Collected our RV from Freedom Motorhomes in Langbank, Glasgow where the thoughtful owner, Dave McKinnon gave us an hour’s worth of induction to get us acquainted with the vehicle and processes. Dave is a local, well travelled himself, who was generous with his suggestions to make the best of our 5 days! The damp weather did not dampen our spirits as we bade him goodbye and set off on our exciting drive towards the Western Highlands! The first town we visited was Dumbarton, where we stopped to stock up our little kitchen and fridge for the next 5 days. It was a tall order to find a restaurant that was open at around 8pm. Though some were open, they didn’t seem keen to take on guests even when they had free seats! So off we went restaurant hopping around Loch Lomond in the rain, only to be turned away 🙂 Thanks to our shopping earlier, Chris and I decided that it’s best to turn to our own fridge for the night! So we parked somewhere, hurriedly prepared a quick meal of soup, crackers and cheese, filled our tummies and drove on towards our first camping destination – Ardlui. It was around 12:30am when we reached a quiet spot along the River Falloch and halted for the night! It was still pouring and pitch dark! I stepped out with an umbrella and realised what a bad idea it was! Chris couldn’t wait to crash after that long drive, so off he went to his rear end of the RV. I was more than happy to climb up the ladder to my cozy corner of the vehicle on the front end, feeling like a princess to sleep on a high bed, with a nice rooftop window and a privacy curtain 🙂 I slept to the lullaby of the pelting rains, only to be woken up 6 hours later by chirping birds! We took an early morning walk around our camping spot and found a fenced, uninhabited cottage with a backyard leading to some swamps! We were all too eager to explore the swampy land and that’s when it hit us, we forgot about the MIDGE population which love early mornings and swamplands!!! Off we ran to the safety of our RV before any major damage to get ready for Day 2!!!

After a quick RV breakfast, we started driving from Ardlui towards the historic town of Fort William where Chris wanted to buy some Highland sweaters. We parked at Glen Nevis and while Chris was busy at the Highland Center store, I walked around the little town and bought myself my favourite yellow daffodils and some beautiful roses! The morning sun came out and showed how beautiful the mountains around Loch Linnhe really were! We took some nice pics in the sunshine at the Old Fort, climbed atop the fort walls which are still standing and got some of the best views of the shoreline below.

We left Fort William to see the famous bridge and Harry Potter train in Glenfinnan Viaduct. The train was expected to pass through the bridge at 10:42am and though we arrived an hour early, the place was jam packed already! The train arrived 15 mins late but it was worth the wait! The sun came out just in time and THE HARRY POTTER train chugging along the bridge and letting out steam, was a sight to behold!

We bade good bye to the train and drove on towards Mallaig from where we were supposed to catch our ferry to the Skye. What are the odds that you will see the same Harry Potter train again 1 hour later, while you drive on? We did! When we were driving along A830 somewhere near a place called Druimindarroch, we heard some chugging and turned to the left to see the same train running along the parallel track! A pleasant surprise…

We reached the port town of Mallaig where we had pre booked a ferry for us and our motorhome to take us across the sea to the Isle of Skye.

We crossed the sea to some gusty winds and bitter rains into the Isle of Skye! As we stepped onto Armadale on the southern Sleat Peninsula, the sun came out and showed us another level of beauty of the landscape with blue skies. We drove on to the Aird of Sleat, which is the southern tip of Skye. With no restaurants that were willing to take us in, we resorted to making another quick meal in the motorhome!

And then we proceeded on our Skye journey and headed up north. Our first stop was Broadford, a small town with quaint little shops selling Scottish goods. We had the best Scottish ice cream there – true ButterScotch and Wild Strawberry flavours! After some shopping, we drove on toward the next big town, Portree.

Portree was supposed to be our halting place for the night. We reached while it was still daylight and in time for dinner. Having starved for a good meal, we headed over to a fancy place for a proper Scottish meal of Haggis and lamb meat! The lamb was the most tender bit I’ve ever eaten, the quality was felt in every bite! We loved Haggis, strongly recommend!

After the hearty meal, we realised how tired we actually were and longed for a good night’s rest. So we drove on a few miles upto Lealt falls camping ground and halted for the night along other caravans. As it was pitch dark, we couldn’t see the landscape clearly. The moon came out briefly from behind the clouds and greeted us as we turned in for the night! Even with an occasional shower and half a dozen vehicles around, we couldn’t hear a thing as we slept through!

We awoke early on Day 5 which was our last day on the trip. We had parked in Glenmoriston near Inverness and had another 145 miles to drive to get to Glasgow! We had to handover the vehicle by 11am.

