A Short Taste of Skye, and Whisky

We are on Skye and the sky is lowering. Does it ever stops raining in the Highlands? A local lady we asked in a shop clearly recalled that one day last year, about June 20th, she thought, the sun did shine. (But of course, I just made that up.) In our planning Val and I did allow for rain, wind and a rather cool climate, even in late May.

I think we may need a wee dram to warm our cockles, don't you agree??

Now, today in Portree, Skye's capital, (on the right) we are getting it all: a 12 degrees maximum, 93% chance of rain (fair odds, which are being met outside this lovely warm pub that we have discovered) and wind, in fact today there is a high wind alert.

Being confirmed fair weather travelers we will just meditate over a pint on some of the beautiful places at Skye that we might have visited.

 Such as what we have here:

 Sligachan Old Bridge,

Dunvegan Castle, and

Brothers Point.

Did I mention that we are holed up in a pub? Yes, I did, and here is a pretty picture of Seumas' Bar to prove the point. Seumas proudly affirms that his bar is "a convivial haunt providing tavern fare, pints and over 400 Scottish malts in an upbeat atmosphere." It's actually at Sligachan, presumably not far from that old bridge. As well as a pint or two we all hopped into his Highland Venison Casserole for lunch.

Seumas was too shy on Skye to pose behind his bar...pitty

Before we left our warm hole at Burrum Heads for this glorious adventure, Stuart, good friend and  noted connoisseur of good whiskey, insisted that we visit Talisker Distillery while on Skye.  This is actually the only whiskey distillery on Skye founded in  1830. We did visit and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves....tastings were a delight. We did fall in with some of the locals, enjoying the fellowship ...and finished up much as our new friends are HERE.

Beware if you look to buy really old whisky. A recent CNN report has this to say: "A group of scientists turned sleuths in Scotland who developed a way to test the age of Scotch whisky have found that a lot of the vintage spirits aren't anywhere nearly as old as advertised. In one case they found a bottle said to be a 1863 Talisker was actually distilled in 2005 or later. If truly 1863 it would have been worth thousands of dollars." Your diarist (me) and CNN stress that Talisker Distillery itself was not in any way involved in the sale of the bottle.

There have been enjoyable movies featuring whisky misdoings. Enjoy this little gem at WHISKY GALORE followed by a little bit of Highland comfy bar room Scottish dancing HERE taken from the 1949 first version of "Whisky Galore".

You guessed it......Talisker Distillery....pretty as a picture

Soon Val and I and our good mate virtual Ian (who does enjoy the wee dram, too) will take the high way to the high Highlands, on the West coast roads to Ullapool, Durness aiming for John o'Groats. We will have journeyed through  absolutely stunning countryside and magnificent views.

Then it's our goal to visit the Orkneys.

Google says we can add:     Guidbye Bye Bye for noo See ye efter

Val and Bryan  (and Ian)

Over the Sea to Skye

Well, I want you all to know that your foreign correspondent has been flat out like a lizard drinking doing all sorts of other absorbing stuff rather than keeping this diary up to date. Actually that's a really big fib; it's more a case of lock down lethargy, a slothful disregard for one's duty!

The Peat-Cutter's Cottage

But we're back now, on duty. Your travelling party is now ensconced in a quite twee and quaint traditional peat cutter's cottage on the shores of Loch Eishort, Isle of Skye, Scotland. We were searching for a basic (and warm) cottage far from the madding crowd...and we have found it here, with spades.

At this point my diary "modis operandi" is to introduce an appropriate piece of local music. So HERE you have a beautiful rendition by Ella Roberts of "On the Bonnie Banks of Loch Lomond". Ahh, actually give this one THIS ONE

To quote the AirBnB quite truthful blurb "Our Peat-cutter's Cottage is a traditional, 100 year old (looks much older actually....my addition) with a larch clad kitchen. Inside is a cosy sitting room with wood burning stove (some fuel provided)". Note the proviso..."some" fuel provided! The wood stove is the only source of  hot water, except for a small immersion heater, so perhaps we need a little more than "some" fuel. Val and I had picked up on this and the fact that the nearest store was 15 miles back up the one-way road at Elgol and had picked food, wood and booze from said store on the way in. The only place anywhere near for an evening meal is Coruisk House.

