Steve The Wandering Aussie

2023.06.09

There are Giant Sequoias growing beside the road between Ullapool, last nights BNB, and the turn off to Isle of Skye, where we are now. Not a great number but as I’ve seen them in other parts of Scotland I guess I wasn’t too surprised.
Five hours driving today and I’m a tad shagged.
The western coast is as starkly mountainous as I remembered. Massive depleted monoliths with skinny little single lane roads winding and bumping in a way that made me think the road builders were paid by the curve and the pot hole repair crew are on permanent leave.
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After the first four hours driving, at an average speed of frustration, we made it to the Fairy Glen near Ulg in the far north west of the island to see the interesting piles of stones created by retreating glaciers. Loads of tourists (and more from Melbourne) but an enchanting series of rock formations just the same. Worth the drive and short walk.
Another hours drive and we are staying in an expensive but idyllic little BNB on Skye. Our Host is Johnny. A local boy who has owned this house for thirty years. His girlfriend lives in Dresden, Germany. 1200 miles from here. He’s riding his 1600cc BMW motorcycle there this afternoon. Madness or love? (140MPH on the Autobahn, Terry and Paul)
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There is an air of locational majesty about being here. On Skye. And it was 16 (61f) degrees when we arrived so it wasn’t ice collecting on me, giving me brain freeze, this place is simply different. Like Fraser Island is.
It was also the warmest and clearest day we have had since arriving so Skye greeted us with a zeal I could get used to.
Lyn sat on the front timber deck, watching the sun slowly set, while the temperature dropped in a stones like manner. After two hours the sun had barely moved, and it was still daylight at ten when we went to bed.
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What we have learned: going back along the path already taken gives a new perspective on what we’ve seen. (Maybe I’m getting old, too)

Cheers
Steve