Visit the Scottish Highlands from Inverness…
If you’ve been having recurring dreams about prowling around in the deep dark mist hanging over glassy mysterious lochs and losing yourself to the wilderness of the majestic Highlands of Scotland, you’ve been fantasising about the Isle of Skye. If there is a heaven on earth for incorrigible nomadic souls and obsessive nature hikers, this is it. But 1,656 square kilometres of the largest island of the Inner Hebrides archipelago, sprawled over the western edge of the British Isle also makes an idyllic destination for hopeless romantics.
Every millisecond spent traversing this melodramatic landscape, (which has a name derived from a Norse word meaning ‘cloud island’’), will leave you yearning for more. Or content like never before. Either way, a journey through the Isle of Skye, will burn into your memory like a never-to-be-forgotten, life-altering event. Leaving every cell alive with pure ecstasy and every nerve tingling with awe. Ready up. Here it comes!
Seek peace
Googling may steal the tiniest credit for getting you here, but the train ride from Edinburgh is the real teaser campaign. Reality bites…in the best way imaginable. Eyeballs stay hooked to the storybook scene painted with golden-brown moors, rushing rivers, thick forests and panoramic mountains, till you disembark at Inverness, the cultural capital of the Scottish Highlands. ‘Slice of solitude’ is the phrase that best describes the compact-sized quaint old town with cobbled streets and Victorian-era marketplaces. Tree-lined walkways along a glittering blue river are the perfect backdrop for a lovely 18th-century Church and a stately fortress perched on a hill.
Soak in luxury
You can hear the hush of exclusivity in the crunching of the gravelled grounds as you enter the gated complex of Ness Walk. The first glimpse of the elegant mansion, nestled lovingly within the generous shade of tall trees, is more than tempting. Soft glass doors slide apart welcoming you into an intimately impressive space. It is quite an effort pulling yourself away from the inviting fireplace and cosy armchairs of the lavish living area. Quiet corridors sporting sophisticated dark walls and large picture windows overlooking vast gardens add to the classy appeal. Every corner of the room drips with careful attention to detail, especially the room service door hangs. Ness Walk is the boutique hotel you always wanted to escape to, to experience a perfect blend of privacy, luxury and homeliness. As you would expect, the fine dining at Torrish, is immaculate. Gorge over the fluffy, crisp omelette served with hashbrown topping at breakfast. Satiation guaranteed.
Embrace legends
Drink in the warm glow of the rising sun as you drive along the perimeter of Loch Ness, watching the iconic mist rise from the glassy surface of that humongous freshwater body, which holds more water than all the lakes in England and Wales combined. Believe in Nessie or not, this is the moment for conversations of lurking monsters (or giant eels). This is also the ideal spot for ruin lovers to gloat over almost-hidden views of the historic Urquhart Castle, imagine bloody battles and trace out gunpowder-scarred walls. And if fairytale castles are your preferred poison, also stop to admire the stony beauty of Eilean Donan Castle (featured as the Scottish headquarters of MI6 in the Bond movie, ’The World is Not Enough’). Mirrored in the ripple-free, brilliant blue weedy waters, at the meeting point of Loch Alsh, Loch Duich, and Loch Long, the legacy of the reconstructed medieval castle speaks to you wordlessly. From saints, Viking intruders and Spanish invaders to millions of visitors, its allure stays unblemished till today.
Surrender to loftiness
The actual melodrama begins as you cross the Skye Bridge. Is it the sheer scale of the heather-clad velvety moors stretching till infinity that demands stunned silence or have you just been reduced to non-existence? Vast, barren, remote, in all shades of brown, from caramel to hazel to copper and sepia, the majestic Munros tower everywhere…on the right, on the left, ahead and behind you, surrounding you, enveloping you with their grace and might. Named after Sir Hugh T Munro, who surveyed and catalogued 282 of them in 1891, 12 of the toughest ones to climb have a home here in the Isle of Skye. Conquer their heights and surrender to their scale, it works both ways. So who’s up for some serious Munro-bagging?
Drift away
A sudden flash of blue in the expansiveness of the brown landscape takes your breath away. Cobalt blue streams find their way over the grasslands, riddled with rocks that add character. They run unbridled along the road with infectious energy, adding life to the endless stillness. Sapphire blue lochs glinting in the sunlight, almost luminous against the mellowness of the Munros, they hold your gaze till they disappear from the line of sight. Indigo, lapis lazuli, cerulean…get those blues, any day!
Get lost
Sample a taste of life in Portree, the capital of the Isle of Skye. Laze over a lunch of fish soup, gossip with locals at the curio shops, loiter in the small square, taste homemade ice-cream in town streets, and just wander around without an agenda. Then head to a vantage point for photogenic views of a compact-sized bay speckled with sailboats and a row of multi-coloured houses facing the sea. It just wouldn’t be the same scene without the one clad in candy pink paint.
Sculpt fantasies
There’s an obligatory trail from Portree around the Trotternish peninsula leading to a jagged cliff labelled the Old Man of Storr. Like a giant stalagmite, or a pointy, sharp knife planted firmly into the ground, it rises towards the skies, proclaiming its aloofness in the remote wilderness that is spread around for miles. And this is the most iconic silhouette in the Isle of Skye that graces all the glossy travel brochures. Just one of the famous presentations of nature in the “Theatre of Geology” called Trotternish.
Recover from sea-stroke
There’s a surprise in store across a fenced uphill walk. A hidden gorge with roaring water. And a vertical cliff edge to give you serious sea-stroke! Walking paths for over-indulgent coast gaping. Wind-blown hair, neck-craning and jaw-dropping blend into one highly awestruck expression. You’re taking deep breaths of fresh breeze and gorging on wide-angle visions of limitlessness. Till the watch reminds you that its time to move on. From the journey back to Inverness, to when your head hits the pillow that night, the images of the untamed coastline, wind-whipped peninsulas, insurmountable Cuillin hills and the seal-rich lochs, stay in your mind’s eye, reminding you of an eternal enigma that is the Isle of Skye.
Our luxury accommodation in Inverness was generously hosted by Ness Walk, a 19th- century mansion reborn as a boutique luxury retreat. All opinions are my own.
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These photos are amazing. Mother Nature really is beautiful. It looks like a fun trip!
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It certainly was!
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This is one of the places we want to go but it has been post poned (I dont know why). Your pictures are amazing, it seems you had a lovely time there.
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Scotland is mesmerizing, in every way.
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What a magical trip. I could imagine finding magical creatures in these nooks and crannies.
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Yes, that’s one of the things that comes to mind 🙂
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We went after postponing several times too! It turned out to be one of the best trips of our lives.
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Wow. I had my map out following your journey, which sounds like quite an adventure. We’ve all heard of Loch Ness by name, but I had no idea how long and narrow it was! That’s very cool that you got to drive along it on the way to Isle of Skye. The cliffs and natural landscapes on the island really are other-worldly. You also got some amazing blue skies! As a lover of small towns, I could spend days (if not weeks) in places like Inverness and Portree.
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We had saved the best for the last part of our Scotland journey and it certainly exceeded all our expectations. I’m still gettig goosebumps remembering the blues.
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Oh wow, you can really find everything here – water, mountains, waterfalls, quaint town, sea monster legends, rocky cliffs, and ice cream! It looks like someplace to go when you’re looking for inspiration for your next novel – I bet the highlands have lots of stories to whisper into a writer’s ears.
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Oh yes…I would go back several times. You can never have enough of Scotland.
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I’ve never been to Scotland but Kerstin did when back in 2003 when her sister graduated. That’s where she discovered whisky and loves it since then. Someday we’ll have to visit together! Thanks for this post which is reminding us to put Scotland back on our bucket list!
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Such a delight this country is…
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I went here as a teenager and found it boring. But the way you describe it is like reading a fine novel – it is simply amazing! First, Ness Walk looks like a gorgeous home base for your exploration. The scenery is absolutely breathtaking. The rivers, the seascapes, the quaint villages, I’m glad to see that Isle of Skye offers something for those of us who are not outdoorsy and into hiking or camping. You’ve made me reconsider my old memories and give this area another chance.
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Thank you so much Annick. That is a wonderfully generous comment 🙂 I’ve written what I experienced and I’m glad it touched a chord with you.
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Loch Ness is such a legendary area – how cool to get to explore! And what a great jumping off place from the luxury boutique hotel. It sounds just perfect, especially for a trip that is full of exploring fairytale castles, wild landscapes, and all the natural beauty and history of the area.
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It is pure magic, this part of Scotland.
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Are you aware of any tent camping experiences there?
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Camping and hiking are very popular in the area, and I’m sure you will find tons of options to your liking.
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Hey,
Very well written content and amazing pictures. This is surely going on my bucket list for this year. Which is the one experience you would say should not be missed at all?
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Thanks so much, Namit. Isle of Skye roadtrip is the ultimate in Scotland.
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