>>I guess some people do and some don't.<<

And those who don't will just move one . . . not to worry ;)

Day 7 : May 16th : Friday :
GALWAY :

Woke up to another lovely, clear, warm and sunny day. This made it two days in a row, which I believe is an oddity in Ireland. We had breakfast and left by 9:15 am as usual. Today was set aside for the Connemara region, and we could not have selected a better day. First stopped at a laundry in Oranmore village to drop a pile of clothes to be washed and dried, and off we were. The B&B host had promised to pick up our laundry for us when it was done.

We first drove to Moycullen and stopped at Celtic Crystals. Saw a demo of their glass cutting, and browsed through their shop. Found everything a bit overpriced. A little further beyond Moycullen was Brigit’s Garden. We went in and were rewarded with the unusual sights of the planned garden. A lovely place where you feel tranquil and relaxed, and we spent a good hour inside.

We drove on to Outerard, and saw the Aughnanure Castle from outside. Then proceeded straight to Clifden. We first drove on the Upper Sky Road, and then the Lower Sky Road, and then looped back. The views from both the Upper and Lower Sky were fabulous. Next we had a baked potato lunch in Clifden at “Off the Square” restaurant, where veg choices were extremely limited.

After lunch we drove to Letterfrack, where we went to the Connemara National Park Visitor’s Centre. We had not planned on doing any hiking here, but the man at the reception desk persuaded us to undertake a short hike. We took the shortest Yellow trail, which was a nice and easy walk of 30 minutes, which we thoroughly enjoyed.

We drove further to Leenane and the drive was spectacular. In fact the drive all the way from Outerard to Clifden to Letterfrack and to Leenane is all very scenic and nice. On a clear day like this, it was even prettier. We finally drove to Cong, and returned to Galway via Headford. On reaching Galway, we went straight to the city centre, and again roamed around High Street and Quay Street. Went to another pub recommended by our host, the Tis Coeli, where also trad music was in progress. After sauntering through many shops, we finally had dinner at an Italian restaurant called “Trattoria”. Good authentic Italian food.

For a change, we returned early to our B&B, by 9pm as I was not feeling too well. Also, we had to get up really early in the morning, as we had a long drive to Dublin, where we were due to fly out from, headed for Scotland. We finished our packing for the journey ahead and retired to bed. Ireland part of vacation was over, and we had enjoyed the country. Only one day’s sightseeing at Dingle peninsula had been marred by the clouds and the weather, but that is expected in Ireland. Otherwise the weather had been fairly decent the whole week.

Thanks janisj !

I am ready for Scotland!:):)

Excellent. Waiting for more. I so admire how well you organize all of your trips and your enjoyment of them.

Indiancouple, we're really enjoying your TR. We visited Ireland in our pre-Fodorite days, and experienced many of the things you described. We were fortunate to have mostly good weather, but, as you suggested, rain or overcast just makes for a change of plans. We're glad that the weather seemed to improve as your trip went on. We're looking forward to your continued report on Scotland.

Another here who loves the details!

Thanks willowjane, Marija, tomarkot and LCBoniti for the encouragement. Hope to post many more installments today.

Wow - very nice trip and looking very similar to the one I am trying to quickly plan for 2 weeks from now. I'll be checking out your details again!

Day 8 : May 17th : Saturday
GLENCOE (Scotland)

We had to get up real early at 4:15am, and leave by 5:45am, as we had a long drive to Dublin before catching our morning flight to Glasgow. Very good motorway all the way, but the problem about driving due East at sunrise time, is that the rising sun hits you straight in the eye at that awkward angle. That makes driving very difficult and painful. As we started nearing Dublin, I started feeling exhausted by all the last week’s driving, and started feeling like going back to bed ! Somehow made it to Dublin airport, and went to the Dan Dooley car rental office for returns. We were there by 8 am, and done with everything in 5 minutes. Very efficient. Must say that we were very happy with our Dan Dooley rental experience. Their prices were much below all other competitors. Yes, we got a slightly old car, but the car gave no trouble at all. And they were very helpful about replacing the GPS. No hidden costs and no surprises.

We were in the Terminal building by 8:15 am. Checked in, went through security, filed our VAT refund forms, and had some breakfast. Then boarded our Aer Lingus flight which departed at 9:35 am. I slept peacefully through the flight, and we landed in Glasgow at 11 am. Cloudy skies and rain greeted us. Recovered our luggage, spoke to the Arnold Clark representative on the courtesy phone, who told us where to stand to be picked up by the courtesy bus. Unfortunately, she gave wrong directions, and it was 30 minutes of idle standing before we had to speak again and understand that we were standing at the wrong place.

