NATURE LOOKS LIKE A D**K - ISLE OF SKYE, SCOTLAND - DAY 5

A 4am wake up call, no problemo! Andrea and I felt well rested, and take on the morning. Our only hiccup is that we can’t make breakfast because the kitchen opens at 7:30am. We begin our hour drive up North to Old Man Storr. We chase sheep butts on the road, and pass rolling grey hills. It’s very cold, wet and overcast, but we make it to the site before anyone else. I knew to get there as early as possible, but it was Andrea’s brilliant suggestion that we leave as early as we did- It was totally worth it. There were only two other photographers at the site when we got there. We weren’t expecting such a big hike. The blogs said it was easy, but the incline was steep. I wasn’t feeling sore from the hike the day prior, but I think no breakfast and not enough rest drained me pretty fast. It was much harder today...Especially hiking at 6am.

Eventually we get to the top, and are immediately dwarfed by towering cliffs. The one rock that sticks out, “looks like a dick” says Andrea. It’s funny, because it’s true. It’s just this unusual fallac shape protruding from the ground. The rest of the landscape is so beautiful however, that it doesn’t seem real. Andrea chimes in with, “Yeah, it feels like I’m looking at my desktop”. It’s true, but it’s amazing that Scotland can remain lovely even on the gloomiest of days.

We have a field day and have a photo shoot. I even take out the drone for a bit. The weather was unpredictable however, and that made me nervous. I didn’t fly the drone for long, but I think I got some good shots.

8am sharp, and sure enough the neon jackets come rolling up the hill as we’re leaving. I know it must be a whole new world to see these places when the sun is out, but I feel like I’m getting the authentic Scottish experience of cold, grey, rainy weather. I set my expectations to the standard before I left so nothing is a disappointment. I do hope we get sun at the Hebrides though, partially because we’re camping, but partially because I really want to go nuts with my cameras over there in good light. We did manage to get sun for a few seconds at Storr- Just long enough for some nice photos.

Satisfied and hiking down, we realize that it’s only 7am and we have our entire day to do nothing. Everything else on the itinerary is listed for tomorrow. We decide to go further north and hike Quirang. We don’t know how many miles this is, but I’m nervous because we haven’t prepared any food, nor do we have enough water.

On our way, we stop at Kilt Rock / Mealt Falls, and listen to Scottish flute music in the car. This really puts us in the mood for a Scottish adventure. Kilt Rock admittedly pales in comparison to The Cliffs of Moher in Ireland, but it was interesting because there’s this low, baritone sound humming and echoing through at Kilt Rock. It’s from the wind but it’s very haunting. It almost sounds like a continuous low note coming from a didgeridoo.

We carry on, hoping for improving weather as we arrive at Quirang. We take our chances, and begin hiking. It’s BEAUTIFUL, and probably my favorite thing on this trip so far. The hike was HARD, and many miles. We went as long as we could before grabbing for water or hob nob cookies. We hike up, down, and side to side overlooking INCREDIBLE landscape. There aren’t too many people yet which was really nice. We stop and go for photos along the way, but after roughly 2 hours of hiking I ask if there’s an end point or a stopping mark to turn around. Andrea guesses it goes around and up the mountain. We keep hiking, hoping to come to some sort of marker. I’ve only eaten two apples, a protein bar and a handful of hob nob cookies with some water since waking up, and Andrea hasn’t had much more. I start to feel like I’m running on fumes, and Andrea is getting worn out too, (which is really saying something because she's a soccer athlete with rock hard legs and insane cardio capacity).

We see a ridge far away with people walking on it. I freak out a bit because it’s REALLY far away. Andrea is determined, and truthfully, I’d like to be up there. We set that as our goal and forge on. The weather is bipolar and changes every 5 minutes. We’re adding layers, shedding layers, zipping up, unzipping, re-tying our boots, blowing our noses, getting too hot, etc. The wind is too much and too cold, sometimes it dies down, but still no sun.

