Day One of Isle of Skye Trip

This weekend was the Isle of Skye 3 day trip that Kyle and I decided to go on before arriving in Scotland. It was highly recommended by the University and reasonably priced so we decided to go for it! We were super excited and knew it was going to be an amazing trip but it was so much better than I ever could have imagined. I didn't want to come back! I have a TON of pictures and lots to write about so I'm going to break up each day into a single post and it may take a while for each day to be posted. So just be patient with me! This is the first day:

June 22, 2012 -I woke up at 7:30 am to get ready, pack, and be outside by 9:30 when the bus picked us up. This trip wasn't with the University but I knew other people from here were going because of the FB page. However, I hadn't actually met anyone in person yet. So when we got to the curb there were about 14 people from the university. Those were the only people going on the trip. The bus arrived a little late but it was alright because when our tour guide/bus driver stepped out, everything was okay! Danny, the Scottish, kilt wearing, foul mouthed tour guide