June-July 2025 Arran, Skye, Western Isles (Part 6 -- Skye)

Day 6 -- Tuesday, the 1st July

JS gets up early and goes for a run across the Skye Bridge and back.

We then go for breakfast next door, at The Legend of Saucy Mary, which serves as the kitchen for the hostel we stayed in.

The place has a plaque to explain the name: said Mary used to make sailors pay for the privilege of passing the kyle (the sound). To lure them into the kyle and levy the toll, she used to expose her attributes. That got her her nickname.

Eggs Royale [sic] (tOMoH)

Scrambled Eggs and Smoked Salmon (JS)

Eggs Benedict with Smoked Salmon (adc)
(aka Eggs Royale)

The food is excellent. They also have a decent bar with whiskies from Skye and the surrounding islands. But it is 7:30. Not that that would stop us; simply, Scotland will not sell alcohol before 10:00.

Outside, we noticed a collection of scooters. They were there last night (though fewer of them), but, today, the riders are polishing them. They are Mods, part of a club or two. They tell me they are doing the North Coast 400. Whatever that is. I know the North Coast 500, which passes northeast of Skye, not the 400. Nae matter! They seem jolly, and the weather is certainly on their side, today. In fact, the weather is brilliant, which is rather unusual on this island. We decide to change our plans accordingly. Instead of exploring the south of the isle (where we are), we will drive to Storr, in the north.

Because the weather is good, and because we can

Caslte Moil under a heavy glare

A couple of hours later, we are in Disneyland. One has to pay to park at the bottom of the trail to the Old Man of Storr (and the Sanctuary). Not that that changes much: it is full, so we cannot park, there or anywhere in the vicinity. Traffic wardens are issuing parking tickets left right and centre. We quickly realise that, even if we managed to park somewhere, paying or not, the trek to the Old Man, an impressive stack we saw up close in 2010, would be a chore, with that crowd. We give up and continue north.

Looked good from a distance, though

We reach the Quiraing walk around 11:00. It is busy too, but nothing like Storr. The hike is sporty, if not overly challenging, and the majestic view of the Quiraing itself is a good motivation.

adc throws in the towel a couple of kilometres in, and spends a long moment on the shore of Loch Langaig, while JS and I press on.

I can think of worse places for adc to wait

It is quickly obvious that our decision to travel the length of the island to visit the north of Skye today, after leaving from Kyleakin in the far south, will result in our not having enough time to complete the hike -- not to mention adc is waiting for us.

Also, it seems like a very-dangerous hike, all of a sudden!

But we come close enough to enjoy some spectacular views. Views that we feel obliged to augment with a delicious drop of Poit Dhubh 30yo b.2006 (43%, Pràban na Linne 30th Anniversary Edition, b#230), followed by 163.1 6yo 2018/2024 Smokin'! (58.1%, SMWS Society Cask, 1st Fill ex-Bourbon Barrel, 240b).

We cut the hike short and trace our steps back to join adc. Or so we think: we end up on a higher path than we were on on the way up, and that proves more challenging to come down.

On the way, we encounter this marvelous mahpie moth
(abraxas grossulariata)

And some heather

And another magpie moth

We drive around the north end of Trotternish and reach Duntulm Castle, which was not planned, but is too good an opportunity to pass.

The castle is crowded AF. So much so I struggle to enjoy the magnificent site. At some point, while JS is taking a picture, a bloke shoos her out of his frame. No 'please,' no 'thanks.' Just a lack of social manners. I climb behind him and shoo the same as a retaliation. The dick hardly registers it. Sigh.

We continue, southward now, to the Skye Museum of Island Life.

The ladies decide it is too busy to visit, but we stretch our legs. There is an exciting MacBraynes bus from yesteryear in the car park.

There is also a food truck that serves pie.

Only have to get past that trippy coo...

They are almost out of everything, but they do have a couple of haggis pies. Guess what we eat? adc rounds it off with fudge. We sit on two benches outside to eat. It tastes excellent and lifts our spirits. Birds fly by, sparrows, robins, curious, and probably hungry for our crumbs. Slightly further are rabbits.

Whose are these long ears?