We keep going until we pass a tour group at the top of the ledge, and ask if they have a map, or know the route. Fortunately, the tour leader does. He tells us, you just keep going around and up the mountain and it will circle back down. I look at Andrea with wide eyes in a small panic. There’s no way. In the moment, we want to be hiking completionists and conquer this thing, but after we climb the ridge and hang our feet off the edge of the cliff, the weather gets worse, and we’re totally exhausted. We don’t know the route, most of the people who do know the route, have continued on without us and are far from sight. I’m relieved Andrea and I agree that we should just go back the way we came. For some comedic relief, Andrea manages to get service for the first time at the top of the cliff, and we Facetime her mom, Auntie Judi, in Florida for a small chat.

We follow our footsteps back, and are really struggling. There’s no more food in our packs, and there’s just a small amount of water. Our legs are dead, I’m totally spent, we’re both starving, and Andrea’s feet are killing her. We pass a few cows, and now at 12:30pm, the crowds are assembling. We stop for a moment so I can photograph, and Andrea lies down and actually passes out for a few minutes. I wake her up and we keep going. The sun is actually beginning to show itself, (of course when we’re finished and heading back). Andrea’s feet hurt so much, that she charges ahead of me, and I hang back to go slower, and to stop when I please to photograph.

I make it back to the car park eventually, and I can’t feel my legs. In the car, we take a moment to sit in pain. We don’t get reception, but we decide to drive south of the mountain in hopes of getting a signal. We’re famished and the first thing we want is a gigantic meal, but we want to figure out the location of The Brother’s Point. If it’s north and near us, then it’s worth it to keep going and get food after.

I notice a few signs advertising "Soup and WiFi". I tell Andrea we should go for the signal and get our bearings. At first, this decision seems questionable. We wind down through a narrow road, covered in forest. It feels like we made a wrong turn, and will end up in the next cabin-in-the-woods slasher film. But a few more hairpin turns, the trees clear, and we pull over to this FABULOUS hotel on an exquisite piece of property with an oceanside view. The sun is fully out at this point and we check the menu. Andrea doesn’t want soup, but instead I buy her a latte, to say thanks for driving. I have lamb stew, and an espresso. We both share and guzzle a full bottle of water. Andrea researches the last location while I inhale everything in front of me. It was delicious, not crazy priced, and totally worth it.

With this lamb stew resurrection we head back out. I was concerned about Andrea not eating but she insisted that she wasn’t even hungry anymore. However, when we arrive at The Brothers Point, Andrea hits the wall, and I take on this last hike without her so she can nap in the car.

Thankfully, this hike was not difficult. With the sun out, the open fields of sheep leading to cliffs and the ocean, the view was incredible. I passed a few piles of rocks, and unknowingly took a pit stop in one of the important ruins. Oops. I play with my experimental camera and capture some really beautiful shots. No one really knows the story behind this place but it’s said that either the Brotherhood refers to monks that used to live in the ruins, or it’s based off of actual brothers who became shipwrecked at this location. I take my time here and let Andrea sleep. It was the perfect hike for a crazy day like this one. After about an hour, I finish up and wake Andrea in the car. I’m totally spent at this point, but Andrea wanted to stop at Portree- just south of us, and on our way back to the hostel. I really want to take my turn and nap in the car this time, but she’s been driving everywhere and it’s the least I can do as she's catered to my wants this whole trip. We get the town, and she finally eats something- Fish n’ Chips. Portree is a small, charming place, with a harbor. It’s very cute, and was a nice place to pullover.

Altogether, I trekked 10miles. Andrea and I are both zombies with eyes half open.

I'm writing this back at the hostel now. I’m about to shower, and Andrea is prepping food for us tomorrow.

I thought we wouldn’t have time to see the Fairy Pools, but after condensing two days of activities into one, we now get to see everything! After our hike tomorrow, I think we’ll just be restocking supplies, (grocery shopping), before we leave for the Hebrides the next day.