Skye shall be sorely missed
Huzzah for wifi! I would also like to thank Mr. Ian Fellows for - along with numerous other things that I shall soon get to - graciously allowing me to use the internet connection at his house yesterday evening. Blame him for the sudden deluge of posts in your inboxes, not me! ;)
Although I'm aware that Mr. Ian Fellows is now reading this blog (welcome!), I'm actually not modifying my words on yesterday's tour as a result. There isn't much of anything I have to gloss over, or lie about, or whatever. He is an all-around awesome guy, and runs an awesome tour on top of that. :) I'm recommending to all of you readers right now: if you have any intention of ever visiting anywhere near the Isle of Skye, seriously make the effort and go make a daytrip or something up there. Mr. Fellows (and the scenery) are completely and totally worth the trip up there. :)
Now, Erin had been the one who was in contact with him, not Sara and I. We were actually a little nervous about the prospect of this private tour as we didn't quite know what to expect. There we were, waiting to get in a car with a strange man in a country that was foreign to us... He was exactly the sort of person my mother had warned me against as a child! If he offered us candy to entice us in, we were out of there. ;)
Well, in the end he didn't offer us candy, but he did give us a spray to keep off the midges, which had been annoying us to death as we waited. (They were following us in little buzzing clouds, no matter where we stood, and a not inconsiderable amount seemed determined to commit suicide by flying into my mouth, nose and ears.)
As soon as he spotted us on the side of the road by our hostel (we'd come down to meet him instead of having him drive up steep gravel driveways) and stepped out to meet us, any worry we had slipped away. (Sara seconds this motion.)
His friendly expression and even just body language put us at ease. :) He is the sort of fellow that is clearly passionate - and knowledgeable - about what he speaks about, which is always a plus in a tour guide, and as a person.
He managed to convince us NOT to be taken to the standard tourist trap areas (apparently the famous castle to the north-west of the island is undergoing renovations, so we'd just be getting pictures of scaffolding and white sheets), and instead we went off the beaten track. It was an excellent choice.
We were taken to lovely views of wide open spaces, framed by mountainous islands and craggy peaks and valleys. Well, when they weren't hidden by misty clouds, that is. Sometimes the clouds added to the mystique of the image of the mountains; sometimes they just hid them altogether.
He could have been telling us blasphemous lies the whole way, but he kept getting proven correct.
For instance, he would tell us that normally there'd be twenty-odd seals or more hanging about in the area, and it was weird that there weren't any there now... And during the subsequent short ferry ride, we spotted at least half a dozen in the water. He would tell us a story about goats that had gone feral thirty or so years ago, and turning the very next corner (no exaggeration) we spotted a herd of very evil-looking goats wandering across the road. It was epic.
I mentioned a ferry, and I want to speak briefly about it because I've never seen anything quite like it. It crosses at a place just around the corner from the bridge to the mainland, at the narrowest place between the Isle of Skye and mainland Scotland. It almost looks like a river from shore to my untrained eye, even moreso when the tides are coming in and out, what with the strong current. I've heard that kayakers like to surf it.
Remind me to repeat the bridge toll story later (this update is already proving long).
Anyway, there is a very small ferry that services this bit. The ship has a capacity for four cars (plus one of the two of the skipper's dogs which likes to make the crossing). It takes five minutes to cross, and, of course, we arrived just as the men were going on their state-mandated thirty minute lunchbreak. We didn't mind so much, as one of them came up and actually began telling us old Scottish folktales about warriors, the theft of fire, seeing stones, etc. It was wicked. He even allowed us to look through the small seeing stone around his neck; if you look through the hole in the middle, it's said that you may see the future (I said I saw us on the opposite shore ;) ).
I need to post the photo I took of the ferry so you can get a visual of what I'm about to describe, but the top deck of the ferry actually rotates separately from the main hull to more easily disgorge the vehicles that ride it. Two of the crew move it by hand. Hardcore.
