Roads & Stories: Skye to Talmine

On Skye, I lived by a four-hour clock. That was as long as I could leave the dog, and every plan I made started from there.

(If you don’t know what I am talking about, you can read the previous episode here. 🙂

The two hikes I really wanted, the Old Man of Storr and the Quiraing, needed five or six hours once you add the drive. So they stayed on my list, and I spent my last days on the island doing whatever fit inside four hours.

It turns out a lot fits. I drove the whole north of the island with the GoPro on the dashboard, filming the road. I went to the Fairy Glen at sunset. It isn’t even a hike, just an easy hour’s walk, and I flew the drone while the light went down. I came home with a few photos I’m really proud of.

Then I went back to the Fairy Pools. The first time I saw them was on my very first trip to Skye, in the rain. This time it was dry, which counts as luck on this trip, but the wind was wild. I set off late in the afternoon, got my timing wrong, and it was dark before I was done. But I had my tripod. So I stayed, and the pools and their little waterfalls gave me some of my favorite shots of the whole trip.

On my last morning, I walked around Portree and found new corners to photograph it from. I thought I knew that town by now. I didn’t.

My host got home on October 1, around 2:30. My bags were already packed. We chatted for a while, and she handed me chocolate and a pack of buttery Scottish biscuits, which I adore. I took that as a good sign. I really hope she leaves me a good review, because that’s how the next homeowner decides whether to trust me with their pets and their home. But more than the review, I want owners to see how much I care about both. Then I handed over the keys and drove off.

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Over Applecross in the fog

My first night off the island was an Airbnb in North Strome, two hours from Portree on paper. It took me longer, between the stops and one wrong turn. The house was like a dollhouse, full of pictures of pets, on a loch with a beautiful garden I barely saw because I arrived so late. The owners are a very sweet older couple. They helped me in, and in the morning they made me a delicious 5-star breakfast with eggs, salmon, avocado, toast and coffee.

Then the Applecross pass. People drive that road for the view. I drove it in pouring rain and fog and saw absolutely nothing. I only caught a bit of the view once I was down the other side.

In Applecross village, I finally stopped at the Applecross Gallery. The owner, Jack, is a young photographer, and you can tell how much he loves what he does. He walked me through his whole process and let me watch him print an image and package it to send to the client. We talked photography for a long time. It’s his way of honoring the place he moved to years ago, and I loved it. Go and look at his work. If Applecross isn’t in your plans anytime soon, you can order prints from his website. And if it is, stop by.

I went back to the Walled Garden cafe for coffee and cake, and this time I walked the garden in the pouring rain. No deer. I’d also planned to stop at a field of Highland cows, but the rain wasn’t letting up, and I still had a long drive ahead, so I kept going.

That night I stayed at Foinaven Bed & Breakfast in Ullapool, a room in a private home. Tiny, but very nice and very clean. The next morning I went straight to the outdoor shop to get a pair of Merrells I saw the last time, just in case my other boots got wet, and they actually did the following days. So I had the perfect timing this time.

Talmine, the car, and a cup of tea

From Ullapool I drove the coast north to Talmine, in a cute tiny studio here, which I have just left as you read this. It has a bed, a sofa bed, a kitchen that has everything, and Netflix and Prime on the TV.

Yesterday I took it easy. I love driving, but it’s a lot, and I needed to stretch my legs and catch up on my laptop. I went for a walk anyway, in the rain, because I needed it more than I needed to stay dry. I came back soaking wet. Thank God for the Merrells.

The car has had a rough week too. At one stop, the wind ripped the door out of my hand and slammed it against a wall. I was being careful, and it happened anyway. It left a crack in the door. I’m fully insured, and I paid a lot for that insurance, but I was worried they’d charge me if I didn’t report it. So I reported it.

A little later, the owners knocked on my door and invited me over for tea. We sat in their beautiful house and talked about our lives for a while. It was such a kind gesture. Also, I mentioned to my host that the AC in my car gave up, and it blew hot air even when it was switched off. He kindly offered to take a look. We went out for a drive together, and of course it worked perfectly. I was a little embarrassed, but mostly relieved.

I also signed up for a photo editing course. It’s part of a project I’ll tell you about once I make it happen.

Today I move to a pod about 40 minutes away. I love pods. I’ll take the long way there to see more and shoot more, and I’m hoping for better weather and one more hike. Then, in a few days, Orkney and my next housesit.

This trip keeps getting better, and I’m grateful for how everything is falling into place. I can’t wait to sit down and write the guides, with all the practical tips from these roads.

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My road trip so far