Day 8, August 19, 2007

On the eighth day, we had another 315 km of beautiful roads and landscapes ahead of us. The route took us from Dores via Foyers – Fort Augustus – Invergarry – Road to the Isles (A87) – Loch Alsh – Kyleakin (Isle of Skye) – Portree – Old Man of Storr – Kilt Rock – Kilmaluag and Uig to Kildonan.

As we drove away from Dores, it was unexpectedly dry, but a few dark clouds still hung over the landscape, which didn't bode well. We drove along the Loch Ness Trail, passed Foyers and the Suidhe Viewpoint, which we had discovered two days earlier, where we stopped briefly. A few raindrops fell there again, but fortunately, that would be the last of the rain for the rest of the trip!

In Fort Augustus, we turned onto the A82 towards Invergarry and from there onto the A87 ("Road to the Isles"). This road, besides its numerous curves, also offered some beautiful scenery, so we frequently stopped between the bends to take photos. Along this stretch, we found a petrol station that also sold glue, as a pair of sunglasses had suffered some damage and was, quite literally, completely out of place. Since the sun was shining again, a repair was urgently needed.

We approached Skye and stopped at Balmacara on Loch Alsh to enjoy the view of the Skye Bridge and took a few photos. And then… yes, then we were finally on the Isle of Skye. We had heard and seen so much about this island, and it had been highly recommended to us many times. We weren't disappointed, because both the roads and the scenery were a biker's dream and a feast for the eyes.

It's a tough decision whether and where to stop to enjoy the view, or whether to drive on and wait to see what comes next...whether there's something even better. And what a difference it made! Beautiful and abstract mountain formations, some surrounded by the sea and lochs, heather-colored heath and pastureland, and in the middle of it all, a quiet, winding road. What more could you ask for?

A little later, we stopped at a wonderful viewpoint on the island's east coast and had a fantastic view of the islands of Raasay and Rona, the mainland beyond, and the "Old Man of Storr."

As at almost all viewpoints, there was also historical information to read; for example, diatomaceous earth was exported from here to the world.

On the beautiful north coast of the Trotternish peninsula, we drove partly on single tracks via Uig to Kildonan near Edinbane, where our next somewhat remote B&B was located. Ashaig is located there. As expected, we were very warmly welcomed by Colin and Kathleen McCormack and immediately received addresses of feeding stations.

After looking through the restaurant list, we decided on the Old School Restaurant in Dunvegan, just under 18 km from the B&B. Upon arrival, we felt a bit underdressed in our motorcycle gear, as the restaurant is on the more upscale side. Our waitress immediately reminded us of a schoolteacher, and we quickly learned the prices as well. Still water (normally free) and two meals cost 27 GBP, without a tip. However, the food was really delicious and not nearly as meager as it initially seemed.

Afterwards, we drove back to our accommodation in the twilight, had another coffee, and waited anxiously for the BBC weather forecast, as we simply couldn't believe that the weather would stay like that. But the forecast proved us wrong, so our anticipation for the next day wasn't diminished.

From our room we had a fantastic view of Loch Snizort, which we enjoyed whenever possible. We stayed in several B&Bs where the view from the window alone was enough to make us feel good and look forward to the next day in Scotland!