I should also say that we were told that the ship had just gone to the Isle of Harris for refitting, and had to make the perilous ocean crossing with only the aid of a map and a compass. No joke. This is the same route that the gigantic ferry we took from Tarbert to Uig did: three hours on open sea with largeish waves. The sailors really do know their craft well. No GPS needed.
The day didn't end when the tour did. Mr. Ian Fellows offered to take us out for tea or a pint in Plockton, I think, mostly to warm up as it was still drizzling. BUT everything was closing just as we arrived, because it was five o'clock on a Sunday on Skye. Instead, he offered to give us a drink at his house (also, Internet access), and we gladly accepted! (Beyond the possibility of a walk by the seashore, which we'd already walked half a dozen times or more, we had nothing else we could have done anyway.) Besides, both Sara and I love good conversations and conversationalists. :) Also, he'd piqued our interests in his house after bringing it up a few times over the course of the day.
It's a renovated building from the early nineteenth century, I believe, built the same time as the Clan Donnel castle up the way. In fact, it used to belong to the man who would meet the ships on behalf of the master of the clan, and it's right on a bay by a pier. It's very interesting in shape: octagonal. Picture Hagrid's hut, but whitewashed with an extension added onto one side and larger windows. There is lots of natural light, modern furniture, and even a matching octagonal fireplace or stove! Sara and I could not get over how awesome this house was.
So we went over and had tea, continuing our delightful conversation with Mr. Ian Fellows. It eventually drifted to the topic of local brews, and, our glasses being empty, he generously offered to have us try some true Scottish whisky, incidentally also explaining things like what "single malt" means. One shot of whisky became three, interdispersed with a Hebridean beer or two, or wine, and a delicious mix of sparkling water and the juice from hand picked elderberries. Um, all three of us got kind of tipsy. Mr. Fellows also made us fish and chips to go with all of this! Once again, we two perpetually poor starving students thank you very much for your generosity and hospitality!
I'm definitely going to have to post that photo I took of all three of us, smiling, red in the face and surrounded by empty drinks.
And don't worry, we managed to get back to the hostel safely, without disturbing anyone. It was a lovely day all around, and an excellent send-off from Skye.
Coming up next: being in Inverness means going to Loch Ness!
Although I'm aware that Mr. Ian Fellows is now reading this blog (welcome!), I'm actually not modifying my words on yesterday's tour as a result. There isn't much of anything I have to gloss over, or lie about, or whatever. He is an all-around awesome guy, and runs an awesome tour on top of that. :) I'm recommending to all of you readers right now: if you have any intention of ever visiting anywhere near the Isle of Skye, seriously make the effort and go make a daytrip or something up there. Mr. Fellows (and the scenery) are completely and totally worth the trip up there. :)
Now, Erin had been the one who was in contact with him, not Sara and I. We were actually a little nervous about the prospect of this private tour as we didn't quite know what to expect. There we were, waiting to get in a car with a strange man in a country that was foreign to us... He was exactly the sort of person my mother had warned me against as a child! If he offered us candy to entice us in, we were out of there. ;)
Well, in the end he didn't offer us candy, but he did give us a spray to keep off the midges, which had been annoying us to death as we waited. (They were following us in little buzzing clouds, no matter where we stood, and a not inconsiderable amount seemed determined to commit suicide by flying into my mouth, nose and ears.)
As soon as he spotted us on the side of the road by our hostel (we'd come down to meet him instead of having him drive up steep gravel driveways) and stepped out to meet us, any worry we had slipped away. (Sara seconds this motion.)
His friendly expression and even just body language put us at ease. :) He is the sort of fellow that is clearly passionate - and knowledgeable - about what he speaks about, which is always a plus in a tour guide, and as a person.
He managed to convince us NOT to be taken to the standard tourist trap areas (apparently the famous castle to the north-west of the island is undergoing renovations, so we'd just be getting pictures of scaffolding and white sheets), and instead we went off the beaten track. It was an excellent choice.
