Sense of Place Tour 5

Final views as we leave the Summer Isles

Moving from the Summer Isles to Arasaig we decided to 'cut the corner' by driving over the bridge from Kyle of Lochalsh to Skye and then drive down to Armadale to catch the ferry to Mallaig. Stopping in Kyle of Lochalsh it soon became apparent that that is all many people do - stop rather than stay. There seem to be streams of coaches which step, jettison their passengers for a short while of coffee breaks, photo opportunities and shopping (for nothing that is really needed!), missing the time needed to spot the harbour porpoises, the seals, otters and all the scenery that is part of 'place'.

Moving over to Skye we decide to stay overnight (not having a fixed itinerary has meant having a greater sense of freedom, the opportunity to really explore) and drive to a campsite near Dunvegan. Although we stay on an award winning site at the side of a loch we notice we must have been spoilt by the fantastic views and drama of the highlands as we feel the whole area seems flat and grey. We address this by lochside walks (the winds are too high to be on the water) and the next day tour some of the remoter parts of NW Skye - great walking areas and back into mountains. We then move to Kylerhea where we walk into the nature reserve over looking the sea to spend a few hours seal watching.

Seal watching

From here it is a short drive to Armadale for the ferry. It has been interesting talking to 'locals' about their life here. Many of those we speak to are 'locals' only in terms of now living in the 'place' rather than familial or other ties. They are 'incomers' who having visited, have decided to stay (or at least move to here!), some from other parts of Scotland or England, others from much greater distance such as New Zealand, all attracted by the 'place' and what makes it special for them, even if they struggle to define what that is in our short discussions. This obviously opens up areas which can be explored in more detail on another occasion.