Day 184, 4 January 2013 - Dunvegan - there via the longish way.... back by the longer way. Unfortunately the Macleod clan have decided to give themselves a peaceful winter and closed the castle to tourists. On a positive note - yay! no entry fees. On a daft note, never let the facts get in the way of a good story... so if Hugh Macleod (30th Chief of the Clan Macleod), had happened to potter by on his way to shoot something - perhaps we could have had a chat....
(Me) So... lived in the neighbourhood long mate?
(Chief Hugh) Er... well.... the family's been here for 800 odd years actually.
(Me) Gosh. You'd think you could have saved up and moved away at some point then....
(Chief Hugh) Well... actually, that stone place on the hill over there is ours....
(Me) Right. The Castle. Hmmm. Can see that that might prove quite a winner with the ladies then.
At which point I'm sure poor old Hugh would have reconsidered the pheasants or stags or ducks and taken to heart the old Scots motto - "If it's Tourist Season, then why can't we shoot them?"
But seriously folks. Had a lovely drive through the wildy bits (ie. most of) the Isle of Skye and took the A850 from our loch-side digs in Knott all the way round to Dunvegan Castle then back through Dunvegan Village and down a bit (I kid you knott - these are the only directions you need - good roads, and not many of them). Then took a left and got onto a B road that cuts through the island back to Portree. It's a "B" road 'b'cause it's only got one lane and you 'b'etter be 'b'usy looking round the next 3 'b'ends for oncoming traffic. Excellent outing all told and back to Knott before the weather closed in a touch. According to the iPad's weather app there's a 100% chance of rain tomorrow. But aye - it's only a forecast!