52 Observer
net Tuesday, November 19, 2019
avel
tr
Cross over the bridge and enter a slice
of Hebridean paradise of mountain
peaks and huge skies and sea lochs
ANDREW NOWELL enjoys a
dream-like trip away from
the hustle and bustle of
T
modern-day life
ravelling to the
Isle of Skye in-
volves leaving a
world of dead-
lines, urban bus-
tle and concrete
jungles far behind.
Crossing the road bridge
from the Kyle of Lochalsh,
you enter a slice of Hebri-
dean paradise, a land of dra-
matic mountain peaks, huge
skies, wide sea lochs and
bell-clear water.
It is, however, a rather
long way to get there (around
nine hours from the North
West on a decent run), which
is why our trip into the high-
lands and islands of Scotland
begins with a stopover en
route, at the Stronlossit Inn.
Located at Roybridge,
around 15 miles north and
east of Fort William, this co-
sy hotel guarantees a warm
welcome and an ideal place
to rest from the road.
The bar and eating area
brings to mind rural parts of
America, with its comfort-
able and homely feel and
the prominent use of wood,
while elsewhere antler-
sculpted lamps are one of
the many clever touches give
an authentic Scottish feel.
The menu is good and
hearty, and the dark, close-
grained meat of the Aber-
deen Angus burger is sure
to tickle the taste buds of
anyone wanting to settle into
their surroundings north
of the border. There’s also a
good selection of local ales on
the bar, including a couple
by the excellent Cairngorm
brewery based in Aviemore.
Next morning it’s on to
Skye itself. The largest and
northernmost of the inner
Hebrides, the island is home
to just over 10,000 people
and is blessed with a natural
beauty which is, quite sim-
ply, staggering.
And if you’re going to
immerse yourself in these
amazing landscapes and the
rich traditional culture of
those who call it home, the
four-star luxury of Skeabost
makes for an ideal base.
Located down a narrow
private road around half a
dozen miles or so west of
the main town Portree, the
building exudes elegance
and grandeur.
Beginning life in 1871 as a
hunting lodge, the place has
now been sensitively reno-
vated with 18 bedrooms com-
bining period features with
the mod-cons guests expect.
The wood-panelled main
dining room is a formal but
not stuffy setting in which to
enjoy the menu, which starts
with dishes including wood-
pigeon and hearty soups be-
fore running to a list of main
courses including Highland
venison, locally-caught fish
and a couple of sophisticated
vegetarian options.
When it’s time for des-
sert there are no shortage of
options, with sticky toffee
pudding, chocolate and date
torte and a massive selection
of Scottish cheeses on the
menu.
The whole lot is washed
down with a long and abun-
dant list of wine, a selection
of beers and ciders and, this
being Scotland, a very im-
pressive whisky collection.
The most magical mo-
ment at Skeabost, though,
comes when the sun rises.
Even in a suite with a four-
poster bed and an old-fash-
ioned bathtub perfect for an
indulgent soak nothing quite
compares to throwing open
the curtains of your hotel
room and being greeted with
the incomparable view over
Loch Snizort.
The morning light touch-
www.wigantoday.
es the blue water, the sky
is soft and pink and birds
wheel over the loch or pick
through the flatter, muddier
expanses. It is a scene to take
the breath away.
In the summer months
that is also a view you can en-
joy over dinner as Skeabost
has a massive conservatory
built on the side overlooking
the lawn and water, which is
also the venue for weddings
and functions such as Christ-
mas and Hogmanay celebra-
tions.
For those into their out-
door activities there is also a
golf course winding its way
along the riverbanks and
through the acres of wood-
land surrounding the hotel
while fishing can also be ar-
ranged.
For us, though, other peo-
ple are doing the hard work
of plucking out the fruits of
the sea as we head to Portree
to meet the team at Seaflow-
er Skye.
Ewen Grant and his part-
ner Janice Cooney got their
own boat and started run-
ning trips to neighbouring
islands combined with a sea-
food lunch and good wine af-
ter tourists asked his father
and brother, both still part of
Portree’s fishing fleet, where
they could enjoy the fresh
produce being landed.
As the answer was that
most of it was going to Spain,
they realised there was a
niche for getting the seafood
straight out of the water and
onto a plate.
Beneath beautiful winter
blue skies we thread our way
out of Portree, which has a
picturesque line of colourful
painted buildings right down
at the harbour level, for the
50-minute trip to the island
of Rona.
Heading past Raasay,
home to 170 people, the set-
ting seems idyllic, but Janice
discusses the often-dark his-
tory of these islands, where
the Highland Clearances
took a terrible toll as wealthy
landowners herded ordinary
people off their land to ever
more isolated locations.
Janice and Ewen also scan
the sky and sea for wildlife,
and as we sail into Rona har-
bour we enjoy the sight of a
large number of cute Com-
mon Seals basking on the
rocks.
After a quick wander
along the beach to take in the
setting lunch is ready. We
are served the best langous-
tines I’ve ever tasted, hot and
cold smoked salmon, which
Tuesday, November 19, 2019 www.wigantoday.net
is made locally and abso-
lutely delicious, a fresh salad
and bread and oatcakes, all
served up with glasses of
crisp, chilled white wine.
Thankfully the days of
people being abandoned on
Rona are long gone. Only the
island managers and those
staying in the holiday cot-
tages are there now, and they
enjoy a setting which works
its magic the moment you
disembark.
Scrambling down to the
church cave, where religious
services have been held since
medieval times, we get a
close encounter with a group
of the red deer which live on
the island and which bound
through the vegetation.
It’s also likely visitors will
find themselves in conversa-
tion with Bill, who has lived
here and looked after the
place for 16 years. As he talks
of island life while gazing out
at an unspoilt bay and views
across the sea to the Outer
Hebrides, it’s very easy to see
the appeal.
Back on the Seaflower of
Skye the wine appears once
more and we climb the lad-
der to the top of the boat to
take in views of the Old Man
of Storr, a famous geological
formation caused by the dif-
Observer 53
ferent layers of rock which
are piled on top of one an-
other.
For anyone who loves the
great outdoors there is sim-
ply loads to do on Skye, and
if the weather holds you are
spoilt for choice.
Famous sights include
the Fairy Glen, where a weird
miniature landscape of coni-
cal grassy hills was thought
to be home to supernatural
beings and the Fairy Pools
where the water cascades
in a series of falls through a
glen.
You can also look for ot-
ters at Kylerhea in the south
of the island and head to the
remote Waternish peninsula
to enjoy the atmosphere of an
official dark sky area, given to
places where there is no light
pollution and undimmed
views of the stars above on
cloudless nights.
In the summer months
the complex and fascinating
history of the area comes to
life at Dunvegan and Arma-
dale castles.
Whatever you choose to
do, it’s a safe bet that there
will be a good deal of sadness
and determination to book
another trip when you cross
the bridge to leave this piece
of Hebridean heaven.