Grey and White

A grey old day, brightened by a superb White-tailed Eagle flypast.

We always have one day of a trip to the Isles where we forego the walking shoes in favour of a trip around galleries and the like. This is generally because one day of the trip will be scuppered by the weather. Actually, again today, the forecast wasn't quite as bad as predicted, but there were still a number of showers, and a stiff, cold breeze, as we toured the north of the island.

The eagle was as we checked out a couple of plots for sale in Milovaig. We've stayed in the area a few times, and while it's obviously more of a trek to get to once across the bridge, the views across Loch Pooltiel are worth it, and the wildlife generally interesting. As are the plots.

From there to Skye Weavers, and a growing collection of their stuff continues to augment (including a birthday present for Mel, and a tie for me); thence to Stein for a gander (not stopping at the Inn, we may have caught it on bad days, but never been massively impressed in the past, and Loch Bay, now home of Michael Smith, ex-of Three Chimneys, isn't open for lunch on a Tuesday), and Trumpan to try and find Lady Grange's headstone.

From Uig (for a quick check of the Uig Pottery, where I guess beauty is in the eye of the beholder...) we headed to the excellent Elishadder Cafe for a cake and coffee refuel. That took us on the road past the Quiraing, and confirmation of just how busy everything is getting at the main, can-be-accessed-quickly-from-the-road, sites. Flooded with cars, parked at all sorts of angles, with those driving unable or unwilling to acknowledge they're on single track roads.

We ended up chatting about how busy everything is coming with the co-owner of Skye Weavers, and the chap serving us in Elishadder, with both somewhat concerned about how busy the island is at the moment. Despite it obviously being good for business. Double-edged sword. But little annoyances over people not waving thanks if you stop in a passing place for them to come in the other direction, or being unwilling to reverse* to their nearer one if you meet part-way, aren't just held by me it appears.

Apparently one journey which normally takes 20 minutes is taking around 50 these days.

Still, there are places you can find to get almost to yourself. It helps if you know the island well, so we're okay on that score. We just know that when we come here we'll be avoiding the Quiraing, Storr, and various other spots. That's essentially because the reason we come here is to get away from everything. Urbanity. People. Worries. That's not what others are doing, so they're welcome to their huge car parks, selfies, and short walks in jeans.

*prime example coming home. Chap in an SUV coming over a crest as we approach. We both stop. He tentatively edges to sort-of go off-road, but there's a ditch, and it's easier if I reverse the 20-30 yards to the passing place I'd gone by. That's fine. It's only after he goes by (at least he waved) and I carry on, that I realise he was roughly one yard past a passing place when he stopped.