Scotland Day 9

Kyle of Lochalsh : Glen Brittle : The Fairy Ponds : Talisker Bay : almost to Neist Point : Dunvegan : Greshornish

With a lot of driving and lots of walking planned for the day it was good to manage the earliest start of the whole tour.  I was on the road before 8.00am.  

The first stop was at Gen Brittle.  The beach was empty except for myself and a handful of birds.  The clouds were low, but the light seemed bright and soft.

Glen Brittle.  Click on the picture to see more.

The Fairy Ponds are a string of pools at various points along a stream coming down from the Cuillin.  There were lots of people doing the walk on the adjacent path, many not well equipped for the rough, muddy ground.  Fortunately the whole path was very long and eventually I left all but one or two well behind.  The clouds lifted a little to reveal the conical top of the first mountain and beside it was a huge amphitheatre of solidified lava.  This, I think, was the one Dick Glazier and I had walked down into many years ago and had stunning views over to the Isle of Rum.  No views on this visit.  At times the wind was so strong that it blew the waterfalls upwards!

A Fairy Pool.  Click on the picture to see more.

Talisker Bay was visited by Boswell and Johnson.  They stayed at Talisker House and Boswell climbed Preshal Mor (Boswell’s Buttress).  The winds were still so strong that the waterfall tumbling over the cliff was blown upwards with such force that hardly anything reached the beach!

Talisker House

Preshal Mor (Boswell's Buttress)

The upward waterfall!

The drive out to Neist Point is very long and after seeming to spend ages on the road and feeling the need to get to Greshornish before dark I gave up and turned the car round.

On arriving at the Greshornish House Hotel my face was red raw from the wind.  What a wonderful hotel.  Everything, except the price, was first class!  Welcome luxury after an exhausting day.