The other people at this hostel, (i.e. the guests) are also friendly. Apart from the young Montrealers we met yesterday, at breakfast we meet a diver who works in Skye collecting seafood from the bottom of the sea (I think it was clams) and a young woman who has been in Skye for quite a while; she advises us to check out the Storr and a bakery in Portree, the biggest village in Skye. That's the thing about being in a remote place with few people. Strangers are eager to know about each other and tend to help each other out. It's a warm and welcoming atmosphere, a community built on trust and generosity.
As we leave/check out of the hostel to hitch a ride with the Montrealers (kind as they are to offer us a ride), my friend points out a sign that hangs above the reception desk saying you can stay at the hostel for free as long as you do 2 hours of housekeeping every day. Not a bad deal if you're a traveler on a low-budget. I might do it myself if I return to Skye (which I plan to do at some point in my life).
We stop at Portree (as mentioned before, the largest village in Skye) and wait while the Montrealers check into their hostel. My friend S and I take a quick look around; we go to the edge and watch the boats in the water. It looks something like this:
The Montrealers then drive us to the Storr in their car. It's a bumpy ride along a narrow road that curves very high up and very low down. It's a bit nerve-wracking actually. And at some point there's only enough space for one car to go through, so we have to stop at the side to let the other car that's coming towards us pass by.
The Storr is a rocky mountain about 700 metres high, a famous landmark in the Isle of Skye. We thank the Montrealers and say good-bye when we get there. S and I decide to leave our bags at the bottom of the mountain behind some bushes before we start climbing (S's idea, of course, as she is the more experienced adventurous traveler of us two).
As someone who's only climbed mountains a handful of times in her life, and who's probably not in the best physical shape, I found it a bit hard climbing this mountain. It doesn't help that I've got a fear of heights either. The way up feels pretty narrow to me; I can't help but think I might fall backwards, off the mountain, and tumble to my death. We acknowledge most of the climbers that pass us by, whether it's a "hi" or a quick smile. It's as if it's part of the social code in Skye to be courteous to each other, strangers or not. I like it.
I notice that some climbers go up the Storr with their dogs. I know there's no way I can climb up this mountain whilst holding an animal by its leash. I can barely go up with my own backpack. And every step I take, I'm afraid I might slip on a rock. Or the muddy ground. Or even a branch. I have to be careful with each step. There's always that fear of falling, which escalates (no pun intended!) the higher I go up.
We take a few breaks here and there, but they're too short for me. S is always ahead of me. That recent camping trip in the Alps of hers has done her some good.
This is what the Storr looks like from below, looking up:
To the side is a group of rocky pinnacles, the most famous of which is the Old Man (of Storr). To be honest, I'm not sure I saw it. I might have, but nobody else is sure which one's the Old Man. It's much clearer from the pic with an aerial view on Google Images, but unfortunately I don't own a helicopter.
Here's a pic that is more focused, from a different and closer angle:
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| The sun is high in the sky on a pleasant day in Skye. |
Because S has work the next day, and buses go through Skye only 3 times a day (about every 5 hours or so) in the fall season, we go up Storr as quickly as we possibly can. I usually hate to rush things, but we're on a tight schedule. I don't even make it to the very top. I'd rather spend the little time that we have left relaxing near the top, gazing at the views below and taking it all in. I wait for S and take a few pictures as she goes up to the peak. There's something mystical about this place (well, I guess that can be said for much of Scotland, especially the natural areas). I can totally envision Celtic myths taking place here, among the crags covered in green on this mountain. There could be giants and ogres living here, or gods and wizards, or maybe a warrior-like clan. This is what I love about Celtic landscape, and being immersed in it: I find it inspiring as it stirs up the imagination and makes me think of old folk tales, tales I want to revisit and visit anew, rework and create.
