Dunvegan is the only complete castle on Skye, and is still inhabited by the MacLeods. Though it was not the finest or most interesting castle we've seen, certain parts of it date back to the early 14th century. It retains the feeling of a family home, with a large library and lovely hallways and bedrooms. The visitor enters the castle and faces a wide carpeted stairway and a quiet guide. She points the way up and leaves you to wander and read about the different rooms, or listen to the guides stationed in a few. The emphasis here is on family history, with many portraits and tales about the different lords and ladies of the house.This was one of the only private castles we visited, because they tend to be expensive. Dunvegan is not a necessity for Skye visitors, but for those who are here for several days, it's worth the trip and the 6 pounds.
Next we drove a short way through the remote western countryside to visit the Talisker distillery, where Jason purchased a small bottle of whisky. We had already been on one tour, so we settled for stopping at a waterfall nearby and taking a few photos. The sheep came by to check us out before they scurried away, bleating. Then we dropped by the grocery store outside of Portree and picked up dinner to cook at the cottage that night.
near Talisker distillery
After dinner, we decided to go for a short walk over the nearby hills to an ocean cave. We used a guide book, but we found that it was quite difficult to choose which hill to round, which grassy slope to descend. We also found that it's easy to get stuck in a sheep or cow field or a bog, with barbed wire all around.
sunset from a cliff
Our one mile trek turned into two or three miles on gently sloped hills and occasional scrambling ones. But the sunset was glorious, full of color and clouds. And on the top of a cliff, with the waves and rocks below, we looked out on a pastel panorama. The sun was lingering over the mountains of Lewis and Harris in the distance. We set up the camera for photos, one kissing, and headed home to a late night snack.
