Roads and Stories: Dolphins, Highland cows and a birthday on the road

Six days, a couple of sunny ones, one birthday and a lot of rain. This stretch of my Scotland trip took me from Gairloch on the west coast of the Highlands, over the Applecross road, to Portree on the Isle of Skye, where I’m now housesitting with a dog called Hera.

If you’re new here, Roads & Stories is where I write about what actually happens on the road, the good days and the ones that go sideways. For the practical side, with routes, stops and what I’d do differently, head to my Scotland road trip guides.

In my last newsletter, I mentioned to you that I was going on a boat trip in Gairloch to look for Eagles and dolphins. That day I woke up to rain, so I moved my boat tour to the afternoon slot. I spent the morning organizing photos and videos and writing a bit, then went out early to check out the museum and the tourist information. There was a cute restaurant above the museum, but I decided to wait until after the trip

The sky was blue right up until we stepped on the boat. Then it started raining, and everything turned grey, of course. It was still a wonderful afternoon. We saw an eagle, lots of harbor seals and grey seals, and at the very end, tons of dolphins and the sun was back eventually. My phone chose that exact moment to die, so you’ll have to trust me on the dolphins. But I will share all the footage I manage to get from this tour on my YouTube channel as soon as possible.

I found the tour by chance the day before, stopping in a fishing village just outside Gairloch on the drive back from Red Point. The company is called Puffin Along, and it’s run by Cornelius and Hannah, lovely people and expert guides. I am happy to vouch for them.

After the boat, I just grabbed dinner from the supermarket, but the day wasn’t over. By the time I got back, the sun was out again, so after a quick dinner I went back out with the camera, enjoying a beautiful sunset over the bay with sheep and a mountain backdrop. The light was phenomenal.

Where I Stayed in Gairloch

My base in Gairloch was Macre Croft, and I can’t recommend it enough. The room is beautiful and spacious, with my own bathroom, and it was made up fresh every morning. The towels and sheets are fine quality, the shower is hot with great pressure, and from the window you look over sheep grazing in the garden and out to the sea on the horizon. WIFI is great. After a night in a bunk room in Ullapool, it was exactly what I needed.

Marie, the host, is lovely. She gave me tips on where to eat and what to do in the area, and we had a nice chat. You can check availability on Booking.com.

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Driving the Applecross Road to Skye

This was one of the highlights of my whole trip. First because of the road itself, the Applecross route, a piece of the famous NC500. Second because it was sunny, which in Scotland is not something you plan around. I think I got three sunny days in total, and even on this one it still rained at some point.

I had the drone, the GoPro and the camera out all day, and somewhere along that road I had the idea for this journal. The Applecross drive has its own full post with my photos and the stops worth making.

I also filmed the entire drive on my GoPro. If you want to ride along, here it is.

I got to Skye later than expected, but in time to meet Sharon, my host, and her dog Hera, and to settle in for my next housesit in Portree.

Booking the Next Leg Before Anything Else

Once my host, Sharon, left on the following day, I did the much-needed laundry, took Hera for a wee walk and set up my working desk. It was raining, so I didn’t venture out.

Before anything else, though, I booked my stays for the week after Skye. I still remembered how hard it was to find anything affordable the first time around. I had to splurge for a couple of nights, but for the rest I found decent places in some of the best spots along the NC500 coastal road.

Here’s the plan. I’m driving the Applecross pass again, in the opposite direction this time. Partly for a different view, and partly because at one end there’s a walled garden with a cute cafe and deer that I skipped because I was in a rush. I want to go back for that and for the beach. Then it’s Ullapool again, where this time I found a decent place at a reasonable rate, and more stops north toward Thurso for the ferry to Orkney, where I’ll be housesitting a cute and wild cat.

I’m praying for good weather, and I don’t mean sun. Just no wind and no rain, so I can fly the drone and take interesting pictures. I love grey clouds, so those can stay.

A Rainy Walk Around Portree

The next day the weather wasn’t much better, so I walked into Portree to look for a pair of hiking boots, since mine are wearing out. I didn’t find any.

Instead, I found a pop-up art gallery. I got to talk with the artist, and besides complimenting her on her work, I left with a lot of inspiration for my own. She left thinking about housesitting herself next time she wants to get off Skye for a bit. I love these random exchanges. They’re the part of travel I can never plan for.

September 26: My Birthday on the Trotternish Peninsula

A glorious day. It was my birthday; I woke up to messages from the people I love, and the sun was out. What else could I ask for? Probably a million-dollar cash 😂

I wanted to hike the Quiraing, but I realized I couldn’t do the full loop. Hera (the dog) can’t be left alone for more than four hours; the drive there is already an hour and a half, and the hike itself takes 3 to 4 hours, which means 5 for me because I stop for photos. I also kept stopping along the way to shoot, and time flew.

I still came home happy. I photographed Highland cows and the Old Man of Storr, and I stopped for a cookie to celebrate. The cookie is a formality, honestly. I celebrate my birthday every day with the life I’ve chosen. I’m watching what I eat, but I always leave room for a treat because it makes me happy, and happiness comes first, even if it costs me an extra kilo.

My only wish is that I’d had more sunny days here. Skye deserves to be photographed in good light.

In the afternoon, I tried to drive out to the Nest Point Lighthouse because I had a picture in mind, but turned back halfway. I forgot to get gas, and it was raining with the cloud down low, with no chance of it clearing. So I called it a day.

I spent the evening on calls with my sister and my aunt and chatting with a friend. I love my life, and I love being on my own, but let’s be clear, sometimes it does get lonely. That evening it didn’t.

A Second Try at the Lighthouse

Yesterday it was raining. What a shock. So I stayed home with Hera, wrote this and kept organizing photos.

Then in the late afternoon the sky cleared, so I jumped in the car and drove toward the lighthouse again. It turned out to be much further than I thought, and I didn’t want to drive that narrow road in the dark. It’s a beautiful road, but not one for night driving. I also didn’t want to leave Hera alone for too long. So I turned back.

I didn’t mind at all. I loved every minute of that drive: a winding road through sheep who clearly think they own the land, and maybe they do, and the sun setting on the horizon, turning everything around me into a pink and yellow haze. It was phenomenal. I had the GoPro mounted on the car the whole way, so fingers crossed it caught some of it.

I have a couple of new projects in mind, and I’m hoping to make them real in the next few weeks, so I can share them with you and make you part of them. It’s exciting and terrifying at the same time.

The next entry will cover what I managed to do in Skye during my last few days here and the next legs of the NC 500.

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