July 14, 2011
Isle of Skye
07/14/2011 - 07/14/2011
65 °F
Today we left early (8:15am) to go to the Isle of Skye, headed for the town of Portree. Went to Dingwall to get gas and met the sweetest, funniest Ladies at the cash register. By the time Joy filled the car and I paid we were all laughing and they wished us a very safe, funfilled, beautiful journey, Took the road thru Dingwall instead of Inverness, Beautiful drive! Had a few stretches of single lane roads and bridges but very little traffic. We had to move over in little pullouts if a car was coming or they had to pull out depending on who was closest. Everybody was cheerful and waved at each other as they passed whoever was pulled out. I can see how everyone here (well most everyone, guys in service vans seemed to have no patience AT ALL) have a good sense of understanding, patience and good humour. Its that or die an early death of ulcers and bad attitude!! Saw the Highland cows (brown shaggy beasts with bangs!!!) and one Highland horse. Lots of sheep of course. :D Could not stop to take pictures because there was no place to stop!!! 
Came across wild raspberries, Tansey and Heather when we finally found a pullout that was easy to see and access. The road signs show a "P" which means a pullout but sometimes its RIGHT THERE and other times you have time to see it and slow down from 60 mph and pull into it!! And it seems that no matter where they are, they are NEVER EVER in a scenic spot....they are just there nilly-willy, where ever.
People in Scotland have no trouble just parking out in the road to take a picture or what ever but I am a little bit afraid of doing that! They also park on the SAME side of the road going BOTH directions!!! You will see cars parked nose to nose or tail to tail on either the left hand side or the right hand side. When your trying to learn to drive on the wrong side of the road it really messes up your mind when they do that.
The mountains look more like very VERY tall hills that curve up from the bottom of a lake (loch) or field. Some have trees part way up or in patches (you can tell the ones that have been planted and the ones that grew naturally). The hills that have no trees are still green with Gorse, Heather and beautiful fern. We have the same fern in Oregon but no where near as big and its not overly fond of sunshine. Altho, from what people say, there is not a lot of sunshine on the Isle of skye and when it does pop out, it doesn't last. We got there about 11:30 am and the sun was shining thru whispy clouds. By 2:00pm it was misting and by the time we left the town of Portree it was raining.
I can see the beauty of the hills but I think the lakes (Lochs) are the wonder for me. BIG BIG lakes!! They seem to all be brown (not dirty, just tranparent brown) because of all the decaying folige and such from all the plant life around.
We had a light lunch, walked the town and then got a lunch of Fish & Chips, left town and made it home by 6:00 pm. All in all a wonderful day!
Posted by cpcgrice 07/14/2011 12:12 Archived in Scotland
