Scottish Staycation Part 3: The Isle of Skye
Following on from a perfect first day and night in Skye (detailed here!), it was an absolute dream waking up to the most beautiful day at the Shulista Croft wigwams on the most northern point of Skye. The scenery is unbelievably breathtaking and it was pretty special drinking our morning cuppa with those views! I could have sat there enjoying the scenery all day quite happily, but The Storr was waiting for us! We had a leisurely breakfast in the blissful sunshine then jumped in the car and headed out for our next adventure.
The drive was another incredibly scenic one, winding by dramatic cliffs and rugged landscapes all the way. We parked up at the bottom of The Storr, threw on our boots and were ready for the hike to the top. As soon as the incline began the views were insane, the clarity of the day enhancing them even more with barely a cloud in the sky. We could see for miles with faded mountains in the distance and sea far below us. At parts it becomes steep but I couldn’t imagine anywhere more beautiful to turn around and catch our breaths whilst soaking in the epic scenes! After about an hour we had made it to the top and the view was truly spectacular! Perched on a ledge we sat and enjoyed the view whilst the sun was splitting the sky.
We had a little picnic then rewarded ourselves with a well deserved tea and cake stop post hike. Once refuelled we hit the road and headed for the magical Fairy Glen near Uig. After another gorgeous drive in the sunshine we arrived and had to walk only minutes before reaching the start of the Fairy Glen magic. It is like nothing I’ve ever seen before and really looks like something out of a fairytale film! Winding paths for miles between little hills covered with the lushest green grass, tucked away in a valley between the surrounding hills. We headed towards the large rock in the distance, which legend says is in fact the ruins of the fairy king Ewan’s castle. I’d believe it! We spent the afternoon wandering around the fascinating landscape before finding a beautiful spot on the hill just behind to relax in the sun and enjoy the magic of Skye once more.
The day had been nothing short of amazing and I had completely fallen in love with Skye. Such an adventure filled day meant we were a couple of hungry explorers so we were super excited for a meal and headed to The Ferry Inn in Uig after it had been recommended to us. The newly refurbished inn is in the most beautiful location, with views of the sea and Uig harbour as you dine. We were greeted with a lovely welcome and as soon as we stepped inside I was already obsessing over the utterly gorgeous interiors. The decor is in keeping with the nautical theme of it’s beautiful Scottish surroundings and is so tastefully done and swoon worthy, with the cosy feel of a Highland inn throughout. Although it was much too hot for the stove in July, I can just imagine being cosied up with a pot of tea on front of the fire during the winter months, bliss! We shared the most delicious fresh bread to start then I had a mouth watering vegetarian cauliflower and lentil dish, while Chris had a gigantic burger which was accompanied by some of the best homemade chips we have ever tasted! We dined whilst looking out over sunny Uig thoroughly enjoying every last bite and I don’t think we left a crumb between us! It really was an incredible meal and was the perfect hearty feed that we needed after a full on day of exploring! We headed back to our wigwam with smiling stomachs!
We arrived back at our wigwam on the most beautiful evening in plenty of time for sunset, so we got the campfire going and the wine opened for a chilled out last evening in Skye. With a completely unspoiled view at Shulista Croft the sunset was stunning, leaving behind a lingering dusty pink sky for us as we toasted marshmallows in the fire and sipped our wine.
Another perfect evening to round off one of the most incredible trips we’ve ever had, and eight years in, we’ve been on a lot of trips!! We had the cosiest sleep in our wee wigwam and woke up in the morning feeling so well rested and refreshed. Again waking up and throwing open the door to the beautiful surroundings of Shulista Croft was truly incredible, and although this morning it was cloudy, I think that actually added to the beauty of our surroundings as the mist hanging over the cliffs made it look even more dramatic. Perfect for enjoying our last morning cuppa at the wigwams outside to embrace those views once more, although certain we would be back again after falling so in love with it.
With such a beautiful drive from the wigwams on the Trotternish Ridge down to the Skye bridge, it’s impossible not to stop at various points along the way to embrace the outdoors. We left Skye with such happy souls, it had exceeded all of our expectations and more! But our staycation wasn’t over just yet, we headed back over to the Kyles of Lochalsh as the next stop on our journey was a visit Eilean Donan Castle, a castle that I had dreamt about seeing for years!
Hollie x