Hello friends | 
We showtime woke to heavy pelting beating downwardly on the windshield in addition to almost a whiteout all around. I savage inwards in addition to out of slumber until sunlight began to pour through the windows in addition to it was impossible to move on sleeping. The mountains inwards front end of us had a fresh coat of snowfall from the dark before.
After a little breakfast inwards the automobile , followed past times a java in addition to scone from a little café inwards Tongue , nosotros caput off toward Durness to see Smoo Cave , which was highlighted on the map every bit existence surrounded past times lovely beaches. The weather condition had cleared upward in addition to the blueish heaven was filled with white clouds similar cotton wool wool pulled taut in addition to then they were sparse in addition to streaky to a higher identify us.
We wandered vaguely downwardly toward the cave after an hr or in addition to then of scenic driving , in addition to saw a sign for guided tours. “Just teach inwards the waterfall cave in addition to yell for Colin ,” the sign said. Along a wooden platform , covered inwards overhead , nosotros walked until nosotros came to the sinkhole , where a waterfall sent spray into all sides of the cave. An older homo with white pilus was pottering some inwards the dorsum of the cave , obscured past times a rocky span formation. Nicholas called out to him in addition to he laid nigh , using a wooden oar to line his agency toward us on an inflatable dinghy.
The sentiment across the Kyle of Tongue , after most of the fog had cleared
The sentiment from across the Kyle after all the fog had cleared
Our trusty Vauxhall
Skipping into Smoo Cave
“Hello Colin ,” said Nick.
“Mm , yer , you’ll demand helmets ,” he said , turning off his caput torch in addition to walking us dorsum toward the sign. Another pair , likely mid-fifties , were putting on some helmets to bring together the tour every bit well. “Make sure yer helmets are all tight in addition to non wobblin’ some ,” he added.
Colin looked similar somebody who spent a lot of fourth dimension inwards caves. His fingernails were slightly overgrown , giving him a distinctly mole-like appearance. His white beard in addition to moustache was yellowed some the oral cavity from excessive smoking in addition to he was balding on the crown of his head. He was really fair , with pale blueish eyes that had a mad scientist glint inwards them. I liked him immediately.
The other pair followed us downwardly a ladder in addition to onto the prophylactic boat , in addition to Colin took us some the watery cave , showing us the distinct changes inwards stone earlier in addition to after the Ice Age. He tore upward a few pieces of white breadstuff in addition to tossed them into the water.
“Gotter feed the Smoo Cave Piranha’s ,” he said. I laughed. “They’re genuinely brownish trout ,” he admitted , “I ordinarily teach the American’s with that one. Yer non American are yer?”
I shook my caput , explaining nosotros were from Australia. The other pair was from Argyll.
The master copy waterfall inwards Smoo Cave
We all clamoured out of the boat , in addition to Nicholas was delegated every bit Torch Holder Extraordinaire , because he showed the most coordination out of our petty grouping , in addition to the LEDs inwards some of Colin’s lights weren’t working.
“Did yer come upward inwards hither in addition to experience similar yer’d been hither before?” Colin asked Nick in addition to I. “All this stone was formed dorsum durin’ the Supercontinent when Australiyer in addition to Scotland were purpose of Gondwana.”
“We idea the cliffs all looked a lot similar Victoria when nosotros were coming through Durness ,” I said.
“Aye , it all was 1 ,” said Colin. “Yer’ll live feelin’ correct at home.”
He showed us some chert inwards this purpose of the cave , rubbing it together to exercise little sparks. “This stuff’s almost every bit hard every bit flintstone , because they won’t guide hold had no flintstone inwards hither durin’ the Mesolithic when people lived inwards this cave ,” he said.
I rummaged inwards my pocket. “I’ve got some flint!” I said , pulling a handful of pieces out of my Goretex.
Colin took a await at the pieces of stone inwards my hands. “Aye , in addition to where’d yous discovery this?” he asked.
I explained that nosotros had constitute it inwards Stronsay.
“This materials is no’ constitute inwards Orkney ,” he said , turning it over inwards his hands , “this hither is from southern England , which goes to demonstrate they used it every bit ballast! And it’s nevertheless showin’ up.” He continued to plough it betwixt its fingers , deep inwards thought. Then he handed it dorsum to me.
The halt of the master copy cave , where Colin had continued exploring , diving downwardly to dig away hush-hush inwards the pools where nosotros at nowadays stood.
Colin continued walking us through the cave , explaining his theories for a much larger cave behind the 1 nosotros were in. He also believed that the Mesolithic people would guide hold stood on the world degree 4m or in addition to then below where nosotros were , but layers of peat in addition to rubble had built upward in addition to then nosotros were much higher now.
When the tour was over , nosotros gave him some coin in addition to the other pair thanked him in addition to wandered away. We continued to beak caves , quest him nigh his expeditions.
Earlier inwards the trip , Nicholas had been looking at the map in addition to seen a laid of caves close Suilven (which nosotros hike tomorrow , if the weather condition is good) called the Bone Caves , where a polar send skeleton was found. We got talking nigh other caves inwards the surrounding areas , in addition to Nicholas asked nigh the Bone Caves. It turned out that Colin had been purpose of the squad to uncover the caves in addition to discovery the loot inside.
“I read at that spot was a polar send skeleton within ,” said Nick. “The entirely polar send skeleton constitute inwards Britain.”
“Aye , nosotros idea it was a polar send at first!” Colin replied rapidly , “It was nay. It was a cave bear! An extinct breed of send that died out during the terminal Ice Age!” The excitement inwards his vocalization was rising. “See , it would live vera prissy to discovery a polar send inwards Scotland , but a FOOKING CAVE BEAR –“ he started gesticulating wildly , with a one-half rolled cigarette betwixt his fingers , “ – with leg bones this long , in addition to this wide! Aye , a cave bear!
