We left the last episode nearly being blown off Dunnet Head. To shelter from the elements we continued west and found one of the only remaining pubs open for the season. It was just our luck we snuck in on their last night open! We grabbed a good feed before tucking the Troopy as hard up to the side of the pub as possible to escape the wind. The pub was bustling with locals, gathering for what would be the last time here for months. With daylight hours decreasing exponentially as the year ends, and blistering arctic conditions looming, the locals go more into survival mode. We had a chat to the barmaid about the life in the North who told us this was her for the year, she’ll be going into hibernation now for the winter. We slept well that night and when we woke in the morning the ocean lay still, the clouds hung motionless, and in the morning sun the entire landscape resembled an oil painting. We were cautious to accept the significant positive change in conditions though as the situation can change very quickly here. From the pub we continued around the spectacular northern coast until we arrived at Smoo Cave. This huge cave lies at the top of a narrow inlet and has been used as a refuge for local fishermen and people at sea for centuries. A short walk down into the inlet leads into an expansive cavern. Once inside a small timber bridge trails deeper into the cave, over a stream, through a narrow section, and right to the back where a huge thundering waterfall feeds from the loch above. The wind blowing off the waterfall was piercing, so after a few quick snaps we retreated to the Troopy.
Due to the season everything, like the pub, was now closed in the region though we didn’t come here for infrastructure, we came for the amazing landscape, and that there is an abundance of here in all seasons. As we continue on the narrow country roads, snaking inland through wide valleys, over rolling passes, and back to the coast, the ominous heavy clouds filter a broken sunlight, drawing out the rich lush colours of the late autumn to create an intense and dramatic backdrop. In all directions this uninhabited environment is of massive proportions, the gentle lower landscape stretching out into the distance rises steeply into huge rolling mountain ranges. Landscape on these proportions inherit s sort of dominant aura and command an almost addictive sense of scale. These humbling experiences provide a significant part of the reason we travel to places like this, ‘chasing the dragon’ so to speak. As much as the weather had created an incredible atmosphere and dramatic backdrop for photography, it hadn’t inspired a want to tackle any of the significant amount of hikes in the region. The weather was constantly in and out of showers so attempting any hiking would inevitably end in complete saturation. Without a place to dry hiking gear we would be living in a constant cold and wet state. Thankfully the scenery is so expansive that mountain top views aren’t required to take in the grandeur so we trucked on taking it all in from the comfort and warmth of the Troopy. Driving till dark (4pm) we found a small state owned camp spot at Torridon, another example of an attempt to combat the issue of campers. It was easy to see that in peak season this place was be overrun though for now it was just us and the deer. Working off a donation basis the camp is positioned next to a rural fire station and use of amenities including hot showers are shared with the station.
During our research of sights of Scotland, The Isle of Skye, frequented the top of the list. Factoring in the weather, the possible attractions were reduced and given the islands relatively ‘small’ size, we took an early start the following morning to see the highlights in one day. Heading in an anti-clockwise direction our first stop was Mealt Falls. Mealt Falls is a raging waterfall which plunges off the edge of the 55m high cliff directly into the ocean. We’ve seen many waterfalls on our journey though there’s only a handful in the world which fall as dramatically into the ocean like Mealt. The most notable is Mulafossur Waterfall, several hundred nautical miles to the north of Mealt on the Faroe Islands. We had originally wanted to visit the Faroes though due to the season we had to give it a miss, Mealt therefor was a great compromise. From Mealt the mountain range which ran along the centre of the Isle was covered in cloud; nestled in that cloud was our next destination, one of, if not the most, iconic images of the Isle - The Quiraing. As we made the drive towards the escarpment and up to the ridge as if by some Devine intervention the rains eased, clouds parted, and sun broke through.
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