The Land of the ‘Grey Mist’…with plenty of ‘Wet Rain’ thrown in !

I awoke in Glen brittle to the ‘usual’ Skye black skies, and scattered rain showers, so there didn’t look to be much prospect of any great climbing today…

I decided I may as well leave Glen Brittle, and resume my ‘Island Tour’ hoping the weather may improve later in the day..

My first stop was back to Portree,  where I did some shopping, and managed to find a Launderette,attached to a hostel, where I was able to do my washing, at least not wasting all the day.

I then returned to the ‘Old Man of Storr’..which again,unfortunately was covered in mist,and heavy rain bounced down. I waited reading for around an hour,then gave it up, and drove to my spot in the Forest on the other side of Portree, for an early stop, read, and early night, although once again the heavy rain battered down all night, although I was well protected from the wind.

Sunday morning dawned…..dark ,dismal,but dry’ish, with the faint prospect of some sun,…perhaps. I set off mid morning driving back along the roads towards Broadford, through a wet and dank Sligachan area http://www.sligachan.co.uk/ , with it’s deserted campsite, although the Hotel looked busy enough. Arriving in Broadford I turned right, along a minor road, along the side of Loch Slappin, through Torrin, with it’s old Skye Marble quarries, and gaining great views of Bla-Bheinn, 3046 mts ,now owned and managed by the John Muir Trust http://www.sligachan.co.uk/.

I continued to the ‘end of the road’ at Elgol, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elgol at the end of loch Scavaig, and had a shower free walk examining the cliffs, and worn sandstone rocks, which were honeycombed by the weather, and contained ancient pebbles in amongst them (which I’ve now got!), with views of the ‘Black Cuillin’ in the distance over the Sea Loch

A timely visit for hot scones at the Cuillin View Cafe (missing the rain shower) had the owner explaining that ‘This was the 39th Day of continuous Rain’--- unheard of ?

Then it was back along the peninsula, through Broadford again and along another minor road,at the side of Armadale Bay, eventually ending up at the Aird of Sleat http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aird_of_Sleat , where rain again, deterred me from completing the 5 mile walk to the lighthouse at the end, and I returned along the road, espying a nice sheltered spot where I could stop for the night, with views over the Sound of Sleat http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_of_Sleat, and towards Mallaig on the mainland… tempting me ashore…and back over the water