Waterfalls are as plentiful as Whisky in Isle of Skye, we saw many unmarked falls driving but made…read moreit a point to seek this one out. Because of the constant rain you can always see this small waterfall going directly into the ocean from the cliffs. You get the balsat columns forming the pleats of kilt rock in the background and this waterfall in the front. Kilt Rock is very similar to devils tower though there are wilder and more extreme basalt columns in other places on this planet. Unfortunately, what most pictures don't show is there is a fence blocking off most of the cliff and the pictures I took and the ones posted here is about the only angle you can safely get. I'm not sure if there are boat rides but that would be the only other way to see this from a different perspective. The whole fence is lined with people so you may have to wait for the best angle. What we thought would be a longer exploration ended up a pretty short stop.

This review is for the liquid, Mealt Falls that cascades over a cliff of solid rocks situated…read morecloser to the viewpoint shared for viewing the solid Kilt Rock. The water falls over a grassy cliff into the rocks/water below. When I visited on Sunday 14 July 2019, the parking was pretty packed, but the viewing area had fairly good turnover, so waiting was not too long. Fortunately, I got here in a calmer pulse of activity, when I left there were a number of vehicles circling. Near the viewpoint area there was a bagpiper playing music, which I quite enjoyed. I could still hear other people around me talking, but as a solo traveler I decided to think of the music as my audial companion. The falls itself is straightforward to spot and even in July had good water flow. Various seabirds flew past. Making my way back to the car, I decided to take a path through a grassy area and discovered what I might best describe as a urination station - toilet paper swabs everywhere in one corner. Tiny mounds of poop speckled in the grass. Flies buzzing in the yellow liquid in the grass... However, as the Mealt Falls viewing area was located atop sea cliffs, the wind carried most of the smell away. The area served as a reminder that there was no restroom at the falls.

The hike was one of the highlights during my trip in Scotland. We got there early enough to secure…read moreparking- £6. The hike is 3.8km on a rocky hill. It's well known for its dramatic pinnacles, especially Old Man of Storr. The Old Man is a 55m high pinnacle of basalt rock. At the top there are also views of the surrounding landscape. The trail is steep and windy in some parts, but it was well worth it!

After driving past the entrance to the physical feature named the Old Man of Storr and seeing how…read morebacked up traffic was, I opted for a different approach to observing the landmark. On the night of Sunday 14 July 2019, I decided to go for a drive and see the sunset (which was about 10:08 p.m.) and see the moon rise. I watched the sun set from the upper West area on the Isle of Skye, then approached the landmark southbound at about 10:48 p.m. The rocks were visible from up the coast, so I pulled my rental car over to the side of the road so see if I could take a few landscape pictures with the protruding rocks visible. Upon exiting my car to find a good angle, I encountered a male urinator in my way. Passing the person, I was able to get the from-afar pictures I was hoping for. The landmark is marvelous up close as well as from afar. Subtracting out the vertical urinator, it was a good experience and lovely physical feature in the moonlight.

Corrieshalloch Gorge is surprising. You park up in a dry little car park and start making your way…read moreinto the trees below you. Thats right, the trees below you. As you descend, you hear the sound of water. They as you look across, you realise, the ground has dropped away. If you didn't know any better, from the shape of the rock, you would think the gorge was man made, but it isn't. It's the result of glacial carving (think a rockier version of the Grand Canyon, or better still, Cheddar Gorge). The sheer depth of the gorge takes your breath away as you stand on a gently swinging suspension bridge overlooking the Measnach(sp?) falls before carrying on your walk to the viewpoint jutting out over the gorge below. From there you can walk back up the steep incline, or take the gentler amble to the left of the suspension bridge back up to the car park above. It's a lovely detour on an amble around the area and well worth stopping to take a look.

We enjoyed our trip to the Dunvegan Castle and Gardens. While we did enjoy several of the garden…read moreareas, the midges were a bit bothersome so we didn't visit them all. They also offer a boat trip to see seals, fishing trips and loch cruises. Restrooms are located behind the parking lot gift shop. There are also a slightly hidden set of restrooms in the parking lot.