A couple of pics from above, looking down below:
We go down the mountain as fast as we can once we've had our fill of the top, grab our bags that we've hidden from behind the bushes, and wait for the bus. There are a mother and a daughter from the US already waiting there with whom we make chitchat. They tell us how they had lunch at the top of the Storr and I grow envious. Perhaps next time?
S and I get off back at Portree. Despite it being the largest village in Skye, it is still tiny. The bus stop is at the town square, and from there we already see both the police station and the main bank, and of course, the bakery (previously mentioned, recommended by a girl in the hostel) which we head straight to for our next meal. I haven't eaten much in Skye at all (I was still feeling queasy from the fatigue and that 5-hour bus ride) and even though my appetite still hasn't been whetted, I buy a lot of baked goodies (fresh shortbread - delicious!, cupcakes, pasties, cookies, you name it!) because everything looks good and is affordable. I'd recommend that bakery to other Portree visitors myself and if I ended up in Skye again, I'd probably go back.
S and I eat our food before the bus comes and heads back to Glasgow directly from Portree. This makes it a 7-hour ride as opposed to the previous 5 hours. Can you guess what happened this time, considering that it's two hours longer of the same kind of ride - bumpy, wavy, curvy, and zigzaggedy (so maybe that last one wasn't a word, but it definitely made sense in this context)? Can you guess what happened this time, considering that after we made a major stop at the Morrison's supermarket (super affordable food everywhere) I decided to eat the two pears I'd just bought on the bus? Yes, that's right. You guessed it. I threw up. Twice. The second time happened not long after the first. S was really helpful as she immediately passed me napkins and plastic bags that didn't have holes in them (apparently all the supermarket plastic bags, be it from Tesco, Morrison's, Waitrose...have little air holes in them), so travel tip #1: It's always good to carry napkins/tissue paper/paper towels and plastic bags that don't have holes because you never know when you're going to throw up on a bus/train/plane/boat ride.
That was the first time I'd ever thrown up on public transport in my entire life. It was a bit embarrassing but I don't think anyone but my friend noticed. Everyone seemed to be twiddling their thumbs, or staring into space deep in thought, or reading a book. Yeah, that's right, I could barely sit on that god-forsaken bus ride and somebody was actually reading a novel the whole way through! I bet there was someone else doing sudokus and crossword puzzles. I couldn't understand any of it. They must have all been made of steel or something, because to be fair, as written before, I'm not usually the kind to get sick on buses.
So thus ends my journey in Skye. Even though it was short and rushed and I had to endure horrendous bus rides, I didn't regret it one bit. The beauties of Skye made it all worth it. And now I know better in preparation for my next journey to Skye. I can be more adventurous next time, going off the beaten path and trudging through wild grass, climbing a mountain, sitting by the bay, and god knows what else. There are numerous attractions in Skye that I've yet to tackle and maybe sometime in the future, I'll spend a month or two there.
Skye has now become one of my absolute favourite places in the world. It's the perfect place for adventure as well as making art (in my case, that's writing). Its natural beauty is incomparable, its scenic attractions magical and inspiring, and its atmosphere calm and peaceful.
One final note: Weather can be a major factor in the turn-out of one's trip, especially when it comes to a trip in which the outdoors plays a huge role. When traveling to a place where the beauties of nature are in abundance and are hence the main sights, it's always best to have the sun and comfortable temperature. S and I were lucky; it didn't rain at all in our short visit to Skye. It would have sucked to stay indoors when the purpose of visiting Skye is to see its natural sights, and it would have equally sucked to go out, walk for god knows how long, and climb a mountain in the pouring rain.
Late October, or the fall season in general, is a nice time to go. The temperature is mild and the autumnal colours add a splash of beauty to the natural landscape. However, if you are traveling by public transport, the high season of the summer might be a more ideal time. Buses go through Skye more often, thus giving more flexible travel schedules. The fall bus schedule kicks in mid-late October, so if you don't have your own car, visiting Skye before then would give more options and be more ideal.
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