3-day Isle of Skye tour review. Day one.

My heart's in the Highlands, my heart is not here,
My heart's in the Highlands a-chasing the deer -
A-chasing the wild deer, and following the roe;
My heart's in the Highlands, wherever I go.

 At 8:30 am my husband and I were standing next to the travel agency on the Royal Mile in Edinburgh, where we became acquainted with our fellow travelers. We will spend the next three days in the journey with the travelers from China, Ireland, Spain, US and all of them are really nice people!
And of course, I'd like to share my impressions with you )

 The tour was selected and fully paid in Moscow via www.highlandexplorertours.com. There is a lot of companies offering tours from Edinburgh to Highlands. Some times ago they really were different companies, but now they have the same boss, the same ticket office, but part of them focus on "young travelers", others offers tours for "adults travelers".
For us the selection criteria were the group and bus size. Finally we chose a three-day tour to the Island of Skye with optional traveling on the Jacobite steam train (also known as the Harry Potter Train).
  The driver-guide was very knowledgeable, with great sense of humor. I liked his Scottish accent! Our guide entertained us during the transfers, he told us not only history of the famous places, but also culture of Scotland. Thanks to him now I have a clear picture of the history of these places.
Of course it was intensive trip with too much driving and very short stops at scenic places, so we visited the possible maximum of the places, and I can recommend this tour for time limited tourists.
 This tour offer several variants of accomodation (hotels, B&B, hostels) or you may book hotels on your own. We chose the prepaid accommodation in B&B. It was a right choice, because when we arrived on the Island of Skye, we found almost every hotel in the area had no vacancy. Our B&B had lovely bedroom and bathroom, friendly hosts, superb breakfast, warm  atmosphere, so we were more than happy .
 The only dispute moment of the trip was a short trip from Mallaig to Fort William on Jacobite steam train. The journey took about 2 hours, the train itself is very beautiful, but you may have unpleasant impression, because smoke will come in the window when you go through a tunnel, and coal dust will cover your face. It is old and a steam train, so you can't be expecting high standards like those of long-route trains across the UK. And one more thing, if you take the Jacobite Steam Train from Mallaig to Fort William, you have to be on the right hand side (and on the left side on the return journey) of the train to get the best  shots going over the Glenfinnan Viaduct. A trip on this train is optional, so if the trip on Hogwarts Express is not the main goal for you, my advice is, don't spend money on it.
Overall it was a very great and memorable experience in my life, and I'd like to share my memories with you

So, let's go start!

Our first stop was Dunkeld Cathedral.

 The second stop was town of Pitlochry in Perthshire. We had a one hour stop in Pitlochry, but this town and especially the area around Pitlochry deserve much more time.
Couple of years ago I spent a full day in this town, and I will remember this trip my whole life. It is absolutely amazing place with beautiful sceneries. There are two distilleries  (Edradour and Blair Athol),and the famous pub and brewery Moulin Inn. The Moulin Inn is awarded the Scottish Pub of the Year 2006 & 2007 and the Michelin Guide to Eating in Pubs awards. The food is inexpensive and very tasty. Queen Victoria called Pitlochry one of the best resorts in Europe, and it's an absolute truth!

 Perhaps the oldest McDonald's in the world -)

 After long driving we stopped near the Commando memorial.  It was unveiled commemorates the elite soldiers of the Commandos who died during the Second World War. The Memorial
commands wonderful views of Ben Nevis ('the evil mountain'), the highest (1300m) peak in Britain.

One more stop

 The last stop before arriving to the Island of Skye is the Castle Eilean Donan, the most photographed castle in Scotland. Eileen Donan has been used as a filming location for many films
('Highlander', 'The World Is Not Enough'). It seems that the castle was built hundreds years ago, but actually it is 'remake'. The original castle was built in the XIII century, but the building was destroyed in the 18th century and the castle lay in ruins two centuries. Only in the early 20th century it was rebuilt on the old drawings.

 Finally we arrived to the island of Skye via Skye Bridge.
Until 1995 the crossing was carried out by ferry. Costs to cross bridge to the Isle of Skye were very high, that is why locals were not happy about Skye Bridge. Discounts were introduced for the transport of livestock, as result people invented the tricky scheme. In the evening, on his way to home, they borrowed the sheeps from farmers, and returned them back in the morning.
Happily, after many protests the fees were cancelled.
We stayed in the village Kyleakin for 2 nights.
I fall in love with Kyleakin. It is very quite village, I enjoyed a peaceful and relaxing atmosphere, especially I loved to jogging on the Hill of the Fox to the west of Kyleakin. Unforgettable memories!

 

 

Stay Tuned!