The Magic of Skye - The Misty Isle | Vanlife
Channel: Scott & Jen
Date: 2021-01-31

The Norse referred to the island as Skuy which translates to the Misty Isle hence were the name was inherited.

We reached the Isle of Skye on 15th Sep 2020 and our first park up was in a picturesque bay by Loch Slapin, the road was a little bumpy to get to this location but nothing that even a generous size motorhome couldn't handle.
Next we drove through the town of Elgol towards Spar Sea Cave. We had to catch the low tide as otherwise this cave is not accessible. We took our head torches and explored deep within through the passages and to the mermaid pool at the back of the caves. The cave has some impressive stalactites throughout which lit up when embracing the light from our head torches.

A quick stop off and a muddy stepping stone walk over to Blackhill waterfall. Before heading to Sliggachan Old Bridge which framed Sgurr nan Gillean very nicely for a picturesque camera shot. We had the intention of climbing this but weather unfortunately did not permit on our return journey through Skye.

The Fairy Pools of the Black Cuillin Kills was the next stop... a must see when visiting Skye. This spot is VERY popular so we would suggest getting there early in the morning. We set off early before the rush. The sun was just peeping through the clouds and engulfing the valley beyond the rays of light we prominent and it was a magical sight. We caught some great drone footage through the ravines and Scott had a dip in one of the pools, a particularly frothy part like a natural jacuzzi (Albeit a freezing cold on)

Heading further north up the West coast of Skye we reached Neist point lighthouse. Famous for sunset shots capturing the prominent nearby cliffs we weren't disappointed and the last bits of light were a really beautiful moment although if you want to capture this on a still shot we would recommend having a good camera with a lens that can cope with long distance shots.

Dunvegan castle and gardens was our next spot at the heart of a 42'000 acre MacLeod estate. It is the oldest continuously inhabited castle in Scotland and has been the ancestral home of the chiefs of clan MacLeod for 800 years. The water and walled gardens were our favourite spot. We were lucky enough to catch low tide and a colony of seals resting/sunbathing on a tidal island. The water was crystal clear and you could see them swimming around, a few even came a little closer for an inquisitive look.

We stopped off at Portree for a meal and some beers in the sun and visited the harbour with colourful row of terraced houses. The bay was really nice on a sunny day with the reflection on the water setting off out seat and drink on the beach. We had pizza and pre drinks by the van before heading out for a few night caps.

The Old Man of Storr was our next stop. Again another popular stop so we parked up nearby for an early start. The parking is paid now and a lot of cars were ticketed that were not parking in the designated parking. We parked in a legal lay-by about a 10 minute walk north of climbs start and had no problems. This spot is free and out the way of the bustling tourist traffic. The night before the climb we headed over towards the coast not far away to take a look upon the mist that blanketed the valleys between Skye and Scotland. We later found this mist to be called a haar which is a scottish term meaning sea mist. We climbed the following morning and couldn't of picked a better day, the wind was low and the sun was out. An absolute spectacle of a spot and in our top picks for our Scotland trip as a whole. The haar was still sitting in the valley and the views over the old man and the surrounding lakes for phenomenal.

The Kilt rock and Mealt falls. A 60m high sea cliff and a high drop waterfall running into the sea. A solo seal was peering up the 60 meters of cliff at the many tourists.
Staffin beach - Quick visit and although to this day no complete dinosaur fossils have been found the information claims some abstract shapes in the rocks are dinosaur footprints a stretch at best but a nice beach none the less. 

Cuith Raing or Quirang was the next stop. A very windy walk but a recommended one no less. We were unable to get any drone footage because of this. One of the more popular walks but try and catch it on a fine day if possible. Plenty of parking nearby.

We visited the fairy Glen not far from Uig and then ventured to Uig wood and the Rha Burn waterfall towards the end of the day for wind down. We sat for a while and then settled down in the van for the night. Our ferry to Uist was the following morning.
———————————————————————
Our Links - We appreciate the support
Buy us a Coffee - https://www.buymeacoffee.com/ScottandJen
Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/ScottandJen
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/jen.scott_vanlife/
Youtube - Scott & Jen - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBtbFsN6mTKHJNdI45FmPFQ?disable_polymer=true
———————————————————————