Isle of Harris

We were due to leave the island today, so it was do or die for the surprise birthday photo shoot. It was no longer a surprise by this stage and it was raining consistently, but that didn’t dampen our spirits. We were advised to wear sturdy walking shoes and to meet at 0700 at the Fairy Glen… intriguing! The photographer’s name was Penny and operated on the basis of payment for time with all files included. This was a nice way to do it as it meant that there were no awkward discussions or haggling at the end. She was a lovely person and helped everyone negotiate the slippery territory and the rain with smiles on our faces. Hopefully being in a good mood means good photos at the end. We were all drowned rats by the end, but it was worth it.

The children climbing up at Fairy Glen while waiting for the olds to catch up

Grandpa trying to negotiate the "fairy circle"

Getting into position...not so glamourous! Will post the final results

Next was ferry trip number two – from Uig on Skye to Tarbert on the Isle of Harris. This was a longer trip. Fortunately, the boat was more modern with plentiful toilets, charging points, comfortable seating, cafes etc so it was quite pleasant despite the visibility being essentially zero. As luck would have it, halfway through the ferry crossing…the sun came out. Darn you sun, where were you earlier in the day?!?!

We drove south from Tarbert along the west coast of Harris stopping at Temple Café for lunch. The food was simple, but enjoyable – most of us had warm tomato and basil soup with crusty bread. The highlight, however, were the cakes and scones. The scones here were the best on our trip so far. If we could combine these scones with the clotted cream from Cornwall we’d have the perfect combo.

On the Isle of Harris, we were treated to vistas which seemed like a distant memory…sandy beaches with blue skies! Throw in the green hills and black rocks and voila…spectacular harsh beauty of the outer Hebrides. 

Getting on to the ferry

Comfortable lounge seating, free wifi...kids happy!

Running free on long stretches of sandy beaches

Excited to find a jelly fish

Sun?! Is that you?!?!

Are we still in Scotland!?

Lunch stop

With a view

Hungry family!

We journeyed on towards the northern Isle of Lewis. As we headed north, the dramatic cliffs gave way to flat windswept moorlands. And on cue...the fog rolled in. Our stop tonight was the Borve House Hotel, a surprise winner! The rooms were massive, beds comfortable, staff friendly and the food in the attached restaurant decent. I would strongly suggest booking accomodation early if you do plan to visit so you have your first pick. Options are limited and they do book out in the peak season.

Trying haggis. Not bad! Maybe the whisky sauce was what made it extra tasty Bahah!!

Surf and turf with lobster. So good!

Best of Isle of Skye

Today was the day we conquered the rainy blues. We just had to make the best of the situation. We did wake up early and by 0626 we had commenced our ascent up to see the Old Man of Storr. A continuously uphill climb of 3 miles saw us being rewarded with a view of two rocky outlines in the fog. Yes. We saw SOMETHING. Feel free to google so you know what we were supposed to see!

I won't go too much into our day as there were a few hikes. However, I would like to recommend that you use Walkhighlands as a resource if you have plans to hike. It has enough details to help with the start of trails as some were not so obvious. Also the advice we received about waiting in case of bad weather was helpful today. Despite the rain and fog, there were enough breaks in the weather for us to make the hike, see the view or take the photo. A little bit of patience goes a long way although sometimes luck plays a part as the windows for these opportunities may be a matter of minutes!

There were some sites we couldn't visit such as Fairy Pools because the stream we had to cross had become too high with the recent heavy rains. All in all though, we had a fabulous day. Isle of Skye was simply stunning and we could only imagine how much better it would have been if the weather had been on our side.

Climbing up at 630 in the morning

Yay on outline!

A second outline!

An unexpected view on our hike to the Neist Point lighthouse when the weather just cleared! 

Neist Point

Weaving demonstration at Skyweavers

A delicious venison burger at Edinbane Inn

The Quiraing

Kilt Rock and Mealt Falls

The children were awesome hiking in the rain, mud and bog

Still smiling even on the last hike

Looking out towards Brother's Point

The last part of the path was narrow and slippery due to the rain. So to avoid losing children down the steep cliff, we decided not to proceed

Sailing for Skye

Sligachan Bridge

Ok so not exactly sailing to Skye but close enough. We caught the 0940 ferry from Mallaig to take us to Armadale on the Isle of Skye. Some person (*cough cough Malcolm*) randomly quipped that he wouldn't mind experiencing some "real" British weather. Well it appeared that wishes do come true. Gone were the sunny blue skies replaced by heavy clouds, rain and mist. Darn you Malcolm!! Fortunately, the ferry still ran and the waters remained relatively calm. Unfortunately, we had to cancel the suprise family photoshoot as part of Nana's surprise 70th birthday present. Penny, the photographer was lovely and kindly offered to reschedule the shoot for when better weather prevailed while we were on the island.

Loading up the ferry in the rain

Our van right at the front. No view for us!

Not missing out on much. Couldn't see much...

We drove to Elgol where we stumbled across a slippery, rocky beach before retreating to the car. There was a cave in Elgol where Prince Charles Stuart hid in after the battle of Culloden. The promising hikes though would have to wait. It was simply too wet. For the remainder of the day we meandered back up to Portree via the various craft shops, distilleries and photo stops. All were pleasant, but none were sufficient to justify the effort to get here. The whisky was nice, but not brilliant, the oysters were large, but less flavoursome than those at Loch Leven and the vistas were grand, but fogged over. We arrived at the apartments a little frustrated and consoled ourselves by enforcing a little child labour. Lara and Jonah cooked dinner for us and cleaned up after. Homefarm apartment, were we'll base ourselves over the 2 nights was at least warm, dry, well appointed and comfortable.

Over dinner we decided that we would have to make our own luck. A blog provided some wise advice to venture to our planned destinations on Skye, be patient and wait for the weather to clear and then go for it. There must've been a secret ingedient in the microwave Indian meals (with added fresh broccoli to make it healthy!) than gave us energy because we decided to wash all our clothes that night and then wake up at 5:30am to go hiking. We figured that this would beat the crowds and allow us to take on the Old Man of Stor before the parentals became too bored back at the apartment. Would this prove to be a wise move? Time would tell...

Lots of indoor activity while waiting for the weather to ease

Whisky? Why not

Ruins of and old church on the way to Elgol

Elgol

Oysters were OK

Views were nice though, at least the ones we could see through the fog...

Our lunch stop. A little over priced and over rated in our opinion. Food was ok without being brilliant

The view of Portree Harbout from the top of the hill

Lovely touches at our apartment

The dining and kitchen

Dinner by Lara and Jonah!