Hiking in Skye - The Great Adventure

The southern facing hills of the Quirang

typical hostel dorm

Skye is one of the most beautiful islands in the world.  With its high mountains and cosy villages, it's a tourist Mecca for both hikers and cultural bloodhounds (we are both), so inevitably it is hard to find a place to stay during the summer.  We were lucky enough to get a couple of nights at the Broadford hostel.  Tip:  if you do not have booked accommodation, there are Visit Scotland offices in many towns and cities which have lots of accommodation information, and if they have time, they will call accommodations in the places you want to stay to help you get a room for the night.  Caution:  don't expect them to find you something if it is July and it's last minute.  They can't work miracles!

the sign

For those people with fixed images of what a 'youth hostel' is like, you might want to rethink what you think you know.  First, at least in Scotland, France and Italy, where we have used youth hostels, most of the people staying in them are not teens or 'young'.  In Broadford, as in many Scottish hostels, the clientele were mostly older or families, often middle income, from a wide variety of countries (this time around, Americans, French, Germans, Scots and English, and of course, Canadians) , hikers and regular tourists and sightseers.  The rooms are comfortable, with bunk or single beds, mostly, and nice and warm.  This hostel, like many, did not have much storage space for your gear, but most people arrive by car, so keep things in the trunk.  The kitchen in Broadford was well stocked with all the usual cookware and crockery, but you might want to carry your own can opener (because theirs was seriously old).  

Southern view

the view south east from the path

Roads in Skye a really narrow, often single lane with passing places. Many of them 'dead-end' on the coast, while there are a few loops on the north end of the island.  The east coastal road takes you past some of the best scenery in Scotland, so do not give it a miss.  We drove up the east coast of Skye, past the Old Man of Storr  (site of some of the best scenes from the Hollywood movie (Prometheus), to the Quiraing, which is a mountain hike with the most stunning views.  

 The narrow road to it is on the left hand side just past the village of Stenscholl.   Tip:  get there early, as the small parking lot gets full quickly.  It's on a one track road, so you might need to walk a distance if the lot is full.  One unfortunate lady tried to park on the side of the road and managed to get both of her drive wheels submerged in about a foot of bog.  So, be very careful if you are pulling off the road to park. The Quiraing hike is a loop which takes you up past multiple towers of rock onto a long cliff top that doubles back down to the parking lot. The locals say it should take about two hours, but if you plan on taking lots of pictures, you might want to plan for 3-4 hours.  It is also very picnic friendly. 

The path is mostly clear and easy to walk, although there are a few spots where you are required to scramble up three foot rock slopes.  It's not that difficult for anybody, but just make sure you have good soles on your shoes.  We had hiking poles and boots, so it was probably a bit less bother for us than some.  There are also a few spots where there is a few inches of watery muck to get through, but that didn't seem to bother people wearing running shoes etc. The scenic vistas are absolutely amazing.  Here's a few pictures to wet your appetite.

After the Quiraing, you probably have lots of time to visit the 'capital' of Skye, Portree. Lots of coffee shops and gift shops line the store, in between the pubs.  It's a seaside town, so expect lots of fresh fish.

The Road To Skye - Two Seniors On an Adventure

The Great Scottish Experience

Scotland can be a pretty 'quirky' place, as this scene from Ballachulish suggests

Travelling to Skye is a short drive, (even from Edinburgh or Glasgow) with many distractions along the way.  Which means that it will take you all day, to hike, to visit some of the cultural or social hot spots and to just take in the wonder of it all.   Before you take off in the car, If starting from Glencoe, check out the slate quarry long path above Ballachulish.  Why?  Because you have lots of time for the short drive to Skye,  Right? Well, if you are like us, you'll end up in Skye by nightfall.  Note:  in the summer, in Scotland, nightfall may be about 10:00 pm, and the sun comes up around 4:30 am.  Serious hikers take full advantage of these long days, while the more casual hikers will combine a good hike with a post-hiking night out in the local pub, or if nice weather, sitting loch side to wonder at the views.  The best of both worlds can be had at a loch side pub!

After our morning hike we were particularly hungry, and decided to do a picnic table meal in the village.  Tip:  picnic meals are easily done.  Many spots have picnic tables, and sandwiches can be made up , or if you tastes are for hot food,  camping stores have mini stoves and fuel that are extremely light and portable.  I bought one of these a few years back, and have had lots of good, vegan or otherwise loch side meals. Tip:  Here's an example of a stove that weighs a few ounces and screws onto a canister of fuel.  We had bought the makings previously in Edinburgh, but if we hadn't, Ballachulish,like many small Scottish villages has a perfectly good grocery/ corner store.  By the way, Scotland can be a 'quirky' place (see picture below).

