Isle of Skye North Loop
A day on the Isle of Skye's North Loop with some twists and turns. The Old Man of Storr and Brother's Point were highlights.
On our last day on Skye we had clear, albeit windy, weather. We visited the North Loop stopping at points of interest along the way. It was beautiful and will be cemented in my memory forever, although that may be also be related to some of the misfortune we encountered. Good thing we had beautiful vistas and plentiful lambs to get us through the day!
Old Man of Storr
We started the loop on the east side of the North Loop. The first stop was The Old Man of Storr. The site had a parking lot, public restrooms, a ranger station, and of course the main attraction - amazing rock formations at the top of a mountain. We hiked up, but at some point my fear of heights won.
Alek and I stayed back and waited a bit while the rest of our group went further up. Fortunately, there was a comfy spot to sit, which I dubbed "the couch rock."
It was windy, so Alek and I decided to head back down. I thought I'd take my time to take some pictures as we went down. There were some birds, sheep, and even dogs.
Lots of sheep grazing on the rocks on the way up and down Old Man of Storr. Also a little dog adventuring down, it was with people.
I got one decent photo of a Pipit, but I think the winds were not in our favor for finding feathered friends.
I managed to snap photos of this cute Pipit while it had its breakfast.
I kept my head up and taking in the vistas and looking for more birds as we made our way down. Toward the bottom there was a steep area with loose gravel where I managed to slip. I saved my camera from damage but managed to break a finger. It was toward the end of the trip and I kept telling myself that it wasn't broken. But after I returned home and visited to the doctor, I learned that I did have a broken finger.
The Brother's Point
Next we stopped by the Brother's Point, where you can find dinosaur footprints in the rocks. This required us to take a gentle hike past some sheep. As we walked down a couple of lambs escaped from their fenced on area and enjoyed some freedom.
On the way to and from the shoreline where I'd hoped to see the dinosaur tracks, I also captured a few bird photos.
Left to right, top to bottom: Black-backed Gull, House Saprrow, eurasian blackbird x2, and a northern whiteear
Along the rocky shore, the views were quite amazing. I was still reeling from my earlier fall and concern about breaking my camera so I didn't try to get up close and personal with the dinosaur tracks.
The rocky shore near Brother's Point. There are dinosaur tracks around here somehwere.
While others explored, I hung out and took photos of a White Wagtail.
A White Wagtail enjoying a small stream of water flowing along the rocks.
I took some photos in the general direction of the dinosaur tracks, but I deifnitely didn't want to get too close.
Maybe these photos contain dinosaur tracks? Can you see them?
Kilt Rock Waterfall
Our next stop was just a parking area with an overlook to see the Kilt Rock Waterfall. While there though, I also saw some Norther Gannets flying out in the distance!
Northern Gannets soaring over the sea.
The waterfall was of course a highlight, but the overlook provided more beautiful shots of the shores of Skye.
Kilt Rock Waterfall on the right and vistas of the Skye shoreline on the right.
Of course, there were some House Sparrows hanging out around the parking lot.
House Sparrows are everywhere. So adaptable.
Quiraing
Quiraing was our final intentional stop on our trip around the North Loop. We drove to the top of the mountain to get out for photos and a look around. We didn't go very far. This was the windiest spot on a very windy day. The views, again, were incredible.
Photos from Quiraing
The End?
As we drove down the narrow roads from Quiraing we noticed that our rental car was making an usual sound. Concerned that something was dangerously broken, we decided to find a place to park and call the rental company. The sent someone out to take a look, but we did have to wait a bit.
Naturally I took some photos of birds in a nearby meadow.
A Pipit in the meadow and a Herring Gull soaring overhead, enjoying the wind.
When the mechanic arrived, he diagnosed us with having a rock caught in the break pad. He removed it and we were on our way.
Note before you go!
I was fooled by the restroom facilities at Old Man of Storr. The other stop-offs did not have them. Brother's Point didn't really have a parking lot, we parked along the road. There also aren't many places to eat in this natural area. Be sure to pack a lunch and expect to not have access to restrooms frequently if you tour the North loop.
Also, learn from me and pay attention when you're walking. No one needs a broken finger!