The ferry from Tarbert took me from the Isle of Harris to the Isle of Skye, home of, among other things, my clan, the MacDonalds.The ferry ride was rough, but I'm not prone to seasickness, so I was just fine. Others on the boat did not fare as well...
I arrived in Uig (OO-ig) on the Isle of Skye and was greeted by very strong winds and what can best be described as "unpredictable" weather the minute I stepped off the ferry and onto the jetty.
However, I had it in my plans to walk from Uig to Portree (15 miles) and I wasn't going to let a little weather deter me, so I geared up and got to walking. The winds at one point were a sustained 50mph- I had to lean sideways into it to avoid being blown into the roadside ditches on several occasions. Oh, and in addition to raining and snowing intermittently, it also hailed. Sideways hail at 50mph hurts, a lot. All things considered however, the walk was fun. I was appropriately geared up and I made better time than I thought I was going to.
Upon arriving in Portree I felt something I had, until that point, only been jealous of in others. I was the intrepid traveler arriving in town from parts unknown. I could just about hear people thinking the things I have always thought about such hearty souls- "Who is he?" "Where did he come from?" "Where is he headed next?" I was, "that guy" and it felt great!
The bed in my otherwise fine B & B was the worst one of the trip, but after my walk from Uig and all of the other walking I did in and around town, it did really matter.
What does one take away from a trip to the Isle of Skye? Simply that it is one of the most beautiful places on earth.
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