Skye
From Mallaig we started at 07:00 a.m. down the Sound of Sleat towards the narrows of Kyle Rhea, two hours after highwater Dover, as we would then have a favourable tide. There is a warning in every mariners handbook about the dangers of tidal turbulenzes when passing through this chasm between Skye and the mainland, in strong winds. As there was no wind at all, we were quite relaxed motoring through the narrows, but still we could strongly feel the influence of this tide-race. The boat seemed suddenly undecided wether to obey the tiller or the unseen forces from below, pushing the bow off course. Some violent rush accelerated our speed to 10 kts in no time. We wouldn‘t want to imagine what it is like here in less favorable conditions.
Kyle Rhea
Passing under Skye bridge we were released into the inner Sound, Scalpay island and the ragged mound of Rassay ahead of us and again the Cullins of Skye, this time unveiled by clouds. All the way we did not see another yacht, but edging around the cliff at the entrance of the bay, there lay the town of Portree with all its beautifully coloured houses and a field of yachts on mooring buoys.
Skye
Skye is an absolute mustsee for everyone travelling to Scotland. There is a rich heritage and dramatic landscapes to be found here and there is the magnificence of mountains like the Cullins and even more so the Trotternish. We wanted to see as much as is possible in one day only and booked a day pass for the coach.
Perched on a rock overlooking a sea loch, Dunvegan Castle is the residence of the Clan MacLeod. It is to this day in the possession of the clan, which holds a Clan Gathering every 4 years, where family members from all over the globe come to Dunvegan to celebrate their history and their family bonds. Of this we were informed by a clanswoman from Germany, who had come here for the gathering, which was just taking place.
Dunvegan was home to 30 generations of MacLeods, spanning over 800 year. Their clansmen participated in the first Jacobite uprising and played a part in the ecape of Bonnie Prince Charly to France in the aftermath of the battle of Culloden. The castle displays a great number of interesting historic artifacts and an authentic Victorian furnishing.
Well worth seeing are the gardens of Dunvegan, which were designed and planted in the beginning of the 19th century.
As the morning had begun with typical Scotish weather, where mists are flowing down from the mountaintops and a light drizzel is falling, we had hoped for the mountains to reveal themselves in the afternoon, before setting off to climb up to the Old Man of Storr. He bashfully wouldn‘t expose himself in total, but what we could see was impressive enough.
Leaving the bay of Portree and passing through the Sound of Rassay, we could at last see the magnificent volcanic ridge and the needle rocks from afar.
