Our first sail on this beautiful day took us across the Sound of Sleat to Armadale on the Isle of Skye. After a wee walk or a short minibus ride to the Clan Donald Centre we enjoyed the fantastic museum. All those topics on Highland history that we dealt with in the past week all come together in this amazing exhibition.
After this visit we had a lovely time in the gardens, dating back in part to the 18th/19th century with beautiful trees. Some of us joined Konia on a garden walk, concentrating on the herbaceous perennials that thrive here in this normally damp and mild climate.
During lunch back on board the ship we sailed to Kyle of Lochalsh. This is quite a busy small port, with timber ships and salmon farm vessels calling in on a regular basis and even a train link to Inverness. During the afternoon some of us decided to explore the Isle of Skye some more. We took a hike in the Cuillin Hills, with fantastic views of the Red and the Black Cuillin (granite/gabbro/basalt rocks give these mountains their colors). After this strenuous exercise we rewarded ourselves with a wee drink at the Sligachan Inn, a historic hotel/pub with a huge choice of whiskies.
The other option for the afternoon was an excursion to Eilean Donan Castle and the village of Plockton. The castle dates back to the 13th century and after having been completely ruined was restored by the Clan MacCrae to its former glory in the 20th century with the addition of a bridge. This is one of the iconic castles in Scotland with the additional draw of a gift shop.
Plockton is a small hamlet with well-kept houses and gardens in a sheltered bay. It was made famous by the television series “Hamish McBeth” and is a nice place to stroll through, even walking under palm trees no less. Later in the evening our Scottish expedition was rounded off nicely by Captain Still’s farewell dinner.