Anyway, we finally made it to the Arnold Clark office. We had heeded posts on various forums, and booked through their official booking partner, Celtic Legend, who offers better rates on Arnold Clark than booking direct (especially on charges for GPS, extra drivers etc). We had asked for the smallest automatic car, but were upgraded to an i30 automatic, and a brand new one this time. The car was very comfortable, and their GPS worked like a charm all through. We drove straight to Balloch, on the south bank of Loch Lomond, and took a 1:30pm cruise on the lake. It was pleasant, but the heavy clouds and mist took away some of the beauty of the bonny bonny banks of Loch Lomond.

Went to the Balloch House restaurant for lunch, which was very near the boat pier. We had an excellent meal. Wife had a bean-burger and I had some soup plus ricotta cheese and spinach in a pastry, which were all deliciously prepared. The place looked very popular, and the food was real good.

It was about 3:45pm by the time we set off towards Glencoe, which was not very far. However, there was some traffic holdup on A82 due to some road accident, and we were standstill at a point for 45 minutes. It was almost 6 pm by the time we reached our B&B Strath Cottage at Glencoe village. As we neared Glencoe, we could not help exclaiming at the lovely views on both sides. The drive just gets awesome as you cross the Rannoch Moor and descend into the mighty Glen. Another WOW on reaching our destination, as it had to be among the best B&B’s that we have stayed in. We loved the room and the overall décor, and the hostess was wonderful.

It was raining very heavily, and it seemed pointless to go anywhere. We were also tired with our early morning start to the day, so we just rested in our room for a while. At about 7:30pm, the rain seemed to reduce a bit, so we decided to leave to catch dinner and look around a bit. Discussed with our hostess, and enquired about what to do. We finally decided to take a drive to Glen Etive, which was supposed to be a picturesque drive, and doable in the rain.

So we had to retrace our tracks about 10 miles, back towards Rannoch Moor, till we reached the turnout towards Glen Etive. As we turned into the Glen Etive drive, the scenery just got better and better. It was one of the most awesome places of natural beauty that we had visited. The mist and the clouds just added to the beauty. We were just gaping at what we saw from our car window, and loving it. If anyone is just driving through Glencoe, he must undertake this detour to Glen Etive. It is fabulous and beyond words.

We could not go all the way to the end, as it was getting late, and we had been warned that all restaurants close at 9 pm. So after we had gone about halfway into Glen Etive (about 30 minutes), we turned around and returned. When we reached the Glen Etive turnout on the main road, it was a very short drive to the Kings House Hotel, where we went for dinner, which had been very highly recommended to us by a Scot acquaintance of ours. We reached there just before 9 pm, only to be told that their kitchen closed at 8:30 pm ! We pleaded with them, and the people were real sweet and understanding. So they decided to serve us anyway. The food there was simply the best ever on this trip. Wife loved their lentil soup so much that she ordered a second helping of the soup itself. I had a mixed bean casserole which was also excellent. And good beer to go along. The views from their lounge were to die for, and we kept clicking pictures. Very friendly and helpful staff.

We were back at our B&B at about 10pm, and had some well deserved sleep.

Thanks kwren, and hope you find the report useful in your planning.

Day 9 : May 18th : Sunday :
GLENCOE :

We had an excellent breakfast at 8:30 am, and after being armed with local maps and directions, we left at our usual 9:15 am. The bad weather continued, with clouds and light rain. But it was expected to clear up a bit by the afternoon. Our hostess recommended some walks which were slightly “sheltered”, which we could do in the light rain in the morning, and we embarked on those.

We first drove a short distance to the Glencoe Lochan, and took the recommended red trail that went all around the Lochan. This was an easy and very enjoyable walk, and the trees all around shielded the rain quite well. We then drove to Fort Williams and went to the Glen Nevis Visitor’s Centre, to enquire about the walk to Steal Falls. We were given directions, but were warned that due to the continuous rains, there was water on the trails, and we would have to cross two streams. We were told that we would need good waterproof boots to undertake it in this weather, and all we had were simple walking shoes which were not waterproof.

