What a difference a day makes

Sunday 22nd July

When we woke this morning we couldn't see the Isle of Skye through the cloud and mist, but that's where we were headed for the day. Our main reason for visiting here is that Rob's heritage goes back to the McLeod family whose castle, Dunvegan, is on the Isle of Skye. His great grandmother was a McLeod but we don't know which particular chief of the clan she descends from. Anyway we joined the other umpty hundred tourists and visited the castle and Rob signed the McLeod family registry.

Dunvegan Castle - the family home. 

Odette thinks she might like to live here - it's cold we told her.

Dame Flora McDonald (McLeod) - not the one who harboured
Bonnie Prince Charlie,
but a more recent Flora who visited Australia in the 70s.

The main entrance to the castle.

The dining room - apparently still gets used. One thing we have noticed
is that English and Scottish castles seem to be more utilitarian
than the French castles and chateaux
- not so much of the 'mine is bigger than yours'.

Waistcoat supposedly worn by Bonnie Prince Charlie. 

The rear courtyard of the castle that looks over the loch.

Yes - misty rain.

We were hoping to see some highland cattle and these ones were hanging out
right next to the road.  I wonder if the cows like the human company.

On to the town of Uig for lunch - pronounced you-ig. We ate at the pier restaurant and watched the ferry from the outer Hebrides dock and unload, then reload.

Flora McDonald's memorial - she apparently gave safe harbour
to Bonnie Prince Charlie and no one turned him in,
even for the £30,000 reward.

Back to the town of Portree which is the main town on Isle of Skye, before heading to the pub in the town of Plockton for dinner.

Lots of cars stopped to take photos of this beautiful rainbow on Skye.

Kilt Rock - yes, it does look a little like a kilt. 

I love the sheep with black faces, and they usually also have black socks.

Well known row of coloured houses in Portree.

After dinner - it's about 9pm.

One thing we noticed on Skye, and when we thought about it, it also applied to Rannoch Moor, is that there are no trees - apart from some pine plantations on Skye. Another thing they have here are single track roads, where there are passing bays every couple of hundred metres. They mostly work fine except when you come over a blind crest and are faced with another vehicle. I think we are starting to get the hang of them - although a little less speed would help.

Monday 23rd July

A different story when we woke this morning - we could see most of Skye. It was still partly cloudy but looked like it might be a day of no rain.

We stayed in probably our first true B&B for the past 2 nights. The hosts were lovely, our room was great, and they prepared a fabulous cooked breakfast for us.

Our B&B - Creag Dubh.

Looking across to the Isle of Skye this morning.

Our drive today to Ullapool was all about the scenery. We are following what they call the North Coast 500. This is a road 500 miles (about 800k) long which goes up and around the coast of Scotland. The road was mostly quite good road but there were a couple of long sections of these single track roads. No rain today, just cloudy at times and sometimes windy. Fabulous mountains, lochs, treeless acres of farmland - hundreds of photo opportunities so I've included a few random shots.

Town of Garioch.