Maybe swim a mile down the Nile

OK so I’ve been back for a week, but I’ve been busy!

Skye was gorgeous (some photos here but don’t click unless you are keen on pretty hills and my children); weather was mixed to say the least, but we were only rained off on two days and the first was rather pleasant with games and dvds and general not-doing-much. (On the second we were Doomed: we tried to go swimming, the pool was shut; to a playground, which we couldn’t find; on a boat, too choppy…ended up driving from Broadford to Staffin for a baked potato. Lovely scenic drives and small walks between showers are fine for us but the girls were fed up. We finished in a pub playing giant connect four.)

We travelled up via Glencoe and the ferry for the sake of the romance. Week 1 we stayed in Glendale (in the fabulous missionary’s house): high points included a wonderful meal at the three chimneys (inlaws handily in a nearby B&B and could be called upon for babysitting duties), spotting a golden eagle at the Quiraing, Neist point (though we disappointingly failed to see sharks, dolphins, or anything much beyond sheep). Tamsin had a wonderful time shouting BAA! at every single sheep (there are a lot of sheep) and I enjoyed preparing very basic meals from the village shop and reading books. Maggie walked well. The roads, 2m-wide sheep-covered strips of tarmac across moors, took a little getting used to, and it never got dark. We could see the outer hebrides from our living room.

Week 2 we stayed in Breakish, near Broadford and the bridge. Failed to see otters (we will just have to go again) even though we made the trip to the hide but we visited the serpentarium and held a python. We popped onto the mainland to visit Eilean Donan and Plockton (of Hamish MacBeth fame) and to go on a boat trip. We had scenic drives, walked round Loch Coruisk in the driving rain, built sandcastles and generally pottered about. Lit the stove in the evenings as it was chilly, and ate lovely fish.

Allotment weeds are as high as my head, I have a pile of work on, and Cameron is away on a course. Back to real life.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, July 8th, 2008 at 2:28 pm and is filed under away, outandabout, photos. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.