London - Scotland Trip Day 9

Monday September 10, 2012 – Portree, Isle of Skye, Scotland
Woke at 6:30 AM to a beautiful sunrise over Portree harbor. Took some pictures as the sun was coming up at about 7:45 am. Enjoyed breakfast at the B&B dining room. I had OJ, coffee, mushroom & tomato omelet, sausage, toast with marmalade. Carol had scrambled eggs on toast. Drove north from Portree along the east side of Isle of Skye. Saw Old Man of Storr and Kilt Rock. Kilt rock was impressive with a waterfall in the foreground dropping dramatically to the ocean. Weather was brisk, windy, and rainy. We got drenched at another stop where there used to be a diatomaceous earth mine. Stopped at the northern tip of Skye where there were rocks stacked all over the place. Next stop was the Skye Museum of Island Life where there were old, thatched cottages and displays showing how people lived back in the old days (up to ~1950). It was amazing to see how hard life would have been for the people that lived there back in the old days. Visited Kilmuir Cemetery near the museum with a grave and monument for Flora McDonald. Flora helped Bonnie Prince Charlie after his defeat to the British back in the 1700’s. Stopped in Uig and visited the Isle of Skye Brewery and Uig Pottery shop. Carol bought a couple pottery cups (one for Lotte). I bought a few souvenirs while Carol waited in the car. While waiting, someone mistook our car for theirs and jumped into the driver seat giving Carol a little surprise. The person quickly realized their mistake, and Carol and the guy ended up having a good laugh. Uig is a charming little town and bay with a beautiful view of the surrounding countryside from the road above the town. Drove to Dunvegan Castle but it was closed for the day. Stopped at a cemetery where there were some old Pictish stones that had been re-erected by the locals using original techniques (Pictish stones near Uig). Stopped multiple times to take photos. On one stop, I tried walking across some heather and ended up with soaked feet after sinking up to my knees (Note: walking on heather is risky). Arrived back at the Portree B&B at about 7:15 pm.