This morning we didn't have to catch the train till after midday, and we had a late check-out, so we slept in a bit and took it easy. Which was just as well as neither of us slept well. After a nice breakfast and packing, we were farewelled by the hotel's boarder collie, who was doing a great job keeping an eye on the hotel foyer.
The train ride from Fort William to Mallaig is famous, partly for the Glenfinnan viaduct which appears in the Harry Potter movies apparently, but most of the trip is stunning. Today was grey and misty, and the rugged mountain tops were wreathed on cloud, with beautiful lochs and waterfalls.
The train was late, and we had to hurry down onto the ferry, so we saw almost nothing of Mallaig. What little we did see was through thick fog.
A number of the foot passengers on the ferry seemed to be discovering for the first time the unique nature of Skye's transport system. Buses are infrequent, and timetables well hidden. We had arranged for a taxi to pick us up, but unbeknown to us, the original driver had been called back for a family emergency, and we stood waiting in the drizzle for an uncertain ten minutes or so, till a lovely lady in a blue Van appeared and drove us to Portree.
We had early dinner in the pub, and went for a shuffle and reconnaissance mission scouting out possible dinner options for tomorrow night. Portree is a pretty town, and it has a nice vibe. It is busy with tourists and every second building seems to be working the tourist trade in one way or another. But it is still a friendly place.
On the walk, one of the sisters from our train trip yesterday came running out of a restaurant where she was having dinner to invite us to meet for a drink. Not tonight for us unfortunately - we are recovering from dinner last night and need an early, quiet night.
Our room has a fantastic view over the harbour, and a nice spot to sit and plan the next few days. We are hiring a car for the day tomorrow, which will certainly be different.
No comments:
Post a Comment