It was a bright, sunny and clear day! Though our trip was coming to an end, we were in the best of spirits as everything had gone perfectly! Only a small glitch where we scratched a mudbank and slightly damaged the door frame on the previous day! We had immediately informed the vehicle guys and patched up the hanging piece 🙂

We were on time to deliver the vehicle! Everything was in order! We bade goodbye to Dave and his kid and off we went to spend the rest of the day like normal people. Our flight from Glasgow back to London was for the next day early morning. So we had a day to roam around Glasgow city!

We had booked the airport Holiday Inn. Though the RV was comfortable and safe, there’s nothing like a proper bedroom and bathroom! It was such a relief to check into the hotel and get refreshed!

Only one thing to say! Cheers to our friendship! I can’t imagine doing this with anyone else! Chris is a true friend and perfect gentleman who took care of me, ensured my safety and comfort in every sense!

The best thing about this trip – Chris and the quality time I spent with my best buddy!

As always, it was a beautiful surprise to wake up and see the landscape of where we had parked in the night! Another dawn, another mesmerising sight! There was no sound from any vehicle passing by, even for 15 mins after I woke up. It was us, some sheep right outside our door, the mountains, a hidden Loch to our left and the deep blue sea below to our right!

Again, I stepped outside to explore the area before Chris woke up! Said hi to the sheep, climbed the little hills and got some nice pics of the North Atlantic sunrise!

Chris setup a nice breakfast table for us on the little hill overlooking the sea. As we enjoyed our morning coffees and the splendour of the place, local traffic started picking up slowly on the narrow single lane. Many passers by were pleasantly surprised at the two of us perched on the hill and enjoying our breakfast. It was nice to see most of them slow down their already slow vehicles, and wave at us or give us a thumbs up!

That being our last full day on the Skye, we charted out the rest of the agenda and realised we had a lot of ground to cover! So off we hurried on our RV, rounded the northern corner, without too many stops.

Chris wanted to get some pics of the highland cows which kept evading us in the trip. And finally in the road towards Uig, we found them!

As we drove down towards Fairy Pools in Glenbrittle, we crossed many winding, single lane roads and hairpin bends. It was quite an experience to drive the huge RV through those narrow roads. Kudos to Chris!

The mountains of Glenbrittle were something else! As we neared them, we realised why their 19th and 20th century expeditions were a thing! Formidable yet welcoming.

The emerald waters of the fairy pools were pristine and inviting! Though a few brave ones stripped to dip and our daredevil Chris jumped over rocks and small ravines to explore the pools closer, I stayed as comfortable as I could, keeping a safe distance from the innocent looking yet tricky rocks!

As we crossed the streams and fairy pools and headed towards the foothills, the weather turned drizzly with looming dark clouds! With the pressing need to be at Neist Point by sunset, we decided to turn back at the end of our 2 hours trek!

We left Glenbrittle and headed west! There is a reason they say to go west! The landscape was another level beauty! Greener and brighter, with more sunlight pouring in over the landscape!

Again most of the drive was through narrow, single lanes and it needed a special skill set to navigate the landscape! Thanks to Chris’ heavy vehicle driving experience in Canada, we were in his safe hands! Just see this video below 🙂

The further west we drove, the more free range sheep and cows we saw. I say free range in the truest sense because elsewhere in Skye the animals were always enclosed, even if the lands were fenced in hectares, but in the western landscape we didn’t see too many fences. The animals roamed about freely, crossed the road as they pleased and stared at us as if we were trespassing! Yes, of course, it’s their land and in many ways we are trespassers!

We found some black sheep too, which weren’t so black as they were mostly sheared 🙂

The most beautiful lookout point in the Isle of Skye is Neist Point. Period.

The steep cliffs, the singing birds, the gusty winds, the clear skies and the divine sunset! We were so lucky to have them all that day! No words!

We climbed some more peaks to the edge of the cliffs. It was an experience that I can’t explain in words because I don’t remember what happened. I just sat down there and looked out at the sea and savoured every minute, lost in a deep trance!

Chris went up to the Lighthouse and got some wonderful pics of the sun and sea! We also trekked further down towards the sea.

In my excitement that the sea was so close, I leaned forward and my sunglasses dropped on the rock bed! I thought I had lost it for good but my daredevil friend heroically climbed down the rocks to fetch them for me! That’s an Oakley, which was in one piece, with minimal scratch on the edges! I can’t imagine any other brand enduring that fall!

I looked longingly at the sea which was so close and I was only a few feet above! Chris then helped me onto the rocks so I can touch the waters! It was my first time to touch the North Atlantic Ocean, an experience I will always cherish!

After that beautiful sunset experience in Neist Point, we bade good bye to the sheep and cows and made our way towards the east! We had planned to drive as much as we can, exit the single track and hit the double lane highway while there was still some daylight! The duration shown on Google maps was no way near the reality on those narrow highland roads. On a 60mph road, we could only do 30mph due to various factors like vehicles on the opposite side for whom we had to give way, heavy trucks ahead, etc. By the time we reached a more comfortable driving lane, it was late in the night!

