A journey home to Skye

Hefting the caber

Caber coming right at you

Apparently the breeze is cool...

These days one needn't go "over the sea to Skye" (as the old song puts it) as there's a very modern bridge available. Off we went, headed for the old homeland. Portree was our destination, and very lovely both it and the isle were.
We were wowed by the rugged coastlines. Cliffs of volcanic rock plunging hundreds of metres to the sea on the one hand, and narrow sheltered fjord-like inlets on the other. One memorable stretch of coastline boasts Kilt Rock, the shape and colours of which can be seen to resemble a kilt, and a nearby waterfall where the falls plummet seawards....and in windy conditions never actually reach it. This is all just up the road from The Old Man of Storr, which perches precariously on a rocky ledge like a supersize menhir.

Old Man of Storr

Scorrybreac seen from the south side of Portree harbour

The sign points the way home

The rugged terrain offers some stunning walking, of which we had time for only a little. The Quiraing is a mountainous meadow in which locals hid their sheep and cattle from raiding Vikings (on that point, it's worth commenting that some Vikings stayed behind or left children behind - and this could be thought evident in some family members who sport blonde rather than ginger hair). Anyway, very dramatic (could that be the Scottish adjective?).
The northern head of Portree's harbour is a piece of land called Scorrybreac (spellings vary, but this was on the signs), which was historically the seat of Clan Macneacail (ie Clan McNicol). It's been repurchased by a trust established by clan members and can be freely roamed by all. It's a rugged chunk of rock overlooking the harbour, with a trail winding round the shoreline (map here).Its hills are home to wild raspberries (delicious), hazelnuts and sometimes (apparently) sea eagles. We spent an emotionally resonant while wandering the paths after dinner, marvelling at the raw beauty of the land and the splendid views across the water that if afforded.
We were fortunate to be in Portree for the 133rd Isle of Skye Highland games. These very traditional games included Throwing the Hammer (a rock on the end of a long stick), Putting the Stone (like shot put), Tossing the Caber (visualise two-thirds of a telegraph pole being hoiked about by big laddies in kilts), Hill (Hell) Race in which the brave (insane) entrants have the top of a nearby sheer hill pointed out and are told to get to the top and back using any route they choose (shoreline, back gardens, cliffs, you name it), Throwing a 56lb weight (both distance & over a bar a bit like high jump), Highland Dancing (including Hornpipe dances in embarassing sailor suits) and Piping Competitions. Fabulous. The officials in kilts had dirks stuck in their stockings, which were in turn snug inside modern Scarpa walking boots :)
As you'd hope on one of the Hebridean islands, seafood is the main game. Oysters are fresh and luscious, succulent large scallops that are hand-dived rather than dredged (memorably served with black pudding on a cauliflower puree base - yum!), fresh fish, etc. The beef, too, is good as we discovered during a meal at the island's oldest inn (1790) the Stein Inn. Many a malt (126 or so) behind that bar, and fine real ale brewed on Skye.