Edinburgh to The Outer Hebrides

After arriving in Edinburgh in the afternoon we picked up our Defender for the week ahead, the forecast was not a good one, I mean it never is in Scotland, but this time we were set for a month’s worth of rain in one week. With a rough plan, snacks and the excitement of adventure in our veins we headed west for the Highlands.

A short sleep was welcomed around 1am, the sound of rain on the tin like Defender made us drift off quickly. Upon approaching Applecross through some country lanes we stopped to enjoy the ever changing Scottish weather and made plans to head further west to the Outer Hebrides.

Scotland is home to some awesome driving roads and Applecross is a classic found on the North Coast 500. These roads are often surrounded by red deer so you need to keep your eyes peeled, especially in the dark.

We pulled over to take in the view and arrange our ferry to explore the Outer Hebrides. It being summer, ferries were notoriously hard to book with the increased tourist traffic. We luckily made the last ferry of the day and set off to find some beautiful white sand beaches.

White sand, and turquoise waters, am I in Scotland or dreaming? It reminded me of Sandwood bay in the North of Scotland which I had the pleasure of visiting a few years prior. I didn’t dive in those inviting, blue waters, but maybe next time if the sun makes an appearance.

Taking in the fresh coastal air after a night in the tent is always a good way to spend the morning. This island wasn’t epic like the alps or Iceland, but it certainly didn’t lack in beauty.

Pulling over for a break from driving and taking in the sun that decided to appear. We set off on a Tesco mission to acquire snacks and dinner goods for the night ahead.

Exploring new coast lines, putting the wobbly defender through it’s paces on the winding roads and planning where to go next, all part of the adventure. Once the light faded we headed to find a suitable camp spot and caught up on some sleep. The following day would be our return east with our final stop for sunset (if Scotland decides to play ball) at a classic, The Old Man of Storr.

Portree felt more like London at times with the level of pedestrians, it’s surprising the number of tourists this Island attracts. Upon our arrival we packed our bags, removed as much weight as possible keeping the lens we needed and set off. I’ve been here a couple of times, with the first in the pouring rain, it still blows me away and I wanted to capture a different angle from the popular one found on Instagram. The instantly recognisable rock formation was created as a result of an ancient landslide. One of Scotland’s most aesthetically pleasing landscapes in my opinion.

Ending our time on the Isle of Skye under moonlight as we hiked back down to the car. The moon will always be a delight to look at and space will always be fascinating to me, what a beautiful start to the long journey ahead of us back to Edinburgh.