we have not had a piece of overcooked fish since we have been here. It’s all been perfect, unlike the US where we routinely overcook it.

Harborside at Portree

Did I mention the hydrangeas? I have never seen such wonderful hydrangeas. Most in England were a deep rose. Up here, they are blue > purple. Just beautiful. I think the color difference is because of the different pH - clay vs peat.