Isle of Skye (22.06.08)

Only 20,000 people live here now (half speak Gaelic) and I can see why many left due to the clearances. The weather today lived up to Scotland’s reputation: cold, wet and miserable, which makes you forget about the magnificent scenery. This did not help Jon’s hangover which was to last the whole day.

With Jon feeling incredibly seedy we set off to explore the Trotternish Peninsula, including the Old Man of Storr – a rock that looks like a face. At least that is what the picture in the hostel looked like. I couldn’t actually see the mountains as they were covered in rain clouds. Legend has it a fairy carved the face into the rock. I am not so sure about that. Apparently, there are fairies that live in the coastal waters that look like horses and eat children. Maybe that is why I didn’t see any kids on the island.

Kilt Rock sort of looked like a kilt if you used a fair bit of imagination. It was incredibly windy so we didn’t hang around long. Instead, we went to the most windy point of the isle (makes sense) - the ruins of Duntulm Castle. Here, whilst trying not to be blown off the cliff face, we heard about the chief of the MacDonalds and his fetish for stuffing people in barrels and rolling them over the edge. He also returned his wife to the MacCleods clan (rivals) after she lost an eye. He sent her back accompanied by a one eyed horse, dog and man (he took all their eyes out). This led surprisingly to war - a war that was to become known as ‘The War of the One Eyed Woman’.

In the afternoon we drove past Dunvegan Castle home of the MacCleods. This place ahs a lot of Castles. I would have like to go in and see the famous Fairy Flag - a blanket made by fairies that offers the owner three lots of protection. Two have been used already. Oh well, that is the problem we have continually faced when being on tour. You just don’t have time to explore. We spent the rest of the arvo in a wee pub sitting by the fire and listening to local musicians playing the fiddle. A great place to be in this miserable weather although Jon would rather have been in bed.