Flora Macdonald – Godiva Travellers

You will not forget your visit to the Isle of Skye. The superlatives, the adjectives, all the flowing words of praise that have been written about the island, are correct. If anything, they do not do it justice. It really is an island travellers should visit. Skye really is something special.

We took the Calmac ferry from Tarbert on the Isle of Harris to dock in Uig, the small port which resides in a sheltered bay on the north-west coast of Skye. It was a lovely sea crossing which had the added bonus of giving us superb views of the other islands that lie off the Scottish mainland. Of course, we think the best way to see Skye, is to go over the sea to it!

Portree is a small, but busy little town situated halfway along the eastern coastline of the island. Portree’s central location makes it a great centre to tour the island from. We were happy to stay in lovely B&B which had the option of delicious pancakes or a full Scottish breakfast. After 2 weeks of touring the Western Isles and having a full Scottish breakfast every day the pancakes were a real treat as were the fresh home-made scones baked daily. We can highly recommend a stay at Gleann an Ronnaich

Skye is a deceptively large island. It’s over 100 kilometres in length with a land area greater than 1,500 square kilometres. Even from Portree it may take over an hour and a half to drive to some of the popular tourist sites on the far north and south of the island. You have to spend at least a few days on Skye to appreciate all that the island can offer.

We enjoyed Portree itself. There is a scenic circular walk that starts by the harbour in the centre of the town. It provides great coastal views all the way across the sea to the nearby island of Raasay. The walk took us about 90 minutes and at its end we were ready for a cup of coffee and a cake. Portree has lots of bars and cafes to choose from.

Signpost on Portree walk — *Some views on the walk around Portree*

View on Portree walk — *Some views on the walk around Portree*

Skye can get very busy during the peak summer months though we personally had no difficulties in finding a table when we wanted to eat and we were there in July. However, if you want to eat somewhere extra special and would like some fine dining in places like the Three Chimneys in Colbost, then you must book in advance, even outside of the summer months.

Peak congestion is when a stream of coaches disembark their passengers in the town all at the same time. Then, Portree can seem very busy indeed! Again, though some restaurants required pre-booking for an evening meal, we had no problem finding a free table when we ate out. We tend to eat our evening meal between 5-6 pm. Had we eaten later, finding a table may have been more problematic. Eating early has the additional advantage that you may finish your meal just in time to see and hear the Isle of Skye Pipe Band which regularly parades through the town centre. We enjoyed a rousing performance from the band with the Pipe major being particularly impressive marching up and down in full Highland regalia. The Band’s parades in the town are advertised locally and we would strongly recommend you see the Band if you are in Portree.

Isle of Skye Pipe Band performing in Portree

Skye is one of those rare holiday destinations where the reality of being there is better than what brochures advertise. From the Old Man of Storr to the Neist Point Lighthouse, none of the island’s fabled attractions disappoint. We hired a car in Skye and simply travelling across the island was a wonderful experience with breathtaking views around every corner. Our journey times were much longer than planned because we kept stopping to take photos of the wonderful landscapes we kept on meeting. Skye really is a beautiful island. This is our favourite photograph of our stay, the view just stopped us in our tracks!

There is a caveat to touring Scotland’s most famous island. The whole world has now heard of Skye’s natural beauty and and at times it may seem the whole world is queuing up to see it. The traditional tourists from North America and England are now accompanied by tourists from Europe, China and South America. There can be traffic congestion near the most popular spots and you may find yourself amongst a small crowd of people when trying to get that perfect photo. Skye is still worth visiting despite the increased number of visitors. And to put Skye in perspective, it is much less crowded than Devon, Cornwall or the Lake District during the peak holiday season. We would recommend visiting the most popular sites early in the morning or late evening when day-trippers and coach parties are not there. Take advantage of the long daylight hours that are past 11.00 pm in the summer months. Travelling around Skye in the early evening is much quieter than during the day. It is the time when the local sheep population take over the roads and we got some great pictures of sheep on our way back after an evening sunset. The sheep weren’t bothered by the crowds!

Here are a few samples of the beautiful places we saw in Skye, There were so many places we were not able to see, we will have to visit Skye again.