We were taken to lovely views of wide open spaces, framed by mountainous islands and craggy peaks and valleys. Well, when they weren't hidden by misty clouds, that is. Sometimes the clouds added to the mystique of the image of the mountains; sometimes they just hid them altogether.
He could have been telling us blasphemous lies the whole way, but he kept getting proven correct.
For instance, he would tell us that normally there'd be twenty-odd seals or more hanging about in the area, and it was weird that there weren't any there now... And during the subsequent short ferry ride, we spotted at least half a dozen in the water. He would tell us a story about goats that had gone feral thirty or so years ago, and turning the very next corner (no exaggeration) we spotted a herd of very evil-looking goats wandering across the road. It was epic.
I mentioned a ferry, and I want to speak briefly about it because I've never seen anything quite like it. It crosses at a place just around the corner from the bridge to the mainland, at the narrowest place between the Isle of Skye and mainland Scotland. It almost looks like a river from shore to my untrained eye, even moreso when the tides are coming in and out, what with the strong current. I've heard that kayakers like to surf it.
Remind me to repeat the bridge toll story later (this update is already proving long).
Anyway, there is a very small ferry that services this bit. The ship has a capacity for four cars (plus one of the two of the skipper's dogs which likes to make the crossing). It takes five minutes to cross, and, of course, we arrived just as the men were going on their state-mandated thirty minute lunchbreak. We didn't mind so much, as one of them came up and actually began telling us old Scottish folktales about warriors, the theft of fire, seeing stones, etc. It was wicked. He even allowed us to look through the small seeing stone around his neck; if you look through the hole in the middle, it's said that you may see the future (I said I saw us on the opposite shore ;) ).
I need to post the photo I took of the ferry so you can get a visual of what I'm about to describe, but the top deck of the ferry actually rotates separately from the main hull to more easily disgorge the vehicles that ride it. Two of the crew move it by hand. Hardcore.
I should also say that we were told that the ship had just gone to the Isle of Harris for refitting, and had to make the perilous ocean crossing with only the aid of a map and a compass. No joke. This is the same route that the gigantic ferry we took from Tarbert to Uig did: three hours on open sea with largeish waves. The sailors really do know their craft well. No GPS needed.
The day didn't end when the tour did. Mr. Ian Fellows offered to take us out for tea or a pint in Plockton, I think, mostly to warm up as it was still drizzling. BUT everything was closing just as we arrived, because it was five o'clock on a Sunday on Skye. Instead, he offered to give us a drink at his house (also, Internet access), and we gladly accepted! (Beyond the possibility of a walk by the seashore, which we'd already walked half a dozen times or more, we had nothing else we could have done anyway.) Besides, both Sara and I love good conversations and conversationalists. :) Also, he'd piqued our interests in his house after bringing it up a few times over the course of the day.
It's a renovated building from the early nineteenth century, I believe, built the same time as the Clan Donnel castle up the way. In fact, it used to belong to the man who would meet the ships on behalf of the master of the clan, and it's right on a bay by a pier. It's very interesting in shape: octagonal. Picture Hagrid's hut, but whitewashed with an extension added onto one side and larger windows. There is lots of natural light, modern furniture, and even a matching octagonal fireplace or stove! Sara and I could not get over how awesome this house was.
So we went over and had tea, continuing our delightful conversation with Mr. Ian Fellows. It eventually drifted to the topic of local brews, and, our glasses being empty, he generously offered to have us try some true Scottish whisky, incidentally also explaining things like what "single malt" means. One shot of whisky became three, interdispersed with a Hebridean beer or two, or wine, and a delicious mix of sparkling water and the juice from hand picked elderberries. Um, all three of us got kind of tipsy. Mr. Fellows also made us fish and chips to go with all of this! Once again, we two perpetually poor starving students thank you very much for your generosity and hospitality!
I'm definitely going to have to post that photo I took of all three of us, smiling, red in the face and surrounded by empty drinks.
And don't worry, we managed to get back to the hostel safely, without disturbing anyone. It was a lovely day all around, and an excellent send-off from Skye.
Coming up next: being in Inverness means going to Loch Ness!