From Isle of Skye to Oban
Trip Start
Aug 23, 2006
1
4
5
Trip End
Aug 30, 2006
Oban,
Scotland,
United Kingdom
Sunday, August 27, 2006
Early in the morning we are approaching to Kilt Rocks cliffs. They're called like this because their shape is similar to the folds of the typical scottish skirts (kilt). Cliffs are overwhelming! The view is spectacular because they're located on the Trottenish peninsula, at the western tip of the isle, open to the Atlantic ocean.
Then we visit the capital of the isle, Portree. It's the largest town on the island but it's still very small and familiar. All the houses are of a different colour (see the picture below): pink, blue, gree, yellow...
We meet a man that tell us that, in the twelve years he has been living in Skye, he has never seen the island without clouds. The island lives in a permanent haze, which gives it a fairy tale aspect.
On the way to Scotland we see a monolith among the fog, the "Old Man of Storr". The truth is that it's quite tetric, it looks like a spirit emerging from the fog (the Banshee, maybe?).
Today we visit inside the Eilean Donan Castle. It's cool! and the best thing is that there are people living there! The castle belong to the clan MacCraig and this clan still lives there, but they let the tourists visit it.
After the visit of the castle we go to a town called Invergarry, have lunch there, and then we go to Fort Augustus, a cozy town located right at the point where Loch Ness becomes the Caledonian Canal. There we visit the Clansman Center where Ken, an authentic scottish man, shows us how the ancient Celts lived and dressed.
Later we go to Oban, a beautiful fishing village and we stay at The Regent Hotel.
August 28
We have been looking at some brochures to make an organized excursion today. There is a very interesting one along the islands of Mull, Iona and Staffa but the damn excursion costs 65 pounds (about €100) and I hardly have any money, so finally we stay in Oban.
In the morning we go for a walk along the village and in the afternoon we find out that just in front of the hotel there is a small jetty from where it departs a trip to see seals. SEALS OUTSIDE THE ZOO!! I can't miss it! I've never seen seals in their natural habitat (mediterranean see is too hot for seals).
At 5.00 p.m departs the last boat and in about 30 minutes we arrive at Seal Island, actually a few rocks where some seals lie with their pups. I can't believe what I'm seeing! it's an historic moment for me haha I'm really excited!
Later we go back to Oban, we change our clothes (the weather was windy and we got wet in the boat) and go to dine in the hotel's restaurant. What appeared it was going to be a boring day finally has been really exciting!