Flora MacDonald and Skye

Skye has had a long and often turbulent history. Its role in the 1745 Jacobite Rebellion has been immortalised in the song: Over the Sea to Skye. The song commemorates how Flora MacDonald helped the rebel leader Bonnie Prince Charlie escape chasing Hanoverian troops. The Prince had been hiding on the neighbouring Hebridean island of South Uist. Flora MacDonald disguised the Prince as her maid. She and the Prince first travelled to the Isle of Benbecula where they boarded a boat which, as the song says, went over the sea to Skye. From Skye, the Prince was taken on another short boat journey to Raasay, where he boarded a vessel which eventually took him to safety in France.

Flora MacDonald was imprisoned for over a year for her part in the Prince’s daring escape. The irony is that a number of Flora’s family were supporters of the Hanoverian cause! She and her family later emigrated to America where she became involved in that country’s rebellion against the British. Sadly, the family lost its lands in that rebellion and so she had to return to Skye. Her burial place at Kilmuir has a fitting memorial to this remarkable woman. It is well worth a visit.

Flora Macdonald graveyard plaque — *Flora MacDonald graveyard*

Flora Macdonald gravestone — *Flora MacDonald graveyard*

Over the Bridge to Skye

Built in 1995 the Skye road bridge has transformed the economy of Skye with day-trippers now visiting the island from as far away is Edinburgh. Prior to the bridge being built visitors would have to catch the ferry which made the short sea crossing from the mainland port at the Kyle of Lochalsh. Though only a few hundred metres in length, the bridge is a feat of engineering skill and well worth taking the time to explore.

The bridge spans the small island of Eilean Ban which is home to a lighthouse and a nature reserve run by Ring of Bright Water author, Gavin Maxwell. It is worth parking your car and walking across the bridge to see the lighthouse and the spectacular views the bridge provides. Tours are available around Eilean Ban’s nature reserve on request.

Eilean Donan Castle

About 2 miles along the road from the bridge is one of Scotland’s most impressive castles, Eileen Donan castle. The castle has a long history and it played a pivotal role in the 1719 rebellion when a garrison of Spanish troops defended the castle against British soldiers. If you are travelling by car to Skye then take the time to visit it. In recent years it has been used as a film location for lots of films including Highlander (1986), Loch Ness (1996) and James Bond – The World is Not Enough (1999)

The views looking out from the castle are pretty special too.

Isle of Skye Running

One of the best ways to see Skye is to take part in the island’s annual half-marathon race which is held in early June. Details can be found here: Skye half marathon

Though the island does not have a parkrun, it has an established athletics club and members meet in Portree on Wednesday evenings for a club run. Perhaps you could join them when you visit the island? Details of Skye running can be found on the club website: Skye and Lochalsh RC

We left our hire car at the Kyle of Lochalsh railway station as we said goodbye to Skye. There was a plaque here to commemorate the 1919 Iolaire disaster (see our blog on the Isle of lewis for more details). We then took another scenic train journey, this time to Inverness where our trip ended with a flight home. It was a fantastic trip all through the Outer Hebrides and Skye. It left us wanting to see and explore more Scottish islands. Keep a look-out on our blog for where our adventures will take us next.

We would love to hear your thoughts in the comments section below. Please follow and share with anyone you think may be interested. See you again soon!

After our short visit to Eriskay (see previous blog), we drove over the next causeway to South Uist. I loved the rocky landscape that greeted us here. We just had to stop and take some photos.

As it was raining and as the visibility was poor we decided to continue on to find our accommodation in Benbecula and not to stop along the way. This meant following the main road and travelling over more causeways. We stayed in a beautiful B&B on a croft. We were welcomed with tea and cake which was just what we needed after our journey.

The landscape of Benbecula was very different to the landscape we had encountered in the other islands of the Western Isles. It was flat and reminded us somewhat of East Anglia in England. On a clear day you can see for miles in every direction, though when we arrived, low clouds reduced visibility to about 50 metres!

South Uist is the birthplace of Flora Macdonald who famously helped Bonnie Prince Charlie escape capture after the failed rebellion of 1745/6. We had planned a short stop at the Flora MacDonald memorial which was on the route to our B&B. However, visibility was so poor we missed the signs for the memorial and later almost missed the turn off for our accommodation!

