Scottish Tour Guide's Blog

Common Seal, Dunvegan, Scotland

This morning we depaerted our Tarbert, Harris lodgings early tro connect with the 7.30am ferry to Uig Skye. On arrival at Uig we proceeded as follows:

• To Dunvegan Castle on Skye. Here we visited the excellent garden and joined a short boat ride to view a colony of basking common seals. Latter was a great expereince allowing close-up access to the animals.
• To Portree, capoital of Skye. Here we explored the town and colourful harbour and then availed of lunnch at a harbour restaurant.
• To Broadford, south Skye via some stunning snow-capped mountainous scenery.
• At Broadford we viisted art and craft outlets and an interesting second hand bookshop.
• Next, acroos the Skye Bridge to Kyle of Lochalsh and then north up to Ullapool vioa Loch Carron via superb West Highlands scenery. Arrived Ullapool at 5.30pm.

Overall,weather was dry and reasonably sunny permitting some good photo opportunities. Tonight we are in Ullapool before commencing the tour’s penultimate day. Superb sunset over Loch Broom this evening-see final pic below.

Common Seal, Dunvegan, Scotland

Dunvegan Castle, Skye, Scotland

Portree Harbour, Isle of Skye, Scotland

Cuillin Mountains, Isle of Skye, Scotland

Loch Carron, Highlands, Scotland

Ullapool, Highlands, Scotland

Sunset over Loch Broom, Scotland

Mealt Falls Isle of Skye, Scotland

This evening,  I am focusing on the Trotternish ( N.E.) area of the Isle of Skye and in particular the popular scenic locations of Mealt Falls and Kilt Rock . This section of Skye has a fascinating geology mainly dating from the Jurassic era, about 150m years ago. Here, many horizontal sills of volcanic material have forced between the older strata. One such dolerite sill forms the upper section of the Kilt Rock coastline as shown in the image below. Here the cliffs of basalt columns give the rocks a pleated appearance and hence the name Kilt Rock.

The falls come from Loch Mealt nearby which passes under the road. Here the Loch cascades down into the sea entailing a drop of 250 feet (85m) to a shoreline of (inaccessible) caves and arches. This video clip shows the Falls with a rainbow effect.

Kilt Rock, Isle of Skye, Scotland

I invariably include a visit to this site during my tours of Skye.

Uig Bay, Isle of Skye, Scotland

This evening, I am focusing on Uig which is located on the north-western tip of the Isle of Skye, a place which regularly features in my tours of Skye.

The name Uig is Old Norse for bay which is very apposite as Uig is a natural harbour in Loch Snizort which acts as a ferry port for journeys to/from Tarbert and Lochmaddy in the Outer Hebrides. The image above shows a ferry vessel in port at Uig.

Invariably, I find Uig a convenient lunch spot is course of a day tour of Skye. Uig is within striking distance of the Quiraing, Fairy Glen  and Dunvegan Castle.

Here is a video clip  of Uig.