The Cuillin Hills Hotel.
In the morning after breakfast we piled into the vans for the day’s walk in Glen Sligachan to the Fairy Pools. After parking the vans in a lot half-way up one side, we trooped across the road and headed down into the valley to follow the stream that originated in The Cuillins. The water was a glacial blue, although no glacier was in evidence, and the various pools were quite blue. The stream cascades over the rocky course, with many falls to appreciate. The land in the valley was soggy and wet (having rained the night before) with many rivulets feeding the river. We reached the upper end of the valley where folks were given the option to return by the same trail and go to the local distillery or to take a loop back to the vans.
Both Jonathan and I opted for the loop. The trail was much less defined than the previous trail and the ground was boggy and soft. As a result both of us put away our big cameras to focus on where to put our feet. After about one hour we reached another, more defined trail. At that point Stuart directed us down the trail while he went back up the trail where Cari, Bill, Manda, Martha, and Jamen were still working their way across the boggy landscape.
The more navigable trail gave us the opportunity to pull out our big cameras, and make better time. As we approached the last stream crossing to get back to the car park, Stuart, who had passed us on this stretch of trail, directed us not to use this crossing due to very slippery rocks as Mary had slipped and gotten seriously wet. So we tramped alongside the stream downhill to the lower trail that we had used going up to the pools earlier. It also meant we would have to climb back up the slope to the car park.
From there we stopped at the Sligachan Hotel (and microbrewery) for lunch where I had fish and chips while Jonathan tried the mackerel fillets – he reported that they were excellent.
The Cuillin Hills Hotel.
I don't know what the shrub was, but I was impressed with the bright red stems.
The tartan (or plaid) drapes in the lobby cleverly used a sporran as a tie-back.
The path to the Fairy Pools - down into the valley and up alongside the stream.
The first stream crossing. Pól assists (I think) Mary and Ed across the water.
Heading up the trail.
The River Brittle flowing over the black basalt riverbed.
Jonathan heads up the trail.
One of the Fairy Pools.
Looking back down the trail to the car park where the vans were left. Jamen and Roger at the bottom.
The walkers heading up the trail by a waterfall.
A waterfall that pours in opposite directions into a basalt crevasse.
I took this shot to show the general sogginess of the landscape.
The trail leading up the streambed.
The top of the trail - Joe and Judyann with Laurie the driver behind them, with Stuart and Linnea.
Roger, a very talented photographer, taking a snap.
This is another shot to show the amount of water in the landscape - all the reflective spots being water.
I leaned on the filters to bring our the stacked clouds over the mountains.
I liked pattern of the multicolored lichens on this rock.
Looking back down to the trail - see the tiny figures?
Jonathan coming down the trail.
Another rock with lichen and moss.
Another view of the lower loop of the trail - looking down the River Brittle.
Jonathan's lunch - smoked mackerel fillets.
After our late lunch – we ate around 1500 – we returned to the hotel. There was an additional walk offered from the hotel around the headland. Stuart said the walk had a few ups and downs – Jonathan offered the word “undulating” which Stuart accepted. Jonathan opted to stay at the hotel while I took the walk. The first part of the walk from the hotel took us along the water. One stretch of the trail took us through a hazel grove. Stopping amidst the bare limbs and their swelling buds Pól offered us a poem (see below) as the rain sifted through the branches.
The trail followed the bend around the shore and provided a vista of the table further down the bay with stone fenced green pasture on land and about eight salmon pens in the bay.
A rock wall fence stood alongside the path inland up the hill with the bog full of new iris leaves sprouting after the long winter. I would have loved to have seen them in bloom. At the end of the fence, the trail climbed the steep hill in switchbacks reminiscent of the Switchback Trail up Hurricane Ridge in the Olympic National Park. It rained steadily as we scaled up the hill and Pól identified yellow primroses, buttercups and purple violets on the hillside.
At the top of the hill, the trail followed another stone wall with cattle and sheep back to the hotel. I was fairly well soaked when I got back to the hotel and changed into dry clothes.
Heading down the trail around the headland in Portree.
Pól standing in the hazel grove.
Looking back through the hazels.
The ever-present gorse.
Lesser celandine (Ranunculus ficaria).
Supervision from the locals.
A violet (Viola spp.).
Pausing to take in the view - Manda and Donna.
The rock wall leading down to the water.
A rocky path through the rocks.
The path inland followed this stone wall. There are a couple of blue spots amid the shrubbery that are walkers.
New blades of iris poking through last year's growth.
Halfway up the switchback, I paused to take a shot of the vista.
I forgot what variety this flower was.
A tiny fern.
Primrose (Primula vulgaris).
I don't think these qualify as Highland cows, but they are cows in the Highlands.
The path leading alongside the pasture - still going up, but no switchbacks.
A level path through the woods.
A view of Portree from the trail.
Jonathan relaxing in the sitting room by a rainy window.
Evidence - the appetizers part 1.
Evidence - the appetizers part 2.
The menu boards.
The festivities.
The trailside map. Click on image for larger view
Now settled in the sitting room bay window with a pot of coffee, working on our journals. Dinner is in town tonight.
Due to the rain, we bussed over to the restaurant, Café Arriba, where we had the entire place to ourselves. The Mediterranean themed cuisine started with olives, hummus, and other tasty morsels that could have easily made a meal for us. On slate boards were our selections for the evening – chicken, haddock, eggplant, and beef. I forget the details of the eggplant and beef dishes as we didn’t order them, but the chicken was stuffed with haggis and the haddock was in a Thai yellow curry – both very good. I sampled a little bit of haggis from Jonathan's dish, and found that it is rather tasty! So much so, that started ordering it with my eggs for breakfast.