Magical Skye

The sound of the rain hitting our tent woke me with a start; I lay there snuggled in the cocoon of my sleeping bag listening to the birds singing in the tree next to our tent. It was a lazy start as we dressed in warm waterproofs and packed our rucksacks ready for our island trip. Glen Nevis was proving to be wet and cold so we had decided to head to the Isle of Skye for a trip to the mysterious Old Man of Storr.

Grabbing a hot coffee for the journey to warm our bones (yes we were that cold), we headed off for the scenic drive. Driving along curved roads that were surrounded by lochs and mountains was amazing; it was a beautiful drive where the sun streamed through the window screen and we stopped a few times to take photographs.

As we arrived on Skye, the mood drastically changed, the clouds were gathering over the Black Cullin as we drove past the impressive mountain range and onto the Old Man. We had obviously seen photographs of these amazing rock formations and had read all about them but we wanted to experience it for ourselves.

The Storr is basically a rocky hill on the Trotternish Peninsula, with the area in front of the iconic cliffs known as the Sanctuary, which I felt was quite apt for this strange and quiet area. It was crated by an ancient landslip, leaving behind the weird and wonderful place it is today.

I can’t say I was overly impressed as we parked up, the sea stretched out in one direction and above us the cloud and mist swirled around the Old Man, the pointed pinnacle. There were a lot of people around and the Old Man didn’t seem that far away, however, appearances can be deceptive. We started up the curved track inching closer and closer until we came to an absolute mud bath and the Storr high above that. With the wind whipping in and the rain starting to fall again, we gingerly picked our way up the muddy slope.

Sam and I became separated at this point and I didn’t mind too much as it meant we could explore at our own pace. There was a moment I finally came to the Sanctuary, where the Storr towered over me and the mist parted to give me an epic view. It was then that I could appreciate the mystery and magic that surrounded it. I spent a lot of time just gazing up in wonder and taking photographs, there was a definite aura of being in a faraway land, and it was pretty special.

We spent a lot of time exploring and soaking up the atmosphere for a good while before making the slippy decent back to where we started. The crowds we had seen at the start of the hike had been pushed back by the rain and so it did feel like we had the place to ourselves which made it extra special. With the mist, the rain and the overall mood, it had felt eerie and mysterious; it was a day I would never forget.

“Listen to the silence, be still and let your soul catch up”