A wee rascal with a red facemask

Looking plump and cute to trick us

"Oooh! A Crumb!"

adc gets up to pass me a napkin or something similar -- a nine-second operation, if that. A German dives onto her exact seat on the otherwise empty bench. There is enough room next to JS and me for adc to sit down, but it confirms that tourists' behaviour on Skye is questionable.

We drive to Portree, park the car in a free spot in the centre of town, but it is too tight for comfort and we end up a little farther, just opposite our next accommodation, Rock View Guest House. We check in, then walk to the whisky shop that DH recommended (Isle of Skye Distillers).

The view on our way

The shop is closed. Not that they close on Tuesdays; builders are doing unidentified work is all. Argh.

After a quick tour of Portree, we head home to freshen up, and slowly head to Waternish. Since timing allows, we will have supper at The Stein Inn, tonight, a place we enjoyed very much in 2010.

JS confirms on their Web site that they boast more than one hundred whiskies. We remember at least double that, official and independent bottlings, including some hard to find. This is where we first encountered the Scotch Malt Whisky Society, believe it or not! We are excited.

On arrival in Stein, an SUV is blocking the way and visibly slowing down to deliberately block the way some more as I wait in a passing place for the driver to clear. He almost stops at my height and flags me to slow down. I laugh in disbelief at the audacity of someone willingly being an obstacle while telling others to behave on the road. We were well below speed limits, to be clear. Put someone behind the wheel of a car and see the worst of them. The bigger the car, the worse they become.

Here we are

Once inside, I cannot count more than forty bottles, mostly regional, mostly entry level. I explain I am surprised at the discrepancy with the Web site's promise. The bar lad explains there is such a heavy rotation they cannot display all the bottlings simultaneously. I ask how the Abhain Dearg is. Neither he nor his colleague has ever heard of it. I point it out on the shelf; after three or four attempts, they finally locate it and admit they have never had it. They ask me how it tastes. Flabbergasted, I opt for a Scapa in the new livery (Scapa 10yo (48%, OB Small Batch, American Oak, b.2024) 7/10). It is not local, but it is the only one I have never seen in a supermarket, other than the Abhain Dearg. I feel necessary to specify I want it neat. They bring it to me...

...in this

Later on, it will turn out I should have asked for the price too: £12 for a single pour (they do the 2.5cl English measure, by the way, not the Scottish 3.5cl). One can buy a 70cl bottle for £49.95. I feel completely ripped off. Our food arrives.

Lochbay Crab and Haddock Fondou [sic] (me)

Stornoway Haggis and Isle of Skye Black Pudding Bon Bon (JS)

Fish, Shellfish Chowder (adc)

Whole Seabass served with chimmichurre, fries and salad (me)

Fish and Chips (JS)

Local Skye Smoked Peat Fish Dish (adc)

At least, the food is good, albeit a bit too salty, and the portions are beyond generous. The bar, however, is a mere shadow of its past self. I ask about that. The bar lad (English, as virtually all the staff we see) explains that the current (English) owner bought the place in 2019, and immediately decided to make it a more-upscale place with better food quality and service. He tells us that was needed, since the previous owner would serve microwaved food and serve cheap pints to locals only. We say we visited in 2010 and we were impressed by both the food and the bar. He insists we would have had microwaved food and one cannot make a profit selling only cheap beer. Later on, JS and I clear any doubt: the lamb I had that night of the 19th September 2010 was not microwaved. It was so good we went back the following evening. On both nights, at least one of our group had fish and chips, a dish that does not microwave too well. We washed that down with an SMWS Ardbeg, an SMWS Caol Ila, a Rosebank and a Gordon & MacPhail St Magdalene, none exactly "cheap beer." Now, perhaps there was an intermediary landlord, but I question the current staff's reliability, when they comment on my own experience.

The Stein Inn at dusk

We were already not sure dessert was a good idea (did I mention the generous portions?) That chat helps us decide against it. We drive back to Portree, have a dram of 163.1 6yo 2018/2024 Smokin'! (58.1%, SMWS Society Cask, 1st Fill ex-Bourbon Barrel, 240b) and call it a night.

View from our room