Friday 14th April, Day one of Week 7

(Above is the 0600 distant view of the Cuillins from my camp site) 

Anyway, because yesterday I got carried away with waxing lyrical about stones ancient and modern, I neglected to share with you some interesting facts about St Columba's Isle. It is a holy site dating from the 8th century AD, supposedly founded by Columba, and became the Cathedral Church of the Bishop of The Isles from the 11th-15th centuries, and is the resting place of as many as 28 MacLeod clan chiefs. However, those dastardly Macdonalds (remember them?) could never leave the McLeods in peace for long, and it was the site of the Battle of Trotternish, one of the most important between the clans. In the bloody battle the heads of the combatants were carried downstream until they cumulated in a deep pool, known as Coire nan Ceann, or Cauldron of the Heads. Isn't Scottish history fun?

So back to today, and the start of my 7th week away.  I was able to make a short stop at the Fairy  Bridge at Sligachan. The tale starts with Scotland’s most fierce female warrior, Scáthach. It was only a matter of time before she was challenged by renowned Irish warrior, Cú Chulainn. The pair fought a battle that raged on endlessly, and noisily, despite the protests of the neighbours, until the daughter of  Scáthach in order to put an end to the fight immersed her head in the stream above the bridge until it ceased. Who knew that would work? But to this day if you immerse your entire face in the stream for 8 seconds your features will stay eternally young. Honest. 

(Alternately, the fairy wife of a MacLeod chieftain dropped her fairy flag in the stream as she was crossing the bridge to return to fairyland, and the flag can now be seen in Dunvegan Castle. So there you have it - you choose.) 

But a trip to Talisker (first time since our sailing days in 2007 and 2012) was of course mandatory, and I'd booked an 1100 session for 'Made by the Sea', an audiovisual presentation and guided tasting, all of which was excellent. We were guided through a sequence from the standard Ten-year-old, to Storm, by way of a limited edition single ask release, 2700 bottles, and when it's gone it's gone (a bit like Aldi, but a helluva lot more expensive). I won't tell you what I bought, but (some of) it will come home to share in due course.

I stopped for a quick bite at the Old Inn in Carbost, across the road from the distillery.  it's a famous hostelry, and I was last here in 2012 after dropping anchor in Loch Harport and pulling our dinghy up on the jetty outside the Inn, as one of the alloted stopping places in the Classic Malts Rally. Showers were available for a few pounds before Shelly, Noble and I crossed the road for the ceilidh in the Community Hall. On this occasion I settled for soup and bread, and established with the landlord that they no longer allow overnight parking in the summer as the car park is too small for the holiday traffic. Shame, as it would be a great BritStop. 

Next stop was to be Dunvegan Castle, but by  mid afternoon it was bucketing down, and as there seemed little point paying to trudge round the castle and gardens in the rain,  so after a quick coffee and pit stop, I headed back to Portree, with the forecast of a better day tomorrow. The Caberfeidh Bar serves only pizza, but according to reviews, possibly the best pizza in the universe. Mine was excellent, right enough, then a quick Skye ale, and Home, James.