Public toilets are everywhere, and they are clean

For new visitors to Scotland's small villages, you might be interested to know that just about every village has a public toilet.  Yuch! you might say, but these ones are actually clean and well serviced.  They are free, and you don't have to buy something, like in Canada when you are on the road. This one is beside the visitor center.  Tip:  It's difficult to travel over twenty miles in the Highlands without coming across one of these free Public Toilets.

Commando Memorial at Spean Bridge

The road from Balachulish to Skye is littered with great stopping points.  One of the best is the Commando Memorial near Spean Bridge.  When some bright soldier during World War II came up with the idea to have specially trained soldiers (who could perform like today's special forces) he decided to have them train in the wilds of Scotland, where they would not be noticed. The Monument reflects this and is also the home of a memorial garden to many killed or dead marines and commandos.  The memorial garden is of particular interest because it includes many personal mementos provided by friends and relatives of those who fell.  Tip:  always be on the lookout for something unusual along the road.  It is surprising how many times you might spot an activity or locale that isn't in any guide books that will give you a real treat.

memorial garden for fallen marines and commandos

a lay by on the road - one of many unintended things that convinces you to slow down

For North Americans, driving in Scotland can be particularly stressful, no more so than in the Highlands, where roads are narrow and you are frequently deciding whether to straddle the road's edge or the middle position.  You will want to stop fairly frequently, even though driving distances are comparatively shorter.  Take a break at one of the many villages, woodland walks or viewpoints. There are lots to choose from. Trails and places of interest are often identified on brown signs at the side of the road.  Note:  woodland walks tend to have very easy paths that are not challenging, have good surfaces and do not require hiking boots, so perfect for short strolls from the car.  At one viewpoint, we found an actual working roadside bagpiper.  If you get to take your photo beside him, note that it is rude not to throw money into his case.

Scottish nettles can be really nasty 

When you stop, or on a hike, be very wary of Scotland's other menace, the nettle.  It's not as vicious as poson ivy or poison oak, but it can leave you with a nasty rash if your skin bumps against it.

Eventually, all travellers on this road must pass Eilen Donan, which we did around 5:30 pm. We actually stopped here twice, coming back two days later to do the castle tour.  More about that later.  Note that this place closes early - at 5 pm. and so do the washrooms.  More can be learned about Eilan Donan  here  

Eilan Donan Castle - A Scottish Icon

After doing a tour of the Eilan Donan parking lot, we headed west again to Kyle of Lochalsh, the crossing point for the Bridge to Skye.  This town is fairly  small, but has a really nice coffee shop across the street from the visitor center, and a good sized grocery store if you want to pick up supplies before you get to Skye.  Just three miles east of the town is a woodland walk which is well worth the stop and takes about an hour.   With water views, this temperate rainforest walk is a really relaxing break for drivers.

Broadford Hostel on the Isle of Skye

Our final destination this night was Broadford a few miles into the Isle of Skye. Broadford is a small coastal village, with hotels,  shops, lots of B&B's , a grocery stor and a SYHA hostel where we planned to spend two nights. The village itself is unremarkable, but sitting on park benches looking out towards the mainland over the bay is a real treat.  At the hostel, there is one thing you must be prepared for: the midges on the outside!  In case you don't know, a midge is a tiny biting insect that swarms.  It's worst effects come from it flying up your nose, so wear some Smidge or a head net and you will be just fine. The inside of the hostel is just fine.  Be aware that if you want to book a hostel in Scotland, and hope to get a private room, you have to book early, especially for the Skye hostels. If you end up in a dorm, you should be aware of 'etiquette'.  First, make as little noise as possible if others are trying to sleep - this means noise, as well as talking.  Friendly tip:  unpack and sort out your bed long as soon as you arrive at the hostel.  Then, when it is bedtime, you can quietly slip into bed with little chance of waking others. My first night here in Broadford, one of my room mates played with his luggage at midnight for half an hour, which cost me a night's sleep.  So, think of others as well as yourself. Otherwise, the rooms are really comfortable, the self-catering kitchens are very well stocked and the lounges are very relaxing with great views.

Making Travel Choices That Work For Your Budget

Making Travel Choices That work For Your Budget

Goal:  to have as much fun as is humanly possible in the Great Outdoors, at the least possible cost,

for two people in their sixties, hiking in both countryside and cities, with many cultural destinations in mind.

Accommodations:  

Where possible, book hostels (preferably private rooms) or Airb&b accommodations, when that is not possible, use online services like Hotwire (in North America) and Expedia (everywhere else). Taking advantage of house sitting advertisements gets you free accommodation.  Yes, free!  

Venice Hostel on a canal!

