A Piece of Skye!

My time online is limited since Internet is such a premium in Uig, but I can briefly say that I’ve arrived safely in Skye. This morning I left my quaint B&B and hit the road on foot like a hobbit in Lord of the Rings, complete with oversized traveling gear and everything! Walking to the famous Eilean Donan Castle, thankfully, wasn’t too strenuous but I made a wee stop en route.

Temptingly, a speed boat tour around the three lochs was advertised on a jetty just before the castle. I couldn’t say no. A father/daughter team runs the operation and they provided an hour’s worth of fun-filled time killing.

Eventually, I made my way to Eilean Donan. As I mentioned before, this island has served as the seat of Clan MacRae for hundreds of years. What a seat they have! Expecting a ruin, I was pleasantly surprised to find a full-blown castle experience. Stately rooms were prepared, as if ready to serve guests and bedchambers were outfitted, as if nobility themselves were coming over. Atmospheric and wonderful, I had bonnie wee time! Patiently, I wandered around the grounds of the castle and village of Dornie whilst waiting for the 915 bus.

Before I could say ‘haggis’ we were barreling down a single-track road, watching some of the most amazing scenery fly by. Really, the Isle of Skye is one of the most picturesque places I’ve ever been. What’s more, the island retains a sort of quiet, unadulterated beauty; all in the middle of nowhere.

No Easter Adventure would be complete without a few surprises. When I arrived in Uig this evening, where I’ll be based for a few days, my B&B owner came to pick me up at the bus stop. To my shock, Harris Cottage is actually a home – I’m literally staying in her house. Maybe I’m making too big a deal out of everything but, in my defense, Bed and Breakfasting is all very new to me. The proprietor is a sweet, albeit slightly unconventional, woman who has a true interest in hospitality it seems. She took me on a wee car ride to see the famous Fairy Glen of Uig. And what a magical place it was! Perfectly quiet and serene, only the bleating of sheep for miles.

More from Skye in the coming days and thanks for reading!

2) Retrieve Erin’s rock.

America, eat your heart out; the day that you give me dramatic mountains, shining lochs, ancient castles, and Highland cows – my allegiance will lie with you again.

This afternoon my travels found me in Dornie, in the Kyle of Lochalsh bit of Scotland. Highland friend’s dad ever so kindly drove me to this next stopping place of my Highland Fling; we managed to find points of interest along the way (such as the town of Plockton where Hamish MacBeth was filmed). All the while, climbing up into the Highlands, I was totally aware of the great beauty surrounding me.

As chance would have it, a friend of mine has some acquaintances in the area. I checked into my utterly charming B&B, the first I’ve ever stayed at, and popped over to theirs for tea. This family lives in manse, or parsonage, nearby and warmly welcomed me into their table. This idea of the Scottish hearth and home is a fantastic one!

After dinner I was taken for a wee jaunt around Loch Duich, and it was at about this point that I fell head over heels. Imagine, glittering waters encased by dramatic glacial mountains. Loch Duich home to the famous and, albeit, overly-photographed Eilean Donan Castle but perfectly speaks for itself in its own right. Villages surround the banks of the loch and people have been living here in relative peace and happiness for years, their lives influenced by the wild beauty all around. I can’t wait to go exploring tomorrow!

This evening has been rather quiet. I’m watching the sunset outside my casement window, listening to proper Scottish music, and documenting my experiences. I also went rock-collecting of which Erin, a sweet girl from back home, is going to be the lucky recipient. If you remember, I was given a Scottish rock ages ago meant for me to “return” one day, I still haven’t found the perfect moment to let go of my rock but did find the best place to retrieve Erin’s. All in good time.

Bed tonight and breakfast tomorrow, then onwards to Skye!

Eurovision: seeing politics more clearly.

I mentioned Eurovision in my previous post, but would be remiss if I didn’t remark on the political implications of this popular song contest. Although I won’t have the dry, sardonic wit of a BBC commentator, I’ll do my best.

Basically, Eurovision is the one time a year that the little European countries get to show up all the big European countries. Since the 1960s, Europeans have put together snazzy, and sometimes not so snazzy, song and dance routines to perform, viewers then call-in their top choices and each country votes; the deal is that each country cannot vote for its own entry. This is where the politics come in.

No matter how amazing, or amazingly awful, a country’s routine may be – the votes seem to follow very specific political alliances. For an instance, the United Kingdom’s only top supporter is Ireland, which is a shock in of itself, but can sometimes rely on Malta. This year, not surprisingly, the UK came in last place. Greece and Cyprus always vote for each other. Most every Eastern European country will give Russia substantial points because, well, the Cold War runs deep. You can always rely on the Ukraine for a rather creative piece, and Turkey for a rather desperate one. The list goes on.

Just a brief taster of what’s been happening in Europe tonight. Good night, all, and congrats to Germany!