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The heavy rain continued all night and was still hammering on the breakfast room (conservatory) ceiling in the morning, so much so that I felt like Henny Penny and that the Skye had fallen in!
Nevertheless, I headed off into the maelstrom to Dunvegan (possibly named as they had rediscovered the joy of meat?). By the time we arrived, the rain had eased and was relatively light.
Yesterday I had learnt about the Clan Donald and saw the remains of Dun Scaith Castle that they owned after the MacLeods. Dunvegan is the historical seat of the McLeods, and was bought back into the clan about 100 years ago. The castle / manor house is still intact and was fascinating to explore. The gardens are magnificent. The most spectacular is the Water Garden, consisting of two large waterfalls, I suspect man-made, which had benefitted from the deluge so looked very impressive.
While at Dunvegan I was close to disaster! I was getting the low battery warning symbol on my camera, and it was only lunchtime! Like the idiot I am, I'd forgotten to charge it since I'd left Glasgow. So, I came up with a cunning plan. I drove back to the B&B in Portree, plugged in the battery and wandered into town for a spot of lunch - what could go wrong? The weather, obviously, as it chose the time I was walking into town to unleash another, brief, deluge!. I arrived at The Granary soaked, intending to get a toastie. Therefore, I ended up with a Brie and Bacon Burger with Cheesy Fries.
Once finished, I picked up the partially recharged battery and headed north up the coast to Lealt Falls. Located by the road, these fall dramatically down to the sea. They can only be viewed from up high. From that vantage point, it could be seen the the River Lealt beyond the road was in full flow. Therefore, I followed a track that ran parallel to the river for a while. Naturally, on the way back the heavens sprang a heavy leak again, and for the second time today I was soaked!
Then I drove further north to Kilt Rock. However, as I pulled into the small car park I noticed that not only were there a plethora of cars, but 3 coaches too! As I would be coming back this way later, I decided to leave and follow the road round as far as Uig. The drive was, predictably, spectacular.
Once in Uig, I had a quick comfort break before turning back to go to the Island Life Museum. Unfortunately, I hadn't realised that it closed at 4:30, just as I arrived. Nevertheless, I could still see the Flora MacDonald Memorial. She is famous for helping Bonnie Prince Charlie escape after the failed Jacobite Rising of 1745, so is considered a Scottish Heroine.
I then drove back to Kilt Rock, which was a lot less busy. This dramatic cliff has the spectacular Mealt falls tumbling over into the sea.
I had noticed a food van in the car park and was tempted to try a Bacon and Stornoway Black Pudding roll. Stornoway is a town of the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides. The young lady asked if I'd ever tried Stornoway Black Pudding, to which I confessed that not to my knowledge. She claimed it was the very best. I asked why there was no haggis on the menu, to which she replied not yet. They've only been in business for a couple of weeks, as it had taken ages to get the licence. She is a local lass who has just left the navy and has persuaded her Devon born boyfriend to move up here. The van is just the start as she would also like to start a pub in nearby Staffin, that hasn't had one in her father's lifetime, as well as her home village. A great ambition that should also benefit the community and tourists. And she was right, the Black Pudding is amazing! I wish them both all the best and will be sure to check the car park, or look for new pubs, next time I'm in Skye.
The weather had been dry for a while, but my jacket and I were still wet, so I decided to get the roof down for the drive back to Portree. It was a lovely drive, with a mix of big black brooding clouds and light sky above the twisting and virtually deserted road. And by the end, my jacket and I had been blown dry!
Today we drove a total of 117 miles.
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