Go ahead…Say that after a few sips of high octane Scotch. The Isle of Skye welcomed us with a drizzly afternoon as we found our way to Portree, a quaint little seaside town bustling with tourists.

After stocking up on groceries we wound our way to Park Cottage about 15 min. from Portree at the end of a road. This VRBO is delightfully located and will suit our needs for another few days.

The view from our cottage.

The morning brought a glorious clear sky and bright sun to warm our bones and set the tone for a wonderful day of hiking. Stepping out the front door in the early morning created two conflicting emotions. Bird song was everywhere with birds flitting among the trees right close to our cottage. After a few seconds of this joy I was swatting and scraping hundreds of midges off my bare skin. We had been warned of the midge invasion and it appeared to be upon us. I managed to catch shots of a Great Tit and a Willow Warbler before I was driven inside.

After breakfast the sun was up and the midges were down and we were able to carry on for the rest of the day without being eaten.
There are so many walks awaiting Isle hikers. We chose a 3 3/4 mi. hike to Rubha Hunish, the most northerly point on the Isle of Skye. Fields of heather and boggy lowlands made a pasture for many sheep and a few cows.

One book warned people to watch out for land mines along the trails. It became clear the the local sheep population had received training in appropriate deposition of digested grasses for maximum impact on careless foot placement by hikers.

The northern most tip on the Isle of Skye.

These meadows were home to many Pipits (most likely Meadow Pipits I think). They were flying up in the air making mating calls and diving down to the ground to impress a potential mate.

Duntulum Castle fits the Scottish preference of having no roof and a few crumbling walls. Our guide book says “The castle was the MacDonald base on Skye from the early 16th. century, and has a long and chequered history that embraces both glory and bloodshed.” Hmmmm I wonder how much we have evolved over a few hundred years???