Skye, Raasay, Inverness, and Edinburgh
We did not rent a car while we were in Scotland. The easiest ways to get around if you don’t rent a car are via bus, Citylink, https://www.citylink.co.uk/, or train, Scotrail, https://www.scotrail.co.uk.
June 30th, 2022
Waking around 8 o’clock in the morning we once again joined our new teacher friends for breakfast. Still feeling tired and a bit sore from the hiking we enjoyed a slow breakfast and then packed to catch the Hogwarts Express. The Jacobite train is truly a gem of old steam trains and after waiting a short while at the train station we hopped aboard.
We did not opt for the first class tickets; in retrospect perhaps we should have. The normal seats still afforded us a great view of the picturesque bridge shown in the Harry Potter films and T and I each enjoyed a chocolate frog from the candy cart.
Arriving in Mallaig, we had little time to explore the town which was perhaps for the best as I was not truthfully feeling 100%. We had worn masks since the morning when in public and continued to do so, except for our train photos, but we thought it prudent to simply make our way to our next destination with as little contact as possible. So, we skipped the town and headed directly for the ferry to the Isle of Skye.
Once there we waited for and eventually boarded a nearly empty bus which took us nearly all the way to our accommodations. Unfortunately, we had to catch another bus, however, google maps had lied and there was no stop for it. So, instead we walked in the general direction of our hostel. After passing a very strange horse (see photo above) we opted to wait until a bus came and we would attempt to flag it down there.
We succeeded and once again boarded a nearly empty bus which dropped us near our hostel. We checked in and went directly to our room. We had booked a private room and were very glad for it. As I still did not feel the best T suggested we use one of the rapid tests we brought to rule out Covid. Unfortunately, the result of the test was extremely positive for Covid. So, we resolved to quarantine ourselves as long as possible. We spent all 4 days and 3 nights which we had planned for the Isle of Skye locked in our room only exiting when absolutely necessary. T had symptoms shortly after me so we spent our time resting and watching Netflix when the Wifi was agreeable.
The view from our window at Skye.
July 3rd, 2022
I had shaken my fever and symptoms on July 1st and T was fever free, so we both felt well enough to carry on to the Isle of Raasay, remaining careful to limit our contact with others. Fortunately, the Isle of Raasay only has 160 people that reside there, so we continued to use our masks and hand sanitizer and carried on.
The Isle of Raasay was more charming than we had anticipated. T had booked us a stay at the scotch distillery on the island which was absolutely fantastic. The distillery was new and in fact, they were still working to complete some of it. The distillery was the result of a passion project. Two Scottish businessmen had started it as a way to provide a boon to the community that lived on Raasay and I will say we should all thank them for their hard work.
The scotch and gin they make is excellent, the accommodations cozy as anyone could want, the contribution to the island’s farmers and population substantial, but the real pièce de résistance was the absolutely phenomenal food created for their dinner menu. Though I seriously doubt this blog will ever be read by a true food critic, I would recommend, if for some reason it is that they go to the Isle of Raasay Distillery. The ingredients were local, the flavor profiles brought out the best elements of what was readily available.
July 4th, 2022
Happy Independence Day, USA.
After thoroughly enjoying ourselves at the distillery we were joined one last time by one of our new teacher friends. The other had returned home, and we had warned them both that we had caught the plague of our time, but she remained unconcerned and joined us for one last hike. Passing a few picturesque highland cows, we made our way this time up Temptation Hill on the island which afforded us a pleasant view of Raasay’s distinctive peak.
We then left Raasay and caught a bus to Inverness. On the way we passed the length of the fabled Loch Ness. We kept a sharp eye out for Nessie, but saw not a single dark ripple on or under the water. Arriving in Inverness, we quickly found our hotel situated in the city center and stopped in a local tavern for dinner and called it an early night.
July 5th, 2022
We slept in a bit and then moseyed out for coffee and a pastry for breakfast, then we went off in search of the largest used bookstore in the UK, Leakey’s Bookshop. This shop reminded me of a place which I adored in my youth, a 3+ level bookstore. I had spent hours there picking through old books, sipping a drink, listening to 3 old men chat about politics, history, or various other topics usually while puffing on a pipe. My nose was filled with the smell of old paper, leather, and ink as the mountains and walls of books formed a fortress for me to find solitude and tranquility.
Leakey’s brought all of that emotion rushing back. The same smells greeted me as I entered, my eyes twinkled to see stacks and walls of books matching those of my youth. I have every confidence the old man checking books out to people could have easily held his own in a conversation on geopolitics with a pipe in hand. Yes, this place was special.
We spent longer than intended here, searching through the treasures of knowledge and flipping through the authentic prints from over 100 years ago. One such treasure was this print which is of an actor portraying a school master. For all my previous teachers, if they have not given this look to me, they have certainly thought about it and will undoubtedly think about it again with some other challenging pupil.
After leaving Leakey’s we set off to find the Clava Cairns, a 4,000+ year old burial and spiritual site. We thought about visiting Loch Ness as well, but chose the path less traveled and after a bus ride and a half hour walk through the Scottish countryside (because no trip is complete without unexpected strolls through the open countryside) we found the Clava Cairns. Impressive in their age and construction, these sacred places had been preserved by the local farmers who had even planted a grove of trees around them in druidic fashion.
After enjoying this brief sojourn, we returned to the same tavern in Inverness for dinner and once again called it an early night.
July 6th, 2022
We caught a mid morning bus to Edinburgh. Most of the day was spent in transit and upon arriving in Edinburgh we made our way to our accommodations, the student housing for the university. With classes completed the university allowed the housing to be rented cheaply to travelers. The location was excellent and very secure, the laundry facilities more than adequate for our needs, but the mattress quickly reminded us that being a student had its drawbacks. One of which was a mattress that left no mystery regarding where the springs were located. A fact which the flock of sea gulls outside our window seemed to never tire of laughing about… all night long.
July 7th, 2022
Despite the springs in our back and the consistent laughter of the sea gulls we eventually managed to drift off to sleep. Upon waking the next morning, we set out to see the city. We climbed to the top of Calton hill which afforded us splendid views before going on to Victoria street (which served as the inspiration for Diagon Alley in Harry Potter) as well as visiting the Greyfriars Kirkyard where we found the names of some Harry Potter characters etched on tombstones. After dinner, we returned to be once again greeted by the laughter of sea gulls and our humble student flat.
July 8th, 2022
A bit of a lazy morning followed by lunch at a local café and a search for rapid Covid tests swallowed most of our day. 3 supermarkets and 7 pharmacies later, we finally found some. We were relieved to see that we were both negative for Covid now and could safely visit our friends in Germany the following day, for which we were incredibly grateful. We did venture forth one last time to view Edinburgh Castle, which due to the 150th golf open was completely booked out and we therefore could not explore it to its fullest. Although we couldn’t explore the castle, we did wander around The Royal Mile. We found The Witches Well, Camera Obscura, and quite a few closes (random, small tunnels, many with nice views of the city). We will need to return to Scotland to go to Skye and the castle.
