New Skye Perspectives — Stomping Feat.

Apr 5

Apr 5 New Skye Perspectives

As though we are luckier than we realise, we got the chance to go to the Isle of Skye twice within the space of a month. This second time we took a car filled with new and old friends, and a plan to drink whisky and go walking.

The whisky part easily satiated (at least somewhat, with a couple of bottles taken away from the Talisker Distillery – disappointingly they didn’t have a bar there for us to drink at), we capped off our rainy Friday of driving with a meal in Portree and after-dinner whisky (and wine) at our house.

We woke on Saturday to marginally better weather, and after admiring the heard of Red Deer kept at the farm outside our house, headed off west.

Lighthouse Cliffs, Neist Point Isle of Skye

Neist Point Lighthouse really is a special place. After a steep climb down the cliff to make the walk out to the Isle of Skye’s most westerly point, the surrounding cliffs of Neist Point are ominous through the cloud. Rounding to the left of a high point in the cliff, the white and Yellow Stevenson lighthouse comes into view.

Wooden Lighthouse, Neist Point Isle of Skye

This, the second time we explored the partially abandoned lighthouse, was less scary and more revealing. We found new nooks and crannies, and had the guts to peer into the windows of the abandoned buildings; catching a glimpse of the sparkling clean kitchen tiles and satin flowers bleached by the sun which must make it to this cliff face on occasion.

After our fill of lighthouse cliffs, we drove back east to the Fairy Pools. We were drenched after our hour long exploration of the pools, and perhaps a little disenchanted from not seeing the striking Black Cullins, that I knew were hiding just behind the dense cloud.

But this too provided us a new, more immediate perspective; in awe of the spectacle of the immense flow of water moving down through the waterfalls of the pools.

The rain dried up and we headed on our final destination for the day – a walk up to the Old Man of Storr. The myths and legends about how the Old Man got to be there are varied, but my favourite is explanation says the pillar is the stony remains of a man.

The Old Man died whilst sitting on the ridge, climbing there after his wife had died and his heart was broken. The other rocky formation right next to the Old Man is his wife. So they are together forever, immortalised in one of the most iconic rock formations in Scotland. <3

Having walked up the steep and challenging hill myself, I am inclined to believe that many a heart has been broken somehow by this landscape. It was a stunningly beautiful and challenging walk. The sun dropping rays right over the Storr when we got to a viewpoint at the top, and onto the Old Man itself while the rest of our (fearless) party scrambled up to the base of him.

Deservedly, this is the most popular short hike on the island. The myths, the landscape and the view; back over the sea to the mainland highlands, make it an excellent short hike where the payoff at the top is 100% worth the effort to get there.

For me at least, and I hope for Andy, heading back to some of the places on Skye that we had been to less than a month ago, was fascinating rather than repetitive. A special place shared with friends will always bring a different perspective, whether it is the first or 63rd time you have visited.