England-Scotland Day 10 (Part 3) – From Elgol to Kyleakin and last evening in Skye

12 April 2010

Leaving Elgol, we took the same single track road B8083 back towards Broadford. This time round, the drive was more leisurely and we had time to appreciate the beautiful landscape along the way.

Clouds will roll in suddenly. This is why Isle of Skye is called the Misty Isle.

This is a risk that the low clouds may make visibility poor on our way back but thankfully, this did not happen.

A ray of hope amidst the clouds of doom.

Somewhere along the way, the road became hazy with smoke. Last thing we want was to get caught in a grass fire which could spread rapidly with the wind and dry vegetation.  We saw 2 large fire engines coming our way along the narrow road! They were on their way to put out this fire (photo taken after we went pass the stretch of road with the fire).

Nice cloud formation near Broadford, Isle of Skye.

Our accomodation for the night was at the White Heather Hotel, located in the small town of Kyleakin, near the Skye Bridge. This town used be a busy place as it was a ferry terminal linking Skye to the mainland. With the opening of the Skye Bridge, the town is now quieter, uncrowded and a good place to stay.

From here, nice views of the harbour and Skye Bridge against the setting sun could be enjoyed.

Harbour in Kyleakin. Background - Castle Moil - an ancient MacKinnon stronghold. 

Bronze statue of otter at harbour in Kyleakin. 

Skye Bridge at sunset. Gulls could be seen flying around it.

Helicopter over Skye Bridge, returning after fighting the grass fire we drove by earlier.

After checking us into our family room at the White Heather Hotel, Gillian recommended a good restaurant in Broadford to us and helped us make a reservation. So, it was back to Broadford for dinner at the Creeler’s of Skye restaurant, about 10 minutes drive in the dark along the A87. Good choice as we enjoyed the dinner.

My son drove us back to Kyleakin after dinner, against the wishes of the mother who said it was dangerous for a beginner driver to drive on the dark highway. For me, it was an opportunity for an impromptu lesson on night driving on a unlit highway and how to use the high beam of the car’s headlights correctly. This was something not taught to learner drivers in a city like Singapore.

Continue Reading »

England-Scotland Day 11 (Part 1) – Morning at Kyleakin and stopover at Eilean Donan Castle and the Commando Monument

13 April 2010

I woke early to explore the harbour and take some photos around the White Heather Hotel in Kyleakin while the rest of the family took turns to wash up and get ready for breakfast.

Castle Moil in the morning.

Kyleakin Harbour.

White Heather Hotel is the white building at the background.

I tried to spot otters in the sea but none was seen. Only Teko the bronze otter.

Teko the otter - bronze statue at Kyleakin.

After breakfast, we said goodbye to Gillian and she invited us to write a short note in her guest book, which we did.

Our plan for Day 11 of our road trip was to make the long, long drive from Isle of Skye to Balloch, a small town near Loch Lomond. Why Balloch? Balloch is somewhat the mid-point between Skye and the Lake District in England where we would be spending 3 nights.  So, Balloch was like a lay-over place. I believed it was better to stay near Loch Lomond then to stay in Glasgow city.

Along the way to Balloch, we planned to make stops at a few prominent landmarks, namely the Eilean Donan Castle, Commando Monument, have lunch somewhere along the journey (probably near Fort Williams) and then proceed all the way to our B&B in Balloch.

Leaving Skye, we crossed over the Skye Bridge and within a few minutes, we were at the Eilean Donan castle,  Scotland’s most photographed castle.

So here are some to add the millions of beautiful photos of this castle.

Water level in the loch was low. A photo of the castle with its reflection off the water would be a nice composition.

We could have paid a fee to visit the castle but we preferred to just admire the castle from the outside.

As the journey was long and this part of the highway on the A87 was easy driving, Daniel took the wheels from Eileen Donan Castle onwards while I became the navigator. The drive along the A87, followed by the A82 was scenic.

Cool driver.

Sleeping in car and missing some of the most beautiful scenic views.

We reached the Commando Monument, located along the A87 in slightly less than an hour. The views of Ben Nevis and the range of mountains which cross the eastern sky could be seen at the Commando Memorial.

Panoramic views of Ben Nevis and the range of mountains seen from the Commando Memorial.

Beautiful and peaceful place to remember those who gave their lives.

The Commando Memorial is in honour of commandos who died in WWII. There is also a section to honour the more recent fallen heroes. Walking around the monument and also reading the touching notes left behind by family members for the fallen, I can’t help shedding a tear for these brave men gave their lives so the world can be free.

Continue Reading »