18 years ago the three of us had met in Ecuador while volunteering. Now we are finally meeting up on the Isle of Skye in Scotland.

Edinburgh

Hail greets me as I exit the arrivals hall at the airport. But by the time I reach the city centre the sun has come out and that maybe gives a good description of Scottish weather in April. I am very glad for the dry walk to our hotel with my suitcase.

Edinburgh is such a beautiful city with its view over to the castle, the Old Town, the majestic stone houses and the little alleyways. I have a few hours to walk around and nothing fights jet lag as well as moving around and admiring the scenery. There are quite a few tourists on the streets, but I do not mind really. It rains on and off and when it finally stops and I meet my friend Kara, we can enjoy a nice evening walk through the city. We chat through dinner as if we had just met yesterday. I guess, keeping up our friendship via email did work wonderfully.

Isle of Skye

The train ride up to Inverness offers a nice introduction to the Highlands. The vast landscape is dotted with small towns and villages, some lochs and the snowy hills of the Cairngorms National Park.

By the time we reach Inverness and meet our last friend to complete the trio the sun is shining. We take the scenic route over to the island via Loch Ness and the Glenelg ferry. I love the small roads snaking through the impressive landscape. The hills are still mostly brown, but the trees are turning green and spring is lying in the air. We talk during our drive and stop after the ferry to walk along the Kyle Rhea and observe the seals swimming in the canal.

Adele’s little cottage lies in a tranquil cove. The view over the sea and the hills is so beautiful. Birds are singing and I cannot believe my eyes when I lift the curtain the next day and see sunshine and blue skies. Already it has been such a lovely Scottish experience and I can feel it only getting better and better.

Blà Bheinn

Today we want to hike up the tallest mountain on the Isle of Skye. Blà Bheinn is 970 metres high and not far for us to drive.

The wind is freezing as we start on the small trail up the hill. We follow a small stream and pass a few hikers on the way. The views over the brown and green hills towards the blue sea are so beautiful.

On a small plateau we find a wind protected space behind a boulder for our lunch break. We have two options from here, to go up to Blà Bheinn to the right or up the slightly smaller peak to the left. We debate the pros and cons for a bit and then decide to go up Blà Bheinn.

From here the path takes us up, up, up the hill. We scramble up through a gulley using our hands and love it, firmly putting the thought of how we go down again out of our heads.

Already before reaching the top we can see over to the other side and admire the view further north. From the top, the 360° degree view takes our breath away. The freezing wind is blowing strongly so that we take a few photos, admire the view and then start the slow hike down again.

The clouds add a bit of drama to the view and on our decent, the sun comes out again. The loose rubble is actually grippier than I thought it would be and also the climbing sections work pretty well.

Portree

After yesterday’s long hike we opt for a relaxing day with a walk through a forest restoration project outside of Broadford, a lunch at the Old Inn, a walk through Portree and a boat ride to see the eagles and seals in the bay.

We talk a lot, exchange lots of things that have happened in the last 18 years and in general have a wonderful time together. The landscape is so beautiful. We frequently stop and admire the view. The sun is shining and while it is quite cold, we feel so lucky with the weather.

Portree is a quaint little town and the colourful harbour houses are especially charming. The boat tour takes us to a seal colony, we spot the big white-tailed eagles in their nest and also a golden Eagle. Lots of seagulls and loons pass our way and we even spot two puffins fishing in the sea.

Coastal Hike

It is another one of those blue days. Today we want to take the ferry from Elgol to Loch Coruisk and then hike back from there via the infamous Bad Step.

On the ferry ride we stop in the small bay before the Bad Step and look up the smooth rock with the small fault line across. A little further a group of seals lies on the rocks of a little island. They look lazily about themselves and are not very disturbed by our passing by.

And then we reach Loch Coruisk and get off the boat to start our hike. The sea is glittering in the sun and we cross the little stream over rocks. Not far from the starting point, we have our lunch break on the warm volcanic rocks and cannot get enough of the view. What a day….

At a small beach we just have to test the water. The ferryman told us earlier that the sea is about 6 degrees cold. It is quite freezing, but also feels so good to have the sand between our toes. The white sandy beach and the turquoise water look very inviting. The water temperature, however, is not. It is freezing and we are only able to be in the water for a very short time.

From here the Bad Step is not far. We take it easy across the rock and make it safely to the other side one small step at a time. It feels as dramatic as it looks in the photos. And we are quite happy to have made it without problems.

The coastal path slopes up and down the hill. Sometimes the long bushes have wool hanging from them. The sheep use this trail as well. Some sections are very muddy and we step from stone to stone. This winter and spring was very wet, and Adele informs us that it had only stopped raining the week before. It all adds to the adventure, though.

Before we reach the Camasunary Bothy we have to cross a river and since I only have lower hiking shoes, I opt for wading through barefoot. I find a beautiful shell and I am happy to make it safely across without slipping on the mossy pebbles.

While we have a break a small hail storm passes. But the sun comes out again soon and we continue along the coast. The views of the other side and towards Elgol are amazing. Sheep are grazing in the distance. The blue sea shimmers once more in the sunshine. We are so happy and cannot stop telling each other what a beautiful day this is.

Old Man of Storr & the Fairy Pools

Today we start with a lazy breakfast and then head out. We stroll around Portree and after lunch we continue on the road to the north. The landscape is so beautiful, the water is glistening in the sunshine, the green grass shines against the black rocks. In the distance we can already spot the Old Man of Storr. We stop at the parking lot and continue on foot up the hill. At first, the path is wide and steep and then continues via steps up the hillside.

The rock formations are beautiful. The green moss contrasts against the black stone and everything shines in the sun as we walk all the way up to one of the view points. What a wonderful day. We cannot believe our luck with the weather this week. It is April in Scotland, after all.

On the way back home, we stop at the Fairy Pools. There are passing zones on the narrow roads to make it easier for traffic. We meet a lot of cars on the way there and hope that by late afternoon we will not encounter too many tourists at one of the main attractions of the island. But it is still very busy and we continue on a bit and stop by some other pools that look very similar to the famous Fairy Pools. The sun is beginning to disappear behind the mountains, the sky is slowly turning pink and the soft trickling of the water gives it a magical atmosphere. We walk a little along the pools and admire the landscape.

Plockton & Stirling

What a beautiful week we have spent together. We could not have imagined it in our wildest dreams to turn out this wonderful. And today we have to say goodbye again.

All three of us drive to Plockton for breakfast and a stroll along the village before Kara and I take the train back to Inverness. There, we say goodbye and I continue on to Stirling and the airport of Edinburgh by myself.  As I walk through Stirling in the evening, I have time to reflect on all the wonderful things that have happened this week: the adventures, the sunshine, the friendship… and I smile…