Isle of Skye, Scotland

June 24, 2026

We headed out to explore the Highlands and visit the Isle of Skye. It was a long ride, but the scenery was beautiful.

Findhorn Viaduct for the Highland Main Line Railroad.

River Ness running through the town of Inverness.

South American Alpaca grazing alongside a donkey in Inverness.

A common style of house throughout Scotland.

Our first stop was at Loch Ness in Inverness. We took a walk down for a view of the lake and a possible Nessie sighting.

Since Nessie failed to appear, we had to make do with her statue.

While there, another tour group was sporting traffic cone hats that they had purchased in Glascow. Not to be outdone, Brent donned a real traffic cone.

We then continued our journey to the Isle of Skye.

We passed by Eilean Donan Castle, but did not stop for a visit.

Every once in a while we passed by run-down stone cottages from Scotland's past.

Glamaig, a prominent peak in the Red Cuillen Mountains on the Isle of Skye.

In the distance, we spied the Collie and MacKenzie statue honoring two mountaineers who mapped out many of the routes across the mountains in the Isle of Skye. They are gazing towards the Cuillin Mountains.

River Hinnisdal flowing through Glen Hinnisdal

We had a couple of hours to explore the town or Portree and grab a quick lunch. We also picked up some tablet - a Scottish treat that is similar to fudge.

We walked to the waterfront to view the different boats in the harbor and the colorful Quay street.

The highland cow (or "hairy coo" as it is called in Scotland) was a popular decor in many of the shops and cafes. It even showed up in the toilet!

Then it was time for the long drive back to the hotel at Aviemore. We once again enjoyed the beautiful scenery, taking a different route so we had new views.