The Unseasonable Storm

It’s official!

Yesterday (Monday May 23rd) pretty much the whole of Scotland took a severe battering from furious wind and rain.  Apparently so unlike this time of year!

• roads were closed due to fallen trees and unsafe buildings
• rail journeys were disrupted
• major road bridges were closed
• ferries ceased to operate
• thousands of homes were without electricity
• flood alerts were issued

And ………….. as if this wasn’t enough, flights were cancelled due to a cloud of volcanic ash from Iceland going over Scotland!

We felt like giving up/giving in and heading back South.  BUT ….. they wouldn’t let us go!  The bridge was closed to high-sided vehicles and there were no ferries running!

Just as well because today (Tuesday) has been mostly dry.  We followed the footpath up to the base of a column of rock called The Old Man of Stor.  It’s 165 feet high and a recognised challenge for climbers.  There you go, Nicole, something to do in August!

          

There are other geological phenomenon on the Trotternish Peninsula. 

There’s Kilt Rock – tube-like basalt columns rising from the sea:-

Then, away from the coast, there are some mighty pinnacles known collectively as The Quiraing.  There’s the 120 foot Needle, The Prison and a sunken platform called The Table.  If we get a reasonable day we would like to do the climb/walk to see these close up:-

Wednesday 25th May – it was meant to be a better day weatherwise.   Not so at the moment!  We are way off the beaten track as I write this – a place called Glendale on North West Skye.  We wanted to go to Neist Point and see the lighthouse – maybe later!!  Ever hopeful!