Magnets Irish Cider on the Isle on Skye

Another busy day with the trip today! We spent most of the day driving from Loch Ness to the Isle of Sky, but with several picture-esque stops along the way. It’s a short one today because man am I tired! Hostel living is fun experience but not a sustainable lifestyle for me.

No matter how sleepy I am, the landscape of rural Scotland continues to grab my attention at every turn… especially since it is full of pastures with many cute sheep!

Sheep on a green pasture

Our first stop was Rogie Falls, which felt very similar to Goldstream in Victoria! The fauna and waterfall looked just like BC, and, like Goldstream, it is also the location of a salmon run.

Rogie Falls

Our next stop was Corrieshalloch Gorge, a 50m deep gorge nestled between highland roads. The gorge is so deep that the climate at the bottom of the gorge is actually 2 degrees warmer than at the top! This allows many unique species to flourish.

Corrieshalloch Gorge

Despite the carsickness from driving on small rural winding highways, my favourite part of today was driving along the northern coast of Scotland, right along the Atlantic Ocean.

First views of the ocean from the road

The landscape of the highlands is so unique! Some parts remind me of our west coast and others seem like they’re from a different planet.

Cool mountain formations

Even more surprising, there are beaches in the Scottish Highlands! And I mean tropical-looking beaches like in Hawaii or Mexico. With the lovely sunshine today it felt like we were on some strange tropical island.

Hawaii or Scotland?

Beach Day!

Honestly the beauty of Scotland is unmatched. We finished today with a cider on the famous Isle of Skye, which we get to explore more tomorrow!

Refreshing cider on the Isle of Skye

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Bon Voyage & Bon Appétit

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