“I constitute the oldest lynx inwards Scotland , likewise ,” he added. “6.5 G years old. The oldest to live constitute inwards Scotland. The side past times side oldest was – approximate how sometime it was!”
We shook our heads to state nosotros didn’t know.
“Aye , the side past times side oldest was 2 G years old! Two thousand! AMATEURS!”
We told him we’d caput to the Bone Caves in addition to guide hold a await , in addition to he said at that spot were some climbers from Somerset at that spot at nowadays in addition to they’d likely guide hold lots of beer. “Tell ‘em yer a friend of Colin , in addition to he said yer tin post away guide hold some beer!”
Colin's inflatable vessel
Smoo Cave
Laughing , nosotros left him to guide hold a smoke earlier the side past times side grouping of tourists came nigh in addition to wanted a boat ride. In the wintertime flavor , he didn’t run boats , but worked total fourth dimension excavation some inwards the caves , working along the mistake line. We gathered that he had used to run inwards Edinburgh University , every bit some form of geologist , in addition to had got fed upward with the establishment in addition to decided to become dorsum to exploring in addition to excavation through rocks. He left us pretty inspired in addition to inwards a genuinely expert mood , in addition to then nosotros kept driving.
We drove through Kinlochbervie , through an sometime angling town that felt really empty in addition to tranquillity on a Fri afternoon. Clouds were forming overhead in addition to it was getting unopen to the fourth dimension nosotros could banking concern check inwards , in addition to then nosotros kept driving toward Clashnessie , where our AirBnB was. A really long windy route , in addition to 1 deer-spot later on , nosotros arrived , filthy , to live greeted past times a really friendly puppy named Bruno in addition to our hosts. We popped downwardly to an first-class pie store for dinner , scoffing downwardly a pair of mushroom , chestnut in addition to crimson vino pies. 10/10 would recommend.
Kinlochbervie
Kylesku Bridge
Driving to Clashnessie
For Sabbatum nosotros had planned to climb a mount called Suilven , which isn’t a Munro , but gives fantastic views across Assynt in addition to the sea. Nicholas ended upward tackling this 1 himself , spell I stayed dwelling solid for some well-needed rest. I’ll likely add together inwards a pair of pictures that Nicholas took on the hike – he said that the views over Assynt were the best he’d seen inwards Scotland. He came dwelling solid with mud all upward his gators to his knees. “Definitely boggy ,” he said.
Nicholas' sentiment from Suilven
That dark nosotros had dinner with the lovely pair nosotros were staying with , in addition to the homo , Nigel , proved to live an first-class cook. It was the most veggies we’d had inwards a petty spell (and good needed!) with course of report upon course of report of salads in addition to stewed root veggies , followed past times rhubarb tarts made from their ain home-grown rhubarb. Nigel’s an creative somebody , in addition to nosotros stayed upward belatedly chatting nigh province fine art with him , in addition to residencies in addition to all kinds of things. Bruno sat inwards front end of the woods burner , keeping toasty in addition to warm.
The next morning time nosotros left Clashnessie , in addition to caput on toward Skye. Our original excogitation was to caput direct to Kyle of Lochalsh , but the pair he climbed Kilimanjaro with suggested some other route , ofttimes considered to live The Best Drive In Scotland. It for sure earned that holler , in addition to nosotros drove along winding roads with huge , towering mountains on all sides in addition to beautiful lochs betwixt them. The weather condition could guide hold been referred to every bit dismal , with air current in addition to then rigid it pushed against the automobile in addition to made driving hard at times. The pelting came downwardly sideways in addition to , for all the beauty of the roads , every fourth dimension nosotros jumped out to guide hold a movie or 2 , the lens was covered inwards H2O droplets.
Ardvreck Castle
By the fourth dimension nosotros reached Applecross , the Sun had reappeared in addition to the pelting had begun to subside. This was 8 hours after nosotros left Clashnessie , though. Animals came out on all sides to bask the sunshine. Large herds of deer were walking amongst the automobile , a dark sheep licked build clean a tiny babe lamb that was nevertheless joined to her via umbilical cord beside us , in addition to shaggy babe Highland cows that looked similar teddy send stared at us every bit nosotros drove past.
A dark ewe , simply every bit nosotros approached Applecross. When nosotros drove upward beside her , she was nevertheless licking her tiny lamb clean.
A foreign , pyramid-shaped mount nosotros spied over on Skye
Looking over the body of body of water to Skye
It was the Lord's Day dark of a banking concern vacation in addition to Applecross was filled to the brim with tourists on motorbikes , in addition to then nosotros drove upward to a viewpoint highlighted on the map. There were 3 caravans upward at that spot already (how they managed to maneuver some the hairpin bends , nosotros don’t know) but they’d drawn their curtains already because it was after 9pm. I had to popular some codeine in addition to got genuinely drowsy genuinely rapidly , but was determined to run into the total moon. Nicholas listened to a Harry Potter audiobook nosotros constitute on my telephone , in addition to woke me upward every fourth dimension the clouds cleared plenty that the Moon was visible. For an hr or in addition to then , I drifted inwards in addition to out of slumber , regularly shaken awake when the Moon poked out from behind the thick cloud cover.
It was extremely brilliant in addition to hung heavily in addition to yellowish inwards the sky. I had to laid the shutter speed to something similar 1/6000 because it was in addition to then bright. When the clouds cleared almost completely , nosotros were bathed inwards in addition to then much calorie-free it was hard to sleep.