Rationale:  accommodations are for sleeping, relaxing and preparing food (we want to know what we are eating, and can do it as well as most restaurants, and the rooms only need to be clean and big enough to swing a cat without killing it.  Also, in hostels  and AirB&b you actually MEET people...  We choose accommodations where we can cook because I am vegetarian/ vegan, and cannot get a healthy meal from most restaurants, so self-catering and hostels really work for me.   I also save lots of money... Places I have house sat for free accommodations: Southern California, Denver, Boston, Edinburgh, St. Lucia, Fort Lauderdale, Western Ireland,  Vermont, Manhattan (NYC), Spain and France. 

Transport: 

• in  the cities use public transport, even if you have your own car. There are some big cities where the local transit system is awful, where you might consider driving, but most have good systems. 
• in the countryside use rental cars when the public transport isn't that great or non-existent
• use public transport in places like Italy, where the rail and bus systems seem to take you everywhere for low cost, and where the drivers are really loose with the rules. Never drive yourself in Naples!  If you look at the cars in that city, most of them have dents in them, which is a great clue. 

Sign at Edinburgh airport

Rationale:  Big cities are hard (and expensive) to park in, and the bus systems are easy to use and cheap. In some countries, the best destinations outside of cities are often very hard to get to and you get so much more out of the trip if you don't use tour buses. (e.g. Scotland, Ireland, France, the USA and Canada) Rent small cars, and it can even cost you less than  bus and train passes.

Plus side:  if you enjoy driving on narrow, winding roads, Northern Scotland, Western Ireland, south west France are good examples.  Caution:  in the Scottish Highlands, many roads are single lane with passing places every 100 metres or so.  In northern or western counties in Ireland, the single lane roads may not have passing places at all.

Scottish road hazard

Local Buses:  A universal rule... getting to and from airports into the city is much cheaper by bus. And there is usually lots of baggage space inside the bus.  The airport express buses usually have their own curbside stands and tickets can be bought inside the terminal. Avoid taxis, as you will nearly always be 'taken for a ride'.

Car Rentals

Rental Cars give you flexibility to travel to the remotest places, and they are almost as cheap as buses when there are two or more of you travelling.  We have travelled to places you will never get to by bus.

Tips for renting cars

Itinerary:  

Book accommodations early, to get the best deals, and in the places where there are real adventures to be had. Which means stay out of the big cities except for a few iconic activities,  and head to the hills as soon as possible. In Scotland and Ireland, that means the Highlands, Donegal, Sligo, Connemara and Clare counties, in California, anywhere but LA, on the east coast, avoid Boston and Washington. Of course, these are personal preferences - meant to keep me away from overcrowded cities and aggressive driving. If you do decide to go to these cities, book hotels at the end of the subway lines, where you will pay a lot less and still have the convenience of access to the tourist hot spots. 

Flying Across the Atlantic 

Tip:  

It may cost you more to fly during the day  to arrive in the evening, but it's a trade off.  Do you want to lose sleep and have jet lag by flying overnight and lose a day (going east), or do you want to spend a bit of money.  Your body will thank you for it if you avoid the overnight flight.  Second, if you can do it, avoid flights that are not direct.  stopovers are sometimes not long enough to allow you to catch your next flight (Heathrow is truly a nightmare!) Sometimes your first flight is delayed making this more common.  Or, your second flight is delayed (sometimes by many hours!) and the last place you want to be for hours is an airport lounge. Third, if you are stopover is in the US, expect that you will spend long hours in queues for passport control and Homeland Security.  

If you do not have a NEXIS (trusted traveller) card, it takes even longer.

Tip:  Pack light.  If you can get away with just a carry-on bag, do it.  Lots of people lose their luggage in the airline system, and sometimes they get it back. If you have carry on only, they cannot lose it.
Rick Steve's choosing the right baggage
How to travel with just a carry on
Communications and Research   Consider  buying a 'dongle' wireless device when you get to your destination.  Outside of Canada, these things are relatively cheap and make up for the lousy internet services offered by many accommodations.  We found it very important for our flexible itinerary to be able to research possible excursions on the go. e.g. If you want to use the internet in Scotland, get a 3.co.uk (brand name) 'dongle'

dongle from 3

a wireless internet device that lets you hook up an ipad or similar device to  the internet from just about anywhere, inside or outside,  The one you buy in Scotland works equally well in Ireland.  Pay as you go plans are cheap and worth it.  Tip:  do not hookup any device that automatically updates frequently, as this will chew up your data plan very fast. Also, always test it before you leave the store parking lot. We also bought one on a French trip that worked really well. These things work  extremely well, except in a few remote locations. Having the internet available allows for fast changes to itinerary and flexibility when the weather doesn't cooperate.

other tips to come soon...