Grannie's Birthday on the Isle of Skye

Aidan's Card for Grannie

Birthday Surprises

Aidan got to dip his feet finally.

Portree, Isle of Skye

Uig, Isle of Skye

We have all thoroughly enjoyed staying at Knowle B&B.  Miriam and Bert are great hosts and we appreciated the morning chats over the fabulous breakfasts.  I approached Miriam last night to ask where we might get a cake to celebrate Janet's birthday and she volunteered some of her baking, which she said she hadn't been able to serve us yet because we're never here!  Well, she outdid herself.  When we arrived for breakfast she had a banner up, a handmade card and served delicious squares complete with candle.  It was a terrific start to a great birthday for Janet.  Due to our lack of paper, the boys sent her an ecard.  Aidan used some paper from a little notebook we had and created a card complete with drawings of Nessie and a Highland Coo (cow as they say) and wrapped up a shell he discovered the other day in Plockton and presented it to Grannie.  I am not sure who was more proud.  We found a book about the Highland Clans and the clearing and immigration to Canada which may shed some light on our own Mclennan heritage and gave that to her. 

After consulting the weather forecast which was for sunshine in the west and rain every other day we are here, we decided to head to the Isle of Skye.  It was the same journey we did in the fog and rain the other day (only further) and so it was nice to see it in the sunshine.  On the way we stopped at a stone croft complete with stone fence beside a small brook that Janet had spied the other day.  It was a great stop - Aidan finally got to dip his feet in some water (which was freezing cold and stopped his incessant request to go swimming in a loch or ocean), the boys and Dave skipped stones and Janet and Ken explored the building and I took pictures!  We made one more stop at the Eileen Donan Castle - both to see it in the sunshine and to pick up a few more things from the gift shop that we decided we must have. Once on the Isle of Skye we travelled up the island to Uig (pronounced oo-ig), had  a short walk on the pier and some of the shops.  We followed some signs in to a house with a private gallery and shop which was a little sketchy, but added to the adventure.  We went back to Portree and explored some shops there and then headed back to the main land.  The scenery on Skye is spectacular, from tall, jagged, dark mountains, to rolling green hills speckled with rock, sheep and cattle to whitewashed stone houses along the ocean shores.  Words do not do it justice, I hope the pictures do!  We saw 2 thatched roof houses that are still inhabited too, which was really interesting to see.  We were lucky to have a beautiful sunny day to have such great views - the Isle of Skye means Misty Isle and there are not many days like the ones we experienced.  It started to rain just as we entered Kyle of Lochalsh on the other side of the bridge.  We decided to have a birthday supper at the Jac-o-bite again as we had all enjoyed the view, service and food there a few nights before.  Janet had vegetarian haggis, neeps & tatties for her birthday in Scotland (I tried the haggis and actually quite liked it) and we all had sticky toffee pudding for desert.  It was a great day.