On the 8th we crossed the bridge to Skye only to find that the whole island was in chaos. Metal thieves had tried to cut through the cable carrying all communications to the islands with a chainsaw only to find it was fibre optic not copper. As a result there was no internet, no payment by card, no ATM and no telephones. There was a large cruise ship due in on the 9th and traders were worried they couldn’t capitalise on it.
We headed for our pink B&B at Portree with a wonderful view of the harbour. Early on the 9th we took a boat trip out to the White-tailed Eagles nest. I would strongly recommend trips on the MV Brigadoon, the skipper is keen on natural history and seems to put in extra effort . We set off before the other tourist boats in the harbour and were taken to Golden Eagle’s nest on the cliff first. We then spent some time with a large flock of Guillemots and Razorbills before joining other boats to approach the White-tailed Eagle nest. The nest had failed due to bad weather but we located the two adults perched high on the cliff. The other boats then left but we stayed and saw one of the eagles fly down to the sea giving great views. We also had close views of a Red-throated Diver on our return.
The rest of our time on Skye was spent touring around, looking at the incredible Cuillin Mountains, the rugged scenery of the east coast and the dramatic uplands of the north before we caught the ferry to the island of Harris/Lewis in the evening.
Margaret outside the eponymous Pink Guest House.
Portree harbour, the view from our room.
As we left the harbour on the MV Brigadoon, this huge cruise liner arrived. Fortunately for the islanders the cable link to the mainland had been repaired.
Portree harbour from the boat, guess which is our quest house.
Razorbills and Guillemots. Note the ‘bridled’ form of Guillemot in the lower left.
After giving poor views on the cliffs this White-tailed Eagle flew down to the sea, presumably investigating a fish …….
…. before flying back along the cliff to its distant perch.
Summer-plumaged Red-throated Diver.
The peaks of the Cuillins, said to be the most challenging mountains in the UK. I was once friends with someone who traversed almost the entire ridge.
The pinnacle of the Old Man of Stour can be seen from the road along the east coast.
We didn’t have time to hike along the track to the Quiraing in northern Skye but the views from the car park were pretty impressive.
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