Sunday, July 7th.: After a wonderful breakfast at our B&B in Breakish, we headed off of Skye to Plockton, for a voyage with Calum Mackenzie on the Sula Bheag. We had taken one of Calum's Seal Trips two years previously, and had such a good time that we wanted to go again. Calum has a money back guarantee, so if you don't see seals, you don't have to pay! I seriously doubt that has ever happened. As we had on our previous voyage, we saw lots of seals, and were entertained by Calum and David. Calum told some of the same stories that he had told two years prior, so we got a chuckle out of that. Once back in Plockton, we shared a sandwich from Meghan's, then had ice cream at the chippie next door.
After we left Plockton, we headed back over to Skye. We travelled almost the entire length of the island, to the Duirinish peninsula, to visit with Jacqui (Skyegirl) and Ian. They have a beautiful home, overlooking Loch Dunvegan and the castle. We had a great time chatting with them, and hated to leave. Back to Broadford, and a takeaway dinner from Siaway Fish & Chips, followed by chocolate from the Co-op.
Monday, July 8th.: After bidding farewell to our friends at the B&B in Breakish, we headed over to the RagTag charity shop in Broadford, which Jacqui and Ian had told us about. Bought a CD and a book, then headed to Armadale for the ferry to Mallaig. I was very glad that we had made a reservation for the ferry, as we were on the MV Loch Bhrusda, which only holds 18 cars.
Safely in Mallaig, we headed out in search of a laundrette. Aha, I said, there is a campsite in Arisaig. We can use the washing machine there. We arrived at the campsite, and it was a gated community. We followed a camper in to the site, but the door to the laundry (and the toilets) was locked, and required a combination. We were approached by a rather angry man, who said, "How did this car get in here?" I replied that we were hoping to use their laundry facilities (which we had done at campsites on previous trips). I was invited in no uncertain terms to leave the property immediately. So, tails between our legs, off we returned to Mallaig. We checked in to the West Highland Hotel, and I asked the receptionist if there was a laundrette in town, as we had not been able to find one on previous visits. Sure enough, there was one down by the harbour. So off we went, and found a delightful laundrette, with wonderful staff. Wash, dry, and fold (even our smalls) for 12 pounds. So our trip to Arisaig was doubly for naught, but we did get to see some beautiful scenery.
While we were waiting for the wash, we visited the RNLI shop in the town, and the excellent bookstore, and enjoyed a tasty lunch at the Jac-o-Bites Cafe in the Mission building. Very clever play on words!
Tuesday, July 9th.: Our second day at the lovely West Highland Hotel. We had breakfast at the Jac-o-Bites Cafe (Three pounds each, as opposed to 16 pounds each at the West Highland!), then returned to the RNLI shop for gifts. We booked a late afternoon cruise on the Western Isles, bought a couple of their hoodies, and hiked most of the Mallaig Circular Walk. There are some wonderfully friendly folks in Mallaig. A special thanks to Natalie, in the Western Isles office, and Jenna, the receptionist at the West Highland Hotel. The cruise on the Western Isles was very enjoyable. No dolphins, but we did see many seals, as well as cormorants. Later, we had an excellent dinner at the West Highland - Guinness pie, with peas and potatoes.
Our room at the West Highland had wonderful views. On one side from our window, we could see the harbour, and watch the comings and goings of the ferries and fishing boats. On the other side, we could see the Isle of Skye. On that second night, we watched a spectacular sunset over Skye. Mallaig will always remain one of our favourite places in Scotland.
(To be continued...)