We decided to go along and as far as we could. We drove to the Upper Falls carpark, which was a good and scenic drive. Then we took out our limited rain gear, and started the walk. The rain was very mild, but the heavy rains of the last two days had taken its toll on the trail. The ground was boggy at times, and lots of water on the trails at a few places. We had to cross quite a few waterfalls, which we did. We walked for about 30 minutes and did almost 2/3 of the distance. But then it started getting real difficult. We were warned by returning walkers that we had to negotiate a difficult waterfall ahead, where we would have to wade through water. Wife was not up to the challenge, so we had to turn back. What a pity !

Went to High Street in Fort Williams for lunch. Selected a restaurant called “Glen Nevis”. I had some cannelloni and wife had some paninis, The food was good, and the “Ness” local beer was excellent. After lunch, we saw a trekking outfit store which was open, and went in. They had lots of waterproof boots and light waterproof jackets on a 50% discount sale. We both bought ourselves a pair of boots and a rain jacket each. We did not want to ruin the rest of our vacation for want of proper gear. We put on the boots right in the store, and packed away our regular walking shoes.

As we drove back to Glencoe, the rain had completely stopped, but it remained cloudy for the rest of the day. Our hostess had recommended a lovely hike, which was not very arduous, called the “Study” walk, although it is not signposted anywhere, nor had I read about it in any guidebook. To do this, we had to drive back in the direction of Rannoch Moor, but not all the way. Somewhere near the “Three Sisters”, we parked at a spot which she had explained, and found the “Study” trail. This was a mild uphill easy hike, and extremely beautiful. We must have been the only people on that trail that day, and the trail itself was very good. As you climb up, the Three Sisters come in direct view, and at the summit, the views were awesome. The entire hike was about 30 minutes in each direction, and very rewarding.

We then drove again to the Kings House Hotel, and enquired about walking trails towards the Rannoch Moor. We took off on a level trail as directed by the hotel staff, but after proceeding for some distance, the rain started again coming down hard. So we retraced our steps and returned to our car. We decided to re-visit our Glen Etive drive of yesterday, and go all the way to the end. Today the clouds were much less than yesterday, and the rain had also stopped. So everything was prettier and clearer, and we could stop and take pictures, which we did countless times. I do not have words to describe this stretch. We went all the way to the end, which takes almost an hour of driving, and you cross deer on the way. Then an hour back. It was very rewarding and beautiful.

We went to the Clachaig Inn for dinner. I had a mushroom risotto, and wife opted for some fried Brie cheese and skewered vegetables. The service was very slow, and the food was just OK. Had heard so much about this place, but we were disappointed.

We returned home at 9:30pm and slept. This had to be one of the most scenic places on the Earth that we had ever visited. We had enjoyed it thoroughly, but I think the pleasure would have been much more if the weather had been more cooperative. But alas, such is Scotland weather !

Day 10 : May 19th : Monday :
PORTREE :

Had a sumptuous breakfast, bid goodbye to our lovely hostess, and left by 9:15 am. It was a warm day, clear and sunny, blue skies. Why couldn’t we have had some of this during the last two days ?

I could not resist driving back some distance, towards the Three Sisters, to see the views and click pictures in bright sunlight. Alas, with a heavy heart, we tore ourselves from this place of divine beauty, and started our drive towards Fort William, and then on to Mallaig – the Road to the Isles. We did make a pit stop at the Glenfinnan monument, where we saw the “Hogwartz Bridge”.

As we drove on to Arisaig, the drive just got prettier. The Arisaig harbor itself it beautiful. From here we took the coastal road towards Morar, which was breathtakingly beautiful. We stopped at Camusdarach Beach, and walked through the gaps between the dunes, till we reached the beach. A most spectacular beach with pristine white sands. And the walk through the dunes to reach here was lovely too. We would have loved to spend some time here, but we were getting late for our 12:20 Calmac ferry crossing which we had booked.

We drove quickly to Mallaig, and were soon on the ferry, which sailed dot on time. The views from the ferry were also very nice, which we enjoyed over a cup of coffee. In just about 30 minutes were dropped off at Armadale, from where we drove on straight to Portree, making it to our B&B at 2:15 pm. The Larchside Inn, where we were staying, was just a 5 minute drive out of town, in a quiet spot. Pretty good place, with a very friendly and helpful couple who own it.

We took directions, and left for a late lunch at 3 pm. We went to Café Arriba, which was a funky café with lots of veggie options. I feasted on a spicy lentil soup, with Indian vegetables and Dal with Pita bread, while wife chose the cheesy macaronis. It was a delicious meal in very nice settings. We peeped into a nearby restaurant called the “Granary” which our host had highly recommended, and made dinner reservations.

