Skye - day 3

May 26, 2018

Aviemore, Saturday, May 26

With regret, we’ve left Skye, passing out of it on perhaps the most sparkling day of our trip.

I think both of us like to imagine living there, certain we’d love the mesmerizing views, striking weather, and unexpected geological surprises. In reality, I think it would drive us stark, raving mad!

Skye is almost fifty miles long, and just less than half that wide. There are only a couple of roads that are reliably two lanes, which means that every trip turns out to be a long one. It’s tough to count on going faster than about fifteen mph, and even that can be hair-raising.

Couple the difficult driving with very few places to eat, and even fewer places to shop and you have a recipe for frustration. But it’s so magical that it lures you into thinking it would be grand as a home. It’s like the syrens of the islands, trying to transfix you.

We were slightly disappointed to wake yesterday to low clouds. But they blew away by the time we were on the road for yet another long drive across the island. We had only two agenda items: lunch and a visit to Neist Point.

We’d made reservations for lunch about six months ago, really wanting to dine at The Three Chimneys, a Michelin-starred place we’d read about.

It’s at the edge of nowhere, and the last forty-five minutes of our one and a half hour journey was on single-track roads. Those roads are really time consuming when you have to pull over to let opposing cars pass, which is just about constantly.

Normally, we don’t mind driving, since we’re always chatting about things we’re seeing. But I woke up with a pretty bad case of laryngitis, to accompany my complete loss of taste and smell. Not the best day to have an expensive lunch! But Carolyn was pretty much able to taste, even though her cold is still troubling her, so we decided to stick with our plan.

I can’t attest to the taste, but the food looked beautiful, the service was impeccable, and the room was very attractive. Carolyn assures me it was good, and she’s a reliable narrator <s>.

We got the last five oysters in the restaurant

Homemade crackers were the size and weight of a feather

After lunch, we went to Neist Point, location of “The Fall of Susan.” I’ve been planning on revisiting it for a mastery experience, and thought my birthday was the perfect day.

I was a bit skittish, but determined. When we arrived, the sun was shining brightly, and the wind was about half of what it had been in September. That was cheering, so we put on our warm coats and took off.

It was windier than it looked, but awfully pretty with the sun shining on the glittering ocean. A lot of people were out, including a German family with an infant and two toddlers. If a woman could do the hike with a child strapped to her chest, surely I could!

It’s really not a very difficult hike, and if there were no wind it would be a snap. But I can’t imagine it’s ever wind-free. We scampered down the first long set of stairs, holding onto the rusting railing. Then the railing ends and you cross a long meadow. All good. The next bit of path regains a railing, probably put up so the lighthouse keeper wasn’t blown off the hill. But right before you reach the top, the railing stops.

It is a really long way down

That’s where I was, just fifty feet from the turn that would let me see the lighthouse. I’m pretty sure I could have made it, and I’m pretty sure I would have felt good about my tenacity for doing it. But the wind had really kicked up, buffeting me even while using my hiking poles.

This video won't play but you can see the wind

Oddly, I had a prudent moment and decided it was better to attempt and fail than to be dashed to the rocks again. Perhaps another revolution of the sun has given me some much-needed maturity. Whatever the reason, I’m glad I stopped, even though I was so close. That was the mastery experience I needed.

So it was a very good birthday, spent among some awesome sights, with my life partner at my side. The last part is the most important, of course, but it was nice to have the scenery as a bonus!