Loch Eishort view. Not much free wood here.

The one very great advantage of our Peat-Cutters Cottage is the price at a lowly $165.64 for two, yes, two, whole nights. Well, for peat's sake, it wouldn't have wanted to be any more would it! But, as any good treasurer knows, something had to be done to bring our overall expenses into line after our extravagance, our indulgent sojourn  at Camelot Castle Hotel.

Before we explore Skye and dine out at Coruisk House, I should perhaps let you, dear reader, know of our travails on the way to this desolate spot. I do suppose that you are breathless with anticipation for my tales of roads traveled and mighty odds overcome.  But, alas and alors, nothing of the kind.

Val and I (and Ian too) took the Scottish national carrier, Loganair, 1.20pm flight from Exerter to Edinburgh arriving at Edinburgh airport 1 hour 40 minutes later after a booze-less passage. Booze-less not though our prudent abstention but rather the result of the abstemious Logan not having booze on board. Undoubtedly a Good Thing since we picked up our hire car straight off to head for the night's stay at Lochleven Inn at Killin, a pleasant 115km afternoon journey. Nearby is an absolutely gorgeous walk by the Falls of Dochart.

Just part of the Falls of Dochart

The next day's drive was a gruelling 262km through Glencoe, past Fort William and over the bridge at Kyle of Lochalsh to Skye. We passed near the magnificently atmospheric Castle of Eilean Donan.

   

Your Blog History Lesson for the Day. (pay attention, Ian). Nothing to do with the picture above. Way back in 1977 Val and I stayed at a BnB on a hillside at Skye overlooking the bay at Loch Eishort. (Breakfast of porridge, white pudding, black pudding, etc full Scottish, we remember.)

This bay is where, I thought, Bonnie Prince Charlie landed  in 1745 to a tumultuous gathering of the Highland clans, rising them against the dastardly English to put our boy Charlie on the throne of Great Britain. Actually it's not that at all. He landed somewhere else in the Isles not too far away to a, lets say, a subdued welcome by seven people.

Loch Eishort is the place to which Charlie fled from the English pursuers following the disaster of Culloden. After two minor victories against the English, on the 16th April 1746 at Culloden the Highland clans were crushed. 2000 clansmen were killed to the English opposition 50 dead and 250 wounded. Charles disbanded the remaining clansmen and disappeared into the wilds, eventually ending up at Loch Eishort to be taken off by the French Frigate, "L'Heureux", arriving back in France in September. (Message: from Charlie to Louis XV..."I say old mate, could you have an UBER standing by off Skye....I may need a lift"). In all that time on the lamb (sorry, on the lam, but he may have been up to other things too) he was never betrayed to the English despite a reward of £30,000 being on the table. So now's the time to hear the lament, the Skye Boat Song, sung by Ella Roberts

If you care to go  HERE  Rod Stewart gives this beautiful song an airing in his unique style with some beautiful Scottish scenes to open. Let me say that your diarist has found as many lyric versions of this song as there are Scots in Scotland.

Meanwhile its off to Coruisk House for dinner. At £55 per head we dine on lobster bisque, wild venison (stalked Ross MacRae), "iron age pork" a variety of pork 80% wild boar (raised by Rachael and Keith Jackson) etc etc. No we didn't, it really was frozen take away dinners microwaved to perfection accompanied by a rather dubious wild red wine.

I leave you with Greensleeves for no other reason that it automatically followed on after Ella's song and it is beautiful listening. As I write the wild wind is resonating about the house here at Burrum Heads while I listen to the haunting melodies of Ella.