If Zante is 'hot girl summer' then the Isle of Skye is 'isolated, emotional nymph summer'. Its arguably an odd choice for a twenty-something's girls trip, but it served its purpose. My friend and I had each had a turbulent past year so we wanted to go somewhere that truly felt like getting away. Somewhere detached from our realities where we could feel big feelings while surrounded by vast, untouched land, mountains and lochs. Sounds like a renaissance of Romanticism, I know.
If you want to scream into the sky from somewhere high up, or cry into the sea, you can do that on Skye, and the best part is, there will likely be no one around to hear you do it.
Just try to save your tears for when you're out of the car, (unless your a passenger princess like me) because there's a lot of driving required on a trip to Skye and you don't want cloudy vision while manoeuvring country roads. To get to Skye we drove from Glasgow, past Loch Lomond, through to Glencoe, up to Fort William and Glenfinnan, before arriving at the ferry port in Mallaig. This was around a four hour drive but the views more than made up for the journey (see my TikTok for a video of the most scenic bits). Once you're on Skye you can drive from one end to the other in two hours, which depending on where you're staying can be a little lengthy when making daytrips around the island, but good company and Radio Skye passes the time.
Our Airbnb was in the village that the ferry comes into, Ardvasar. We stayed in a little blue hut in the host's garden and woke up to the clucking of chickens, a glistening pond and crisp air. Sometimes the host's dog, Wallace would join us for our morning tea on the porch, adorable. Our hut had a little kitchenette which was very well equipped, but we decided to go out for dinner to see some more of the area. The only restaurants near to us were inside B&B's, which meant they were fully booked with guests staying there, so we had to drive a little way out to find food. If you don't like cooking for yourself on holiday or don't have the facilities to, then be prepared to do a bit of searching, especially if you are vegetarian like me, or have another dietary requirement.
We had gorgeous weather for the three days we were there, clear blue skies and even a little hot a times, which I gather isn't unheard of for Skye in the summer months. But don't expect the same if you visit from October onwards, as it can get pretty rainy up there. The still weather combined with the island's seclusion made me keep asking, "has there been an apocalypse that we don't know about?" because it was just so quiet. Apart from the sheep, there are a lot of sheep and they are very vocal and sometimes just appear in the road.
Anyway, here are just some of the places that I think are worth the drive.
Fairy Pools, Glen Brittle
You know when I said 'nymph summer'? This is why. The Fairy Pools are clear, cool rock pools fed into by small waterfalls that cut through the landscape. You can either walk the length of them for a beautiful, brisk walk, or jump in for a wild swim. Even despite the warm weather we had the waters were still cold, but so rewarding. For me, this was the best part of the trip. It was one of those moments that forces you to be present, to take in your surroundings and exist exactly where you are, as you are.
Coral Beach, Dunvegan
We visited Coral Beach as the sun was beginning to go down, sparkling on the water as it fell. A combination of this time of day and the fact that this white, sandy beach is on the edge of vast green fields of cows and sheep, made for a slightly bizarre atmosphere. I kept saying to my friend that it was what I imagined purgatory to be like, a strange in-between space that isn't quite coherent, but in the best way. I'd really recommend going later in the day, or even staying to see the sunset and having a picturesque swim. The sea is unbelievably clear, but is home to some small jellyfish so be careful.
Achnacloich beach
This was definitely the most secluded place we visited on Skye. A tiny, unassuming pebble beach, perfect for uninterrupted, poetic stares out to sea and beachcombing. There are so many little treasures hidden amongst the rocks, which if you're a magpie like me, is very exciting. I collected so many tiny shells, pieces of sea glass, and what I think are crystals, but even if they're not I don't care. I had to fashion my top into a little hammock for them because there were too many to hold.
I hope you find Skye to be the perfect place for all of your life-avoidance, isolation and escapism needs.
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