Day 17
Loch Ness
Although our trip to the Loch Ness Centre was not until the next day, on our way to Skye we stopped off at some scenic overlooks. We also got a quick look at Urquhart Castle. I spotted Nessie’s orange head poking out of the lake by the shore. What do you think?
Driving Through the Isle of Skye
This day is best told through pictures.
I have to admit, although we were seeing some beautiful parts of Skye, it was a little disappointing. We were trying to cover a huge amount of ground in a short time, so the day was a lot of driving punctuated by short stops. Our bus driver/guide was very knowledgeable though, and he told us some great stories. He also was amazing at navigating the narrow, winding roads.
Quiraing/Cuith-raing
It was nice to get out at the Quiraing for a longer period of time. We were able to actually soak it all in. Some people from our group climbed even higher, and they probably got a different perspective. After our hike the previous day, I was content to stay on the same level as the parking lot rather than scrambling up through the mud in my running shoes.
I just did a double-take, because one of my photos is from exactly the same angle as the Wikipedia photo for the Quiraing. The framing is the same. The clouds even look similar, but mine was a much brighter day.
Key Moment of the Day: Staring out from the Quiraing, I got a feeling I had read about in books. It’s the strange sense of total bodily autonomy for a moment. I was the only thing keeping myself from falling off that cliff. There was no fence, no safety net.
We go through life both relying on and feeling trapped by metaphorical fences. Some are real and necessary to keep us safe; others are just to keep us off the pretty lawn. It’s worth reconsidering those boundaries once in a while.