Out of the desire to surprise the husband for his birthday sprung our Scottish adventure. A quick search on Easyjet and we were set for Inverness. We had no idea where to begin! The husband, lover of all things Northward, wanted to go to the Isle of Skye. We started researching and gathering information. Googlemapping and plotting our very own tripguide was a satisfying experience. We had everything planned out from how much time it would take to go between places and the order of stops we were going to make. Both him and I enjoy the details.
1. Highland Folk Museum.
This was our first stop. Entry is free but we arrived there half an hour before closing time given our noon flight into Inverness. We then realised it is a living museum which is set out in real-size townships. We sprinted to the left and started darting in and out of the buildings. We got to pop into houses and see how the people of old lived.
The beautiful details astonished us. Below is what the post office would have looked like. Attached to it is the sweet shop. Took a picture of a nicely wrapped parcel on old weighing scales. The cooking hobs were much more compact than at present.
No trip is complete without fraternising with new feathered and furry friends.
Beautiful 'Heeland Horse' grazing in a open field against the beautiful snow-covered mountaintop.
We entered the school and were whisked back to a class in 1937. The teacher demonstrated how a student would be disciplined with a belt--- on me! Needless to say, I won't be putting up pictures of that.
Yes, this county was also part of the museum. We ran back to explore the right side of the settlement which involves going down this path and past the pine forest!
Unfortunately, closing time was upon us. We only made it as far as these pinewoods. Not far enough to see the ancient settlement.
The amazing view amidst the pine trees.
On the road again to Skye! The sunset was around 9.30pm that day. Hoorah for us.
2. Loch Ness
We decided to hop out of the car and descend from the road to touch the waters of Loch Ness.
After admiring the beauty and calm eerie-ness that is Loch Ness, we drove on and saw a glimpse of a reflection. There was a small opening off the main road covered with some small rough stones. The husband jumped out by instinct and went down for a picture and he never expected to see.......
THIS!
Obscured by a row of trees was this breathtaking view. Speechless.
3. Kyle of Loch Alsh
On the way to Skye, we passed this gorgeous viewpoint from which we could see the beautiful bridge. We also got a quick look at the Urquhart Castle from the outside (pictured on low right).
4. Isle of Skye- Old Byre Skye Apartment
After a heart-pounding drive through the majestic (at corners, terrifyingly mighty/mightily terrifying) terrains, we arrived in Skye. The husband is the most amazing driver ever. His focus and carefulness makes him the best travel companion ever - especially for a worrying wart like me.
The apartment was such a pleasant surprise. Arriving in Skye after sunset is really an experience. Just for your imagination: you would be driving right in the middle of mountains and around the bend would lie a river and another set of jaw-dropping mountains would greet you. Then a beautiful cliff view and a tiny village then the whole process again. :) Very adventurous. We did not expect the apartment to be so inviting and modern! Equipped with great appliances and tasteful décor. I fell in love. Coming from Msia, one would not expect a house in what would seem like a 'pedalaman' area where there are probably only 8 other houses in sight to be so fantastic.
A lovely welcome pack was waiting for us filled with yummy goodies from the nearby shops: Skye Ale, chocolate truffles and fudge crumble shortbread. What more could one ask for! I love how they support each other's businesses over there.
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