Being unexpectedly out of work isn’t a good situation to find yourself in, and it’s especially difficult when you find yourself in that position in a brand new continent.
I made the decision to change my flight, leaving myself with a couple of weeks to look around. I figured that with no money coming in, it made sense to return home. I was surprised however that it was now peak season for air transport, and changing a ticket on short notice was actually going to cost me more than my return flight had in the first place. Eff that. If it’s cheaper to remain in one place and patiently wait for my original flight date, then that’s what I’m going to do.
This disappointment in realizing I couldn’t change my flights came right as I was about to start a week trip to Skye, so I tried to just ignore the situation and enjoy my road trip. Day one of this trip meant driving from Glasgow, to Rubha Hunish and making camp at the northern-most point of Skye.
The drive from Glasgow up to Rubha Hunish isn’t bad at all. We took the route up across the bridge which meant getting a brief stop at Eilean Donan. We only stopped here this day to stretch our legs and get a quick time lapse since the clouds were nice… but our plans involved actually stopping here on the way back to properly explore.
Keep in mind that some of the more northern roads in Scotland become one track paths. Expect polite waves from other drivers as you take turns letting each other pass, and expect sheep to indignantly bleat as you honk your horn to get them off the path in front of you.
Once out at Rubha Hunish, it’s a short walk out to The Lookout. Bothies, and the overall attitude toward wild camping are absolutely fantastic aspects of Scotland. I wish more places in the world were this friendly towards those who want to get away from it all. Just cause you’re out in the middle of nowhere however, don’t expect to be alone. Bothies are popular, and you need to get there early if you want to claim space in one. I anticipated that though, and brought camping gear with me.
Keep in mind that Scotland gets quite boggy in areas. While our view of the sunset was stunning, it did take a good bit of hunting to find a dry enough spot to pitch our tent for the night. Still though, I absolutely recommend you find your way out here if you’re looking for a place to sleep on the Isle of Skye.