Day 4 – Portree – Neist Point – Portee
Today was all about the Isle of Skye, experiencing its mystique vibes and exploring some of its famed and stunning locales. Skye is a place where you need to be tough and resilient, but inventive and patient at the same time. The spirit of the people and the places on the Isle of Skye illustrate this ability to be self-sufficient yet amaze you by the astounding beauty it offers to a traveller, if you are lucky enough.
When you are on Skye, you surely cannot give Talisker a miss. The only operational Distillery on Skye, Talisker is the essence of the ‘spirit’ of Skye. We learnt a great deal about how the art and science behind making a good whisky blend together to give us a good spirit in the end. Check the blog on the Great Scotch Whisky Experience for all the details and BTS of whisky making.
Entry to Talisker for a visit to the Distillery starts at 10 GBP per person.
A significant feature of any Talisker whisky, which you can sense on your palate; is the inherent saltiness to its taste and slight peaty-ness to the body. This is due to the fact that fresh water available on Skye is used in the whisky making process, which gets its saltiness from the proximity to the sea and the peaty-ness due to the fact that it flows down pre-historic volcanic rock formations and into the lakes around Talisker.
As you leave Talisker and make your way toward Dunvegan, you cross the Dunvegan Bakery, which is the oldest bakery on Skye and run by 3 Grandma’s. A short halt here and we headed into Dunvegan Castle, an immaculate castle overlooking the Loch Dunvegan.
Dunvegan Castle is home to the MacLeod clan and a part-residential, part-exhibition castle; boasting of some well-preserved treasures and fascinating architecture. The Castle was built in stages from the 1500’s to the 1800’s and is frequented by the MacLeod’s.
A tour to witness the history and treasures of this Castle is priced at 14 GBP per person and a walk through the Castle Gardens onto the Loch-side gives you a stunning view of the towering structure.
Our next stop was Neist Point, which is perhaps the most stunning landscape on all of Skye. A lighthouse situated on the western-most point of Skye, you need to wind through narrow single-track roads, passing through the countryside filled with grazing sheep and cute single-houses with the sea in the backdrop.
As you approach this jewel, you will be treated to some stunning landscapes. The road ends up on the cliff-side and you need to hike down to get toward the light-house. Be prepared for a good 30 min steep climb while making your way back up to the road-side. The hike is worth it just for the view at the top, with sea-gulls and sheep giving you the best company possible. There is a cute little shop at the top that serves water and some basic refreshments.
Fading light and a bad-turn to the weather meant that we could not drive up to the Old Man of Storr and had to return back to Portree for the night.