My heart is definitely in Orkney – if for some reason I ever had to move back to the UK, I would definitely go back to Kirkwall. It’s beautiful, I loved the wind and the weather and the sea and the towns. But I can now confirm it’s not the most beautiful island in Scotland. Skye is. Skye really is.
I noticed this last time – for such a small island it has the most remarkable changing landscapes. It is the 2nd largest island in the UK, but still, it’s less than 2/3 the size of Manitoulin. And yet it has arable land, rounded mountains, jagged pinnacles, gigantic cliffs, and sandy beaches, all in under 1,700 sq km.
It is much more rugged than Orkney, with a much smaller population (although I am assured that in the summer it is a madhouse of tourists and Sassenachs, annoying English who have moved up and built summer homes — my friend Lindsay does not pull punches with her opinions). But I was blown away by its beauty. I know I need to update my gallery (a good project once the packing is all done), and I know my photographic skills do Skye no justice at all, but still, here are a couple of views of the scenery from last week’s trip.