We were then off to Dunvegan Castle, which we toured in entirety. First complete castle inside tour in this trip. The gardens and grounds were also lovely, with a number of different gardens laid out one after another, in different styling. We were a bit late for the boat trip from the castle, which we were told was worthwhile.

Then drove to the Claigan Coral Beach, which was about a 10-15 minute drive from Dunvegan. From the carpark, there is a very very long walk to the beach. We walked for about 20 minutes, till we reached the hilltop from where the beach was visible. It looked like another 15 minutes of walking to reach the beach, so we turned back and returned to the car.

Neist Point was not far away, where we went next. Unfortunately, the roads are very poorly signposted for these star attractions, and you frequently get lost while driving. The GPS was not programmed to locate these points of interest. Anyway, we blundered along till we reached there at 7:15 pm. It was a beautiful sight to behold, especially on a clear day like this. The ground is very boggy, so you do need waterproof boots to walk here. We walked a little distance north-east, from where the Lighthouse came into view. The overall vista was spectacular. We were not up to the task of walking the steep steps to the lighthouse and back, and enjoyed the views from the top for quite some time.

Reluctantly, we drove back to Portree, and made it to the “Granary” before it closed. The food here was quite average by our reckoning. I had a goatcheese stack with dressings, and wife went for some pomegranate salad and chips. The meal did not live up to our expectations. Returned home before 10pm and into bed.

Day 11 : May 20th : Tuesday :
PORTREE :

We had a very heavy breakfast, and left leisurely at about 9:45 am. It was a nice clear warm day, with sunny skies. Our host informed us that such days were quite uncommon on Skye. We drove towards the Old Man of Storr. We could see it from a distance, and it looked dramatic and lovely. We had no intentions of climbing it. Nevertheless we parked, and walked up a bit, only to see if a better view was possible from another angle. It did not seem so, as the best views were from the road. So we retraced our steps, and drove on.

The entire day was planned for the Trotternish Peninsula. A short drive away were the Lealt Falls, where again we got down and walked over to the Falls viewing point. It was nice and clear till now, and everything was in full view. But as we drove a few miles ahead to Kilt Rock, the clouds had taken over, and the kilted rocks were not at all visible. Could only see the nearby waterfall, which I believe is called the Mealt Falls. However, the Kilt Rocks were totally obscured.

We drove a short distance away to an art café, and had a coffee, waiting for the clouds to clear. However, that was not to be, and eventually we gave up and moved on. We drove on to the Quirang, and parked there. As we walked about, the views were spectacular. Stunning is the correct word. Unfortunately, the clouds played hide-and-seek, and sometimes the landscape came in full view, and sometimes vanished behind the mist. Would have been even more enjoyable if the weather had been clearer.

We drove to Uig town, which was very pretty. The weather here was extremely clear. We had lunch at the “Sheiling” restaurant, which was like a café-cum-flea shop. Very interesting place. The food was actually quite good. I had their veg platter whereas my wife went for oatmeal biscuits with cheese and salad. We bought a few nick-nacks from here. Then wandered around some pottery shops in the town. Wanted to tour the Isle of Skye Brewery, but they have closed down their visitor tours. However, Uig town itself is quite beautiful.

In the afternoon, we drove to the Faerie Glen. Fortunately, the weather was crystal clear here. The landscape was bizarre and fascinating. We climbed up and roamed all over the place. Simply loved the place, as it seemed to be out of a fairy tale. A must see sight on the Skye, in my opinion. Must have clicked dozens of photographs, as it was rare to be in a beautiful place in Skye without the obnoxious presence of clouds.

We drove back to Portree and wandered through the shops. We found an excellent knitwear shop, where most items were on reduced prices. We did our maximum shopping on this entire trip here. I bought a Harris Tweed jacket for myself (which I later saw at Edinburgh at much higher prices) and a fleece jacket, whereas wife bought some cashmere sweaters, scarves and much more. The stuff was good, and the prices were equally good.

We then walked to Portree harbor, which was lined with colourful buildings like a picture postcard. Next we embarked on the Scorrybreac walking trail. It was a nice walk, hugging the coast all the way. We must have gone for about 30 minutes, and then walked the same distance back. Passed some lovely houses on the way.

We had dinner at an Indian restaurant called “Taste of India”. The food was excellent, but the service was really slow. Satiated after a great meal, we returned to our B&B and retired for the day. Another lovely day on Skye.

