Visiting the Isle of Skye was like a dream. See for yourself.
The Isle of Skye, off of Scotland’s western coast, is full of dramatic vistas and history. It is known for its mountain scenery and seaside cliffs. The mountains are black, long extinct volcanoes. To top it off, the island even has castles. So much to explore.
I spent an entire day on the Isle of Skye. I was memorized by the dramatic landscapes that I had been longing to see for years. Not only did I find amazing views, but I found some history as well.
Google Maps The route I took on Day 17 around the Isle of Skye.
Stop 1: Isle of Skye
This is where I normally tell you about my first stop, but like my last post, I basically stopped randomly along the road to take pictures of the beautiful landscape. So, I’ll be starting with some of those.
My first views on the Isle of Skye, or at least the first place I stopped, was at Loch Ainort. The black mountains in the distance are extinct volcanoes. Super cool.
Loch Ainort is on the eastern coast of Skye.
Just so pretty.
A tiny bit down the road, I found the first of many waterfalls of the day, Blackhill Waterfall. Thank you, Google Maps, for giving me the name of this waterfall. I’ve been in the dark for years.
The Storr, one of the most famous landmarks of the Isle of Skye. It’s a bunch of weirdly shaped rock pinnacles cause by landslips. The most prominent pinnacle is called the Old Man of Storr. Back when I visited, the dirt trail was complete mud so this the best view I got.
Stop 2: Lealt Falls
The sun came out just in time to see Lealt Falls, which flows into a lush gorge.
The trail to the falls viewing area also brings you to the coast where you get this amazing view. The mountains in the distance are on mainland Scotland.
Below the cliffs, along the beach, are the ruins of something. It may have been a distillery or mill.
Stop 3: Mealt Falls
Mealt Falls is one of the biggest attractions on the Isle of Skye. The area is beautiful to say the least.
Mealt Falls is spectacular.
Even the cliffs beyond the falls are spectacular.
Stop 4: the Quiraing
Another popular place to visit on the Isle of Skye is the Quiraing, another landslip with a very unique landscape. You can see the Quiraing from the main road, which has a large pull off to park in. It was a muddy mess, so I stayed near the parking lot and didn’t adventure further, which you can do.
It was rainy when I got here and 15 minutes later it was sunny. That’s Scotland for you.
The view from up here is pretty astounding.
The road was a bit of a doozy though. One lane, with pull offs for oncoming cars.
The road to the Quiraing goes into the interior of the island. I wanted to follow the coast because I was planning on going to a museum, I knew was along one section. I had no cell service for GPS, so I backtracked back down the mountain to the coast. So not disappointed. Look at all those little white cottages.
Beautiful rolling grass of pastures.
Stop 5: the Skye Museum of Island Life
On the northwestern side of the island is a fantastic museum dedicated educating us on tradition farm life on the Isle of Skye, and on the Scottish coast lands, as well. The museum preserves a township of thatched cottages that would have been common on the Isle of Skye in the 18th century.
And the thatched cottages are absolutely adorable.
They are now used for exhibition space to describe what life was like here.
Like this blacksmith shop with creepy mannequin.
Stop 6: Dunvegan Castle
Dunvegan Castle was the seat of the leader of the Clan MacLeod. Construction started in the 13th century, but much of the castle was changed in the 19th century to a mock medieval style. They didn’t allow photos inside.
The mock medieval castle of Dunvegan.
It was getting late, so I started heading back to the hotel after I left the castle. But I still able to see some views as I left the island.
Loch Harport. I was so confused about where I took this photo for a while until I found a lighthouse in another photo in the distance. I love Google Street View.
A perfect way to end the day.
Well, I had to include at least one photo of a sheep.
I had a perfect day on the Isle of Skye. It may have been rainy a bit and there was mud everywhere, but it was perfect. I can’t wait to go back.
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Start at the beginning of my 30 days around Great Britain!
