Slow Traveler
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I think the Isle of Skye is a truly great vacation destination. It is a place, however, where you really should rent a place and stay the week and sink in the rural rhythms.
We rented our place without really knowing much about Skye, and we were stunned when we got there at how beautiful it is. Every morning, we would get up, have a warming Scottish breakfast, take a morning hike -- each time setting off in a new direction -- and then we would find a nice place for lunch. After lunch, we'd walk again, over hill, over dale, over heath, over sand at the beach, marveling at the ever changing views because the light and clouds shift so much. (The mist rising over Skye in the morning, like plumes of smoke, revealing the land and sea beneath is a breathtaking, riveting sight.)
So by sundown we would return to our cottage, which was about 100 years from a large hotel. We'd walk over, sit in the bar and drink Scotch or sip dark ale, and then sit down to a nice dinner of usually the local fish caught fresh from the sea, or some kind of roast.
We did this for seven days, and never felt bored. It was september, so we had glorious if changeable weather. The few times it rained, we stayed indoors, made a coal fire in our cottage, and read.
We rented a car and it really aided in giving us variety in our twice-daily treks. We drove all over the upper half of the island, taking new walks with new views, and taking boat rides to distant lochs and isles.
In the summer, Skye is plagued by a biting gnat that is really annoying. If possible, hit the cool months of Spring or the dry months of autumn, but the window is small.
I dream of going back to Skye -- and I live in Italia! It's is just so remote, with the sheep, the whales in the minch, the rainbows, the rabbits and simple food.
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is the Kylerhea Otter Haven. You can watch otters from the hide there.
