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.