Hi folks,
I haven't posted for a while, but wanted to share some photos from last weekend...
Some friends and I hired a gorgeous self-catering villa in Broadford on Skye, and took a long weekend to drive up there and back.
The drive is spectacular - we took the M9 from Edinburgh, passing the Kelpies and Stirling castle along the way, then skirted the top of the Loch Lomond and the Trossachs national park.

As you head further north, the mountains just keep getting bigger, until you pass through Glencoe. This photo is of the Three Sisters, taken from the side of the road.

We stopped for lunch at a lovely inn, about two miles down the road, then on to Fort William (where Ben Nevis was looming in the background, shrouded in mist and generally looking enormous) and across towards the Skye bridge.
Just before the crossing, you pass Eilean Donan castle, which featured in the film "Highlander". Met a friendly seal


Over the next couple of days we drove around the north of Skye, taking in as many of the sights as possible. We climbed the Old Man of Storr, which was all the more epic for being shrouded in mist and snow (person in pink is me!)...


Then the Quiraing, which was a gentler climb, and in much brighter weather.

And the Faerie glen...

With a quick stop to marvel at the beach near the Lealt Falls.

We also passed through Portree, with its lovely multicoloured pastel houses along the harbour, and Uig, where we had a quick pint in a pub on the pier.

The next day we headed to a gorgeous coral beach at Claigan, and Dunvegan castle.


We also tried to visit the Talisker distillery, and while it was very picturesque, we hadn't realised that it was only open Monday-Friday, so headed round the corner for fresh seafood at the Oyster Shed instead.
We took a slightly different route home - the ferry from Armadale to Mallaig. Even that was stunning - huge swells left a couple of our friends feeling little iffy, but I loved it, with snow-capped mountains on the mainland and white horses on the waves.
Our detour allowed us to pass through Glenfinnan, where we stopped to appreciate the viaduct...

And finished off with another stop at Kingshouse in Glencoe, where we got friendly with some of the locals

I've been sitting at my desk all week dreaming of being back in the car. I'm doing a tour of Islay and Jura in May, so at least I don't have too long to wait to be on an island again!
Comments
Love the pics. That's always a great road trip. You've packed a lot into the trip. Did you have to plan much in advance or did you just go with the flow?
We had a wee wish-list of things we wanted to see... I always think that planning the holiday is half the fun!
@labyrinthmr you might like our suggestion for a trip to Skye and Fort William by public transport, or if you prefer to go with a guide, it can be a great way to make instant friends... Here's a list of tours starting in Glasgow. Skye is gorgeous, so I'm sure you'll have an amazing time whichever you pick!