June 26, 2018

June 26, 2018

From Portree, we began our circle drive of Trotternish Peninsula on the Isle of Skye. Our first stop was the Old Man of Storr. We hiked straight uphill for an hour to look down on this volcanic outcropping. We had beautiful weather again, but got a little cloud cover rolling in just as we reached a good vantage point.

Continuing counter-clockwise, our next stop was Kilt Rock to see the cliffs that line the eastern shore. The walls have that distinctive columnar basalt shape of lava that is forced to cool swiftly, contracting and cracking into near-perfect hexagons. The columns resemble the pleats on a Kilt. A tall waterfall provides a nice accent to the view.

In nearby Staffin we made a biology stop and decided to have a sandwich and Coke to re-energize for our afternoon walk. Further north we took a detour inland along a tiny road that climbs the interior hills of Quiraing. After parking we followed the base of the escarpment for almost an hour north. The scenery in both directions is outstanding. The steep green cliffs remind us of the Hawaiian Island of Kauai.

Returning to the car we finished our circle drive of the peninsula along mostly single lane roads. Much of the coastal flats is lined with scattered houses and sheep pastures. It drizzled most of the drive. We were so lucky to have such good weather on normally cold and rainy Skye.

I regretted that we didn't try the very popular Mussels and Fries meal in France last summer. So tonight I ordered a small batch cooked in a creamy chili sauce. The mussels were tiny but tender while the marinade was delicious. I think that is the lure. They remind me of the Bearnaise and Hollandaise sauces that were used to flavor French beef cuts.

Aimee and I both had Cullen Skink as a starter. This is a creamy chowder with Smoked Haddock and potatoes. Delicious!