Historic, beautiful, well organized castle with many docents. An amazing place full of history,…read morewalks and a massive gorgeous garden!! The Dunvegan castle and gardens is the Oldest continually inhabited castle in Scotland. There is a cafe nearby, a short video on the castle, docent guides at the door and in several rooms... and everything has a short description to add meaning. In the warmer weather- April to September there are Seal tours. If you just can't bear to leave there are 5 holiday cottages for rent! That must cost a pretty penny ( or pound)! More info at www.dunvegancastle.com

There is no shortage of wonderful places to visit in Scotland. The Fairy Pools are a great option…read morefor those who would like to do some moderate hiking while on the Isle of Skye. The Fairy Pools are on the far side of the valley from the parking area (which is also where you will find bathrooms) necessitating that visitors hike down into the valley and then up on the far side to get to the first waterfall that marks the beginning of the pools. The trail is 2.4 kilometers / 1.5 miles. The steepest portion of the hike is from the parking area to the "bottom" of the valley. This is not a difficult hike for most people, but can be taxing for those who don't get out as much as they might like, and may pose issues for folks with mobility concerns. The valley (Glen Brittle) is at the foot of the Black Cuillin mountains making even the view from the parking area stunning. Things to know: * As you work your way up past the first of the pools, take a moment to look to the other side of the path now and again. If the faeries favor you, sunlight and mist coming off the falls and the mountains may create an ongoing rainbow for your enjoyment. * The toilet facilities have limited hours so plan accordingly. * There is little in the area of the pools, part of what makes them a spectacular visit but means you will want to bring along anything that you might think you need on your outing. * The Isle of Skye is extremely popular during the tourist season, and the Fairy Pools are a big part of that. Plan to spend a lot of time dealing with traffic if visiting during that time. Our visit was early November - cool, typical Scottish seasonal weather, and while a good number of people where there, it was not crowded.

We drove on a single-track road to get here. We came in the late afternoon and parked in the lot-…read more£8. It's 2.4km to get to the first main waterfall, which is the highest fall and deepest pool. You can walk further down where the crowd thins to see more pools. The water was nice and clear.

We went up a steep single lane windy road. I imagine it must be hectic in the summer when there are…read moremore tourists. Parking was £3. The Quiraing has impressive views and is known for its rock formations. The walk is a 6.8km loop, but we just did a small portion of it.

Great views with a heart-beating one way drive up and down the mountain. The pictures looked great…read morefrom what we saw online but little did we know it took taking a twisty one-lane road up the mountain and having to do some tricky maneuvering when people were coming the opposite way. The landscape was formed by landslides which left a lot of rock spires intact, some of the formations have foreboding names like "The Prison" and "The Needle". I'm not normally one for views with no "payoff" but I loved what we saw up here, its so spacious and grand, people look tiny and it makes you appreciate the planet more. I especially enjoyed the weather the day we went, very rare to have nice blue skies in this area. You can go for a hike on the left side and get closer to the rocks, on the left is a small hill where you can see a lot of the Horizon and catch some of the sky reflected in the bodies of water.

The Fairy Glen became quite popular the past few years. Social Media playing a part....but without…read moreI might have not know about it as well. We actually didn't expect much, but were surprised by this small, but oh so charming area. All the famous spots are only about a 10-15min walk away from the main parking lot. Even some visitors seemed out of breath and calling it a hike (!), it's actually just a short walk with a quick steep section that doesn't take a trained person to climb. It's really easy. Even though I would at least recommend sneakers, not sandals or so. And of course it's a near impossible task for strollers, wheelchairs and visitors with walking disabilities. The "Castle" Ewen is visible from far away. But it's not an actual castle, but a rock formation. Named for its looks, because it really resembles some tower ruins. Arriving on top you will meet the first stone circle and then a large natural platform with wonderful views of the Glen Conon. It was a foggy and cloudy day. But that in my opinion just added to the magical atmosphere. Even though there aren't Fairy at work here. The stones in the circles are place by visitors and this isn't appreciated for many (good) reasons by the locals. And they do remove them from time to time...but they get being put back all the time. If you go back the way you came up (the first path up) you will miss the second and bigger circle. Take the further path down to come across it. There were visitors, but not as many as we thought. And the green glen, the views and all the little sights (including a good number of sheep) were far more impressive than we hoped for. It is indeed an amazing, pretty and magical spot here on Skye. It's a nice little walk. Even our English Bulldog managed fine - walking both ways - up and back down.