Day 12 : May 21st : Wednesday :
PORTREE :

We woke up late today, and had a lazy breakfast. Our hosts had offered to do our laundry in their own machine, and we did our second and last round of laundry on this trip. We left by 9:45 am for our last day’s excursion on Skye. Unfortunately, it appeared to be the worst day weather wise, as it was cloudy and raining.

We had booked the Bella Jane boat trip out of Elgol that day, which we had heard so much about. We had really been looking forward to this. It was a long drive to Elgol, but we did not mind. It took almost 90 minutes to reach Elgol, and we were there by 11:15am, well in time for our 12:15pm boat trip to Loch Coruisk. As we reached the Bella Jane counter, we were greeted with the devastating news that all boat trips for the day had been cancelled. Apparently the weather was not conducive, the seas were very rough, and they said that people would have been miserable on the boat on a day like this. This was sad news. Bad luck.

We found a lovely restaurant in Elgol, where we had some coffee, and then moved to Carbost. We reached there by about 1:30 pm. We first went to the Talisker distillery, to book a tour. We could get one of the last few seats available for the day, on their 3:30pm tour. Their tours really sell out fast ! We then went to the “Old Inn” pub for lunch, which seemed to be extremely popular with everyone. It was a long wait to get a table at this place, because there many people waiting. It was a lovely and lively pub, and packed to capacity. I had a soup and a spicy bean burger, whereas wife went for a pasta. The food was really nice. We enjoyed our meal here.

We returned to Talisker distillery to do their tour, which lasted an hour. This was extremely interesting, and learned so much about the production of single malts of Scotland. It was extremely well conducted, and included some whisky tasting. I am not particularly fond of whisky, and noted that the stuff here had a very smoky flavor. I felt compelled to buy some whisky from their shop – how can one not buy whisky while in Scotland ?

We then drove to Talisker, and parked in order to undertake the walk to the beach at Talisker Bay. Fortunately the rain had stopped now, and so had the winds. It was a lovely walk to the Bay, with excellent scenery and sheep and lambs all over the place. The walk took about 25 minutes each way. We were glad to have our walking boots, as the ground was boggy in many parts. This and the distillery tour were the only worthwhile sightseeing activities for the day.

It was about 6pm already, and we drove to the Fairy Pools. Why are all attractions on this island so poorly signposted ? On reaching the carpark, we were told by returning walkers that the trek to the pools were extremely difficult because of the flowing waters. Apparently, two streams had to be negotiated on the way, and one of them was quite “challenging”. The second one involved wading through knee deep water. Many had returned after unsuccessfully attempting it, and some were coming back after having successfully negotiating the obstacles. We realized that we could not cope with the physical challenges, and it would be pointless to even try. We just walked for about 10 minutes to see the waterfalls and enjoy the scenery. Today was one disappointment after another. Too bad.

We just drove back to Portree. Reached there at 8 pm. We had dinner reservations at the Scorrybreac restaurant, which is a classy place where a celebrity chef cooks for limited people who have reserved in advance. This was an excellent place, and our first fine dining experience on this trip. The entrees were of asparagus, the mains comprised of risotto and gnocchi, followed by rhubarb crème brulee for dessert. Excellent meal, exquisitely prepared. Returned to our B&B and packed up for our departure tomorrow.

Loving your report. Isn't Glen Etive spectacular(!) Maybe you knew this but parts of the Jams Bond film Skyfall was filmed there.

You are very lucky to have had some nice weather on Skye (I think it was my 3rd visit before I ever saw anything - but when it is clear the scenery is AMAZING)

Re the Clachaig - I've eaten there several times an it was always very good. But I do think they are mostly for carnivores :) - maybe their vegetarian options aren't so good/

I was posting at the same time as you next entry . . . too bad about the boat trip. At least you did have the one nice day on Skye (many are not so lucky)

janisj, your comments comfort me. So we were not the only unlucky ones to have had 1 bad weather day out of 3. Everyone else also told us that it was nearly impossible to get all good days on Skye.

Yes I have heard that Skyfall was filmed partly at Glen Etive. It is truly spectacular there.

Thanks for sharing. You reminded me that I hadn't booked our tour of Talisker - whew!
I really enjoy your honesty about the highs and lows of travel - it happens to us all.

Yes willowjane, except that we have been exceptionally lucky with the weather in all our previous travels, so we were getting a bit spoiled ! We have been to other places where the weather has been known to be unpredictable, like New Zealand, Switzerland, Alaska etc, but we got excellent days every single day of our travel. We were hoping for the same in Ireland and Scotland, but that was not to be.