Due to Covid we decided not to go abroad this summer as we were not sure what the restrictions would be – so we booked a cottage on the Isle of Skye for a week. I had visited with the kids a few years ago (here is the blog) but Stu didn’t come so we wanted to return with him.

Skye is 11 hours from our house so we booked the Premier Inn at Glasgow Airport (about half way) for an over night stop. We left home at 8.30 and after a stop at Asda (to buy breakfast) and then McDonalds (as no-one wanted anything from Asda and I had my first sausage and egg Mcmuffin in 2 years) we set off. We had planned on visiting Aira Force in the Lake District but the traffic on the M6 was so ridiculously slow it wasn’t possible.

We did a pitstop at Torbay Services (which is often said to be one of the best service stations in the UK) but it was absolutely manic – I think everyone else had the same idea!

Gretna Green

We eventually arrived at Gretna at 3.30pm. The kids wanted to play in the maze but unfortunately it was closed (it was shut the last time we visited as well) so they played on the grass hill whilst Stu and I had a wander. We briefly heard the bagpiper and saw a couple who had just got married.

We went to Pizza Express for tea and continued to the hotel. We kept seeing lots of purple flowers on the sides of the roads and assumed that they were heather – we later realised they were more of a wild fox glove.

We had an early breakfast at 7.15am and then headed to Glen Coe as we wanted to hike to the Hidden Valley and were worried about parking. We managed to get the last spot on a grass verge and did the hike Glen Coe Hike. We then carried on to Fort William where we could see the summit of Ben Nevis and took the A87 as we were driving to Skye via the Skye Bridge.

Eilean Donan Castle

At 4pm (15 minutes out from the Skye Bridge) we arrived at Eilean Donan Castle. It is a beautiful castle situated on a little island where three sea lochs meet – Loch Duich, Loch Long and Loch Alsh. We decided not to go in as it wasn’t covered by our Scottish Heritage passes and we were short on time. However, we parked in the car park to take some pictures as it is really pretty and we needed a snack.

We continued to Skye going over the bridge. Our cottage was in a little village called Fernilea and we had planned on going via Portree which added about 40 minutes to our journey to pick up some shopping (there are not that many supermarkets on Skye). However, we passed a Co-op just as we entered the island so thought we should stop off. Everyone else had obviously done the same as the wine aisle was almost empty along with all the snacks!

We made it to our cottage (which had a bunny rabbit in the garden as we arrived). It was small but lovely and had some gorgeous views from the kitchen window.

Old Man of Storr

It was a bit of a grey day so we thought it was perfect to go and climb to the Old Man of Storr – a rock formation and one of the most popular hikes in the area. Since our last visit a brand new car park had been built. The path started off quite steep but then levelled off so wasn’t too bad. Izzy decided that she wanted to do some photography so was trying to take photos of the water in the little streams to the side of the path.

We then reached a stone staircase which was actually quite hard going to climb – and seemed to go on for ever. We kept stopping for ‘photo’ breaks!

As you are climbing you can’t actually see the pointy rocks due the angle so it isn’t until you get just below them and then walk along the path that they are recognisable.

We saw that there was another peak a bit further on with people standing on it so decided to go and join them. Although it wasn’t a steep climb and it was along a grassy bank I got a sudden fear of heights and had to stop. Stu and the kids made me carry on so I made it to the top and it really wasn’t that scary!

^{Views from above the Old Man of Storr}

We headed back down where the kids played on the rocks for a bit and we watched a couple dressed in wedding outfits film themselves with a drone and then we returned home.