At midnight, Chris pulled over to a camping spot and we stepped outside to get some fresh air. Oh, the wonder of wonders! We saw the most beautiful starry skies ever! The moon came out briefly, the stars twinkled and the breeze cooled our faces! What a perfect last night on this trip!

I woke up early and Chris’ private corner was quiet, so I decided to step out and explore on my own again. As I stepped out, I was mind blown by the splendour of the landscape about which we had no clue while we drove in during the previous night to park. There were mountains, ridges and grazing sheep on one side and a steep cliff behind a little hill, overlooking the North Atlantic Ocean. The Lealt Falls had less water but looked formidable nonetheless!

A short walk took me to the lookout point over the ocean. The beach below was a black rock one, was quite a contrast to the green landscape and together they made quite an image! I realised there were two tents pitched right at the edge of the cliff and shivered at the thought of the elements overnight! After taking some nice pics of the sunrise, I ran back to the RV to find Chris just waking up. We had a great breakfast outside in the picnic area of the camping ground and contemplated the day’s plan!

We decided to trek to the Old Man of Storr and headed back towards Storr. Once there we parked comfortably in the RV area where they had all the amenities we needed. At 9am, we started our trek up the Storr which is at almost 1000 metres above sea level.

The path up towards the Old Man of Storr was both rocky and steep. We didn’t sulk a bit as it was encouraging to see scores of people, young and old who marched enthusiastically up and down the narrow footpaths. In some places it was skidding and I had to shamelessly grapple on all fours to steady myself and move the treacherous bit of land. It was humbling!

Oh the views! As we climbed higher, we found the place looking more and more beautiful. The hard trek up felt like heaven!

The Old Man of Storr was quite a sight. Well worth the hype. Most people didn’t recognise the old guy, they think it’s just a rock. But when we got around it, I noticed the distinct shape of his face, beard and the spade he was appearing to hold! Majestic!

When most of the crowd was returning down after seeings the old man, Chris suggested we head up towards the ridges further ahead, where a handful of people were heading. It was the best decision of the whole trip because we ended up trekking for an extra 2 hours into pristine Scottish highland ridges with nothing but us and raw nature!

I don’t think there is another patch of land that I have been on where I felt one with nature to this extent. The wind was pushing us to the ground, the coarse grass was pulling us in and the smell of the soil was binding us together! What an experience!

The decision to head back down was one of the hardest! So it was 4+ hours of pure grace and pleasure, a once in a lifetime experience that I will always cherish!

We had booked ourselves for a little bit of bay watching for the afternoon and headed next towards the Portree Harbour to catch our boat tour. Stardust tours was hassle free online booking, affordable and with good reviews so we got the Sea Eagles tour. The Whale watching tour was sold out so I had to settle for the next available one.

Originally sceptical, we actually ended up loving it! The Portree Bay was filled with wildlife. It was fascinating to hear about and see the endangered Sea Eagles, which were almost extinct due to extensive hunting until early 20th century. With relevant policies and protection efforts for decades, now the population has increased to 120 odd birds in the UK. About 1/3 of them live in the Isle of Skye it seems and our guide was very proud of the preservation efforts that are paying off!

We saw a family consisting of a shy male and a bold female and learnt from the guide that they have some chicks together. It was interesting to see a colony of native seals and some rare Arctic ones too sharing their space with the Eagle family.

I save the best for the last! WILD DOLPHINS!!! What a joy to see those beautiful wild dolphins all around us on our 2 hour journey in the Portree Bay Area!!! They swam around us, under us, beside us and made every possible effort to engage us!

We saw several schools of them. They enjoyed their own company as much as they seemed to enjoy ours on board. They responded to noises we made and performed more when they knew they had our attention!

There were several species of birds too! Though we didn’t sight any puffins, we saw scores of seagulls, gannets, shags, cormorants, guillemots, etc. The most interesting thing was to watch the dynamics between the flocks of birds hovering over the sea and dolphins which followed the birds to find fish!

After a good 2 hours we headed back to the harbour with beautiful memories of the pretty dolphins and the noisy birds!

A rather long day but we had the immense satisfaction of having covered the mountains, ridges and the seas of Skye that day. We decided to leave Portree, drive up north as much as we could and camp somewhere in the northern tip of Skye. As we drove on the narrow single lane path in the dark night, we were the only vehicle for most of the drive. It was pitch dark when we reached a location near Flodigarry near the northernmost part of the island and decided to halt there for the night. We pulled into a clearing, had our hot chocolate drink and crashed for the night!

We slept like a log for two reasons: exhaustion and no passing vehicle overnight!