After a hearty breakfast at the Blair Villa, it was time to leave Oban and board the train further up north to Fort William. Another train ride I spent pressing my nose against the window to enjoy the stunning views! I could probably just spend days riding trains around Scotland (and the rest of the UK).
On my arrival in Fort William I was already greeted by a guy from Easydrive who not only arranged to have brought my car over earlier but also gave my a first little “tour” of Ben Nevis and the other mountains. I must have looked a little bit shocked when his colleague arrived with my rental car – it was HUGE! Ok, maybe not huge but they had definitely had pumped me up from the small to a medium size, a super fancy Nissan Qashqai became my partner in crime for the next two days.
While driving from Fort William to Mallaig I was passing by the Glenfinnan Viaduct and I had a short look and said hi!
Do you remember the old 20 Schilling note? Train viaducts seem to be a favorite motive for notes – have a look at the Scottish 10£ note.
Next stop: Mallaig ferry terminal. Just in time for a quick tea and off to Skye we went!
From Armadale it was just a short 7 miles drive to my Airbnb in Tarskavaig – but what a drive! A single track lane across the south part of Skye – from one coast to the other side – offering a first glimpse of the beauty of this island. I have no idea how often I said “Oh wie schön!” during those two days – probably way too often!
After being greeted by a little family of rabbits and my hosts I decided to do a quick supermarket run to the next town: Broadford – only a 30 minutes drive and as I slowly got the hang of using my left hand to change gear I could enjoy the surrounding landscape even more.
Dunscaith Castle (ruins) in the back.
Loch Dhughaill – my “home loch” – where someone had the idea to make it even more idyllic and to put a boat in the middle of the lake.
Back at my cozy cottage I spent the evening with watching my “garden mates” – the bunnies – and just enjoying the view so the sea and the Cullins. Sunset was around 23:00.
I had booked only one of the three rooms at the Braeside Cottage but it happens that I was the only guest and had the cottage all for myself. If you´re looking for a cozy place a little bit outside of the main tourist tracks, it´s the perfect place for you!