Travelling in Benbecula

There is a small airport in Benbecula. Scotland’s airline, Loganair, operate flights to Stornoway, Inverness, Glasgow and Edinburgh. There’s a little cafe here that is popular with locals as well as travellers. The only other way to get to Benbecula is by road via South or North Uist. There is a bus service, but if you are used to the busy, frequent service of a big city, you’ll be disappointed. Buses do not operate on Sundays. Benebecula still respects Presbyterian traditional values. Keeping the Sabbath holy and bus free is one of them. It is worth knowing if you are here for a weekend and wish to use public transport. We were glad that we had chosen to a hire car for this part of our trip!

Walking in Benbecula

There are many scenic walks along the beautiful coastline around the island. We discovered a lovely beach with sand dunes and white sand: it was Cula Bay. The bay is popular with surfers and it was only a short distance from where we stayed. It was remarkable to see surfers braving the Atlantic waves so far north, but the Gulf Stream makes the sea temperature quite mild. For experienced surfers, the Atlantic breakers of Benbecula make the island’s surfing amongst the best in Britain, if not the world!

On a very windy day we decided to climb the Rueval, the highest point in the island. At 124m high, it rises from sea level to give extraordinary views up and down the Outer Hebrides. We drove to Market Stance and took the path to the summit. It is claimed, that the cave where Bonnie Prince Charlie is said to have hidden whilst waiting for Flora MacDonald to arrange his escape, is on this walk. We met a few walkers on the way including an 84 year old lady who did the walk every day. She was a hardy type, born and bred Benbecula, and no amount of wind or rain was going to stop her!

Peat is still gathered for fuel on the island. It was fascinating to see it cut up and drying out at the side of our path along the walk.

Eating Out

Benebecula was the quietest island of the islands we visited on our holiday. As such, there was only a limited choice of places where to eat. We stayed in the Balivanich area, near the airport. Here, there are two restaurants to choose from, The Stepping Stones and Charlie’s Bistro. A little further south was the Dark Island hotel where you could go for a meal or a drink in the bar. All three places were good and not too expensive but you may have to book a table in The Stepping Stones and Charlie’s Bistro in the busier summer months.

We didn’t find any pubs on the island, though we were told one bar opens up at weekends in the town of Balivanich. Lunch time you could try the airport cafe or the nearby riding school which provide teas, coffees and sandwiches at reasonable prices.

The Military Presence in Benbecula

The more observant traveller to Benbecula will soon become aware of the island’s military connections. The island is a key centre of the North Atlantic, NATO communication system. Though discreetly hidden away, the island is the home for military radar stations, NATO personnel from various countries often visit the island for combined operational exercises. So it is quite possible some of those Canadian, Dutch or Italian “tourists” you meet, are in reality military communication experts having a quiet break from an intense military operation!

History – Nunton Land Raids

The Highland Clearances were one of the saddest episodes of 18th and early 19th century Scottish history. Landlords removed crofting families from their estates to make way for more profitable sheep farming. Government legislation in the mid-19th century stopped the worst excesses of the Clearances but land ownership remained a bitterly contested subject into the 20th century. Some soldiers returning from the First World War took matters into their own hands and occupied crofts that they believed to be rightfully their property. Such actions were called “Land Raids” and one of the most famous land raids was the “Nunton Farm Land Raid” of 1923. There is a plaque on an old building near our B&B commemorating this event. Even today, the subject of crofting rights brings back bitter memories of past injustices to islanders.

Running in Benbecula

There is no parkrun in either South/North Uist or Benbecula as the islands have such small populations. On the positive side, the low population means that the quiet roads provide an excellent training ground. The flat terrain is an added bonus for those used to the strain of constantly running up hills!

There is an annual half marathon race in June and a 10K race in the Spring. Both races get booked up quickly so enter early if you are thinking of taking part. The half-marathon is one of the 5 Western Isles half-marathons. If you run 3 of these half-marathons you will qualify for the prestigious HEB3 award. What a fantastic way to spend a summer: running the Hebridean islands! Click here for more details.

We would love to hear your thoughts in the comments section below. Please share with anyone you think may be interested. See you again soon!

Tag: Flora Macdonald

Isle of Skye: The Island you must visit, the Island you will not forget

Benbecula: The flatlands of the Western Isles