Isle of Skye

It was with great excitement that we threw a few bits into a bag and left for Gatwick to get the flight to Inverness. We picked up the (smallest) car (in the world .. nearly) and headed off towards Skye. As Eilean Donan castle comes into view, you get the first glimpse of the Cuillin (mountains) of Skye if you look straight down the loch - big spiky Black Cuillin on the left and non-quite-so-big, rounded, Red Cuillin on the right.
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Ten minutes later we are are crossing the bridge on to the Island and, time-wise, we are about half way to Glendale where we will spend the next week being spoiled rotten by Jennifer and John, Molly's sister and her husband. We even had to endure this view from their house each morning as the days invariably started sunny and clear.
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The weather is changeable in Skye to say the least; the climate is balmy compared with other places at a similar latitude due to the warming effect the Gulf Stream. The trouble is that the warm air travels several thousand miles across the Atlantic picking up moisture, hits the Cuillin, rises up 3000' in less than a mile, cools and then it pi$$e$ down ! Not every day, but quite often. The summer up there also delivers about eighteen hours of workable daylight and so when the weather is good, it's a double bonus. The weather was supposed to be good for a few days, so we head straight for the hills while we have the chance.
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There are loads of routes to do and most could be described as 'strenuous' on the walking scale. I have climbed quite extensively up there in past years and done a bit of wandering around, so decided to introduce Molly to the Inaccessible Pinnacle.
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The 'In Pin' sits atop the Black Cuillin Ridge and is the highest point of Sgurr Dearg (3235' or 986m). It is the only Munro (Scottish Summit over 3000' or 914m) that involves a rock climb. It's a jaw dropping sight. I climbed it a few times and it's straight-forward as rock climbs go but the 'exposure' is amazing and it's narrow - about 12" wide at the narrowest point. The view from the abseil anchor is not for the faint-hearted on the way down either. An early Victorian description was 'a knife-edged ridge, with an overhanging and infinite drop on one side, and a drop on the other side even steeper and longer'. We didn't climb it that day, but had a good amble round and posed for a few summit shots on Sgurr na Banachdich and the ridge.
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Looking north towards Banachdich, Sgurr a Mhadaidh and Bruach na Frithe ...
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Needless to say after such a full itinerary on the Cuillins, we opted for a few less active days. We both like wildlife and nature in general and are always on the look out for unusual stuff. You go to other areas of the country and certain things are common, but they are a real novelty to those of us that live elsewhere. I got quite excited about the Curlew we saw on the first day ! Wheatear's are quite common too but we never see them down south. It's not unusual to see some passing species either ..
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A good spot from Molly was this minke whale, cruising past Neist Point lighthouse. Excuse the picture, but it was half a mile out to sea and this is maximum zoom on the camera plus an enlargement in Paint Shop Pro.
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We went off seal watching in the drizzle on the third day - the locals must be used to seeing boat loads of visitors because they were happy to pose as we cruised by.
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Not quite so relaxed about our presence were the Sea Eagles. One was off hunting, the chicks were huddled down in the nest sheltering from the wind and rain and the other parent cruised by at Mach 2. The last time I tried to photograph these birds, I missed and got a single picture of two feet and a few tail feathers, so at least I improve - next time i might get a picture of the front !

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All too soon we are on our way back and as the sun sets on another enjoyable holiday we must consider ourselves quite fortunate. We had a great week away and enjoyed the peace, quiet and each other's company more than I can describe. Great hospitality, lovely food and ample red wine from the Commonwealth - what more do you need ? 
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Huge thanks to John and Jennifer for looking after us.
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Sunset over North Uist and Harris from Neist Point.