Parking for cars is £2 for 2 hours and £3 for 4 hours. The trail is 1 mile one way. Along the way…read morewe only saw one sheep. At the end is Castle Ewen, which is a basalt outcrop. You can climb up and into the castle, but I chose not to. There were also large rock spirals cut into the grass, which are man made and frowned upon.

This time on Skye we really wanted to check out the Neist Point. Skye has so many amazing sights,…read moresometimes it's hard to choose from. But this peninsula is definitely one of the top sights for sure. The way leading here might be a challenge for some drivers. Depending on your skills, on your temper and on the time visiting. Because it's a one-lane road...for about 10 miles! But it has loads of passing points. And we arrived at around 4pm and met only little traffic. But I could image on a weekend at peak times that it's a bit more challenging. But it's a nice drive with nice views and lots of sheep on the way (and on the road). Once you parked (there's plenty) it's only a few steps until you see the spectacular peninsula, the lighthouse and the cliffs. If you want to walk to the lighthouse, then there are some steep steps at first waiting for you. Later on the path is pretty flat. We would have walked, but with our English Bulldog this was an impossible task. So we just enjoyed the several viewpoints and had some walk on the paths on top. Even though we didn't go to the Lighthouse, all the views from the top were very rewarding. It's a really amazing part of Skye, here at Land's End. The cliffs, the ocean and all the green scenery makes an impressive sight. The paths up here are flat and easy, just a bit wet and muddy, so some good shoes are recommended. Even though well visited, it didn't feel too crowded, since it's a pretty big area. I imagine at peak times though it might be more packed. But on this late afternoon it wasn't bad at all. On the way back we didn't really meet much traffic at all. Most folks were already on the way and only a handful of cars still going towards Neist Point.

Neist Point is a magical place, even when it's cloudy. it's always green and there are usually…read moresheep. i've only been here twice. I'll let the photos speak for the rest of the review. Absolutely breathtaking.

When visiting the approximately 5,000 year old Calanais Stones (Stones of Callanish) on Thursday 11…read moreJuly 2019, I took a gander about both the visitor centre, including the gift shop, and the standing stones. The visitor centre was very informative and provided historical and spiritual context for the stones and their importance for the people who have lived in the area for the past few thousand years. I found a number of very cool finds at the gift shop that I bought including small rocks, a book with information about the stones, and a leather bracelet. A stone circle trail led out to the circle and around the different stones. Informational placards were located at different points along the trail. Coos (some also call them cows or cattle) in a field neighboring the stones watched on as I walked past and took pictures of them. I managed to catch the historical site in a lull before lunch and found a few other people exploring as well. As a geologist, it was fun to see the textures in the rocks that composed the stones. On my way out (around 12:30 p.m.), traffic was picking up with some people parking about half a mile down the street.

As far as neolithic Stone Circles go, they do not get more enigmatic and prodigious than The…read moreCallanish Stone Circle. The Callanish Stone Circle is older than Stonehenge, and one of the oldest stone circles in Europe. This stone circle is set in a remote and wild section of Scotland that is as beautiful as it is rugged, and the Stones of Callanish add another element of wonderment to the backdrop. Geoff D. didn't think the stones at Callanish were that big or impressive next to Stonehenge, but the stones at Callanish are most certainly bigger than "3 and 4 foot tall rocks that one can walk around in about 30 seconds". I am 5 foot 1, and the stones were several feet taller than I. Besides that, a comparison between Stonehenge and Callanish strikes me as such a novice mistake: both circles are entirely different. A big difference is that Callanish appears to fall in line with a lunar calendar, as opposed to a solar one. Considering the weather is much wilder in the Outer Hebrides compared to southern England, and that Callinash was excavated from a peat bog in 1857, I think it is amazing that this stone circle is in such good shape. Callanish wasn't reconstructed as Stonehenge was, it stands now how it was hundreds of years ago. Also, aside from Callanish, there are several other stone circles in the area that are in plain eye's view from Callanish. The mythology surrounding the Callanish circles is also intriguing, as this stone circle has a few unique theories attached to it. Some people explain the presence of the stones as the giants of old who then lived on the island. The giants refused to be Christianised, so St. Kieran turned them to stone. Another theory is that the stones were carved to look like an army of giants to thwart any Viking raid in the island. Who wants to raid an island protected by an army of giants? The Isle of Lewis is out there, even by Scottish standards, but certainly worth the trek. Not only for the stone circles either, the area is full of amazing sites.