Today (Friday, September 5) started out with a mixture of sun and showers, sometimes both at once. But by the time we finished our lovely breakfast and had to meet the bus, the rain had stopped.

We began traveling North from Portree, which is on the East side of the island.

There are smaller islands everywhere, with the mainland of Scotland beyond. We stopped several times along the way.

When we got to the North end of the island, we were able to stop for an hour to walk in the beautiful mountains.

We tried hard not to worry the sheep!

Next, we went to an old fishing village (though due to overfishing by other countries, herring fishing is mostly a defunct industry), where we had a great lunch of Cullen Skink (a Scottish fish chowder) and a local beer.

Afterward, we spent another hour or so climbing steep trails and walking in a fairy circle (you walk the circles into the center, leave a “gift” for the fairies—not money!—make a wish and then walk out backwards.) It was fiercely windy, but it felt so good.

(Elaine made it to the top!)

Finally, we went to Dunvegan Castle, an imposing castle by the sea that has been inhabited by members of the McLeod clan continuously for 900 years. We wandered through the massive gardens, where I found an old friend and spotted an European robin!

Then we toured the castle.

We also got to see the dungeon (horrific) and a small sampling of the servants quarters, that put the grand living of the McCleods in an altogether different light.

Graham dropped us off in town, where we found a restaurant and had our first taste of whiskey, a Dunbar 12. Meh. I would have to work hard to develop a taste for it. But dinner was excellent—salmon, potatoes and great fresh vegetables. A brisk 15 minute walk back to our B&B, a bit of chocolate and we were ready to say goodnight.

And not a drop of rain.