“So That Sheep May Safely Graze” — A road sign on a single-track road in Scottish sheep country.
On the Isle of Skye, and for that matter all over Scotland, there are sheep. A LOT of sheep. What cattle are to the American west, sheep are to Scotland, or so it seems. The sheep and their abundant pastures are a significant component of the Scottish landscape — you encounter them everywhere when you walk or drive. I’ll let you speculate on the purpose of this road sign for a moment before explaining… (If you read this post where the next paragraph is already visible, pause and see if you can figure it out.)
“On The Road To Elgol” — Distant mountains and cloud-filled sky along the route to the Scottish village of Elgol.
We had several days to explore the Isle of Skye during or May visit to Scotland. We stayed at a somewhat off-the-grid location to the west of Portree. One day we did a popular route up the eastern coast toward the far northern reaches of the island, returning on the other side of that peninsula. Another day we headed south and east, visiting the Talisker distillery and, among other things, heading out to the remote village of Elgol on the southwestern coast.
“Two Trees, Stone Wall” — Two old trees stand in front of a stone wall, Isle of Skye, Scotland.
While on the Isle of Skye this past May we stayed at an out-of-the-way lodge a few miles out on a gravel single track road along Loch Snizort Beag. We may have thought that we were at the ends of the earth when we first turned off the main road onto that track, but we came to appreciate the isolation, the views… and the sheep. They filled the pastures along the road and occasionally entered the roadway itself.
“Sheep Pasture, Loch Ness” — Sheep in a pasture on the Great Glen Way above Loch Ness near Drumnadrochit, Scotland.
Near the end of this day’s walk on the Great Glen Way we passed through, around, and between a series of sheep pastures. Americans used to hiking in “wilderness” learn that hiking here is a different experience — you pass through towns, occasionally walk on narrow roads, cross logged areas, and encounter livestock. While I love our American wilderness, I have to say that there’s something quite nice about this landscape, too. (Perhaps not the least: a comfortable bed and nice meals every evening!)
This was one of the two longest days of our trek — in some ways it felt like the longest. We had arrived in Lewiston, next door to the town of Drumnadrochit, the evening before. Instead of walking to the next town (mainly because there isn’t one!) the plan was to start a distance north and hike back to our lodgings. It was quite a varied day. In the first mile or so we passed a rural cafe, a nature center, and then climbed stiffly out of the forest and into barren highlands. We may have reached the highest point of the walk here at a place with panoramic views and extremely strong winds. From here we descended back into forest for a long walk toward the shores of Loch Ness. In sight of the loch, it seemed like we were near our goal, but we still had miles to go.
G Dan Mitchell is a California photographer and visual opportunist. His book, “California’s Fall Color: A Photographer’s Guide to Autumn in the Sierra” is available from Heyday Books, Amazon, and directly from G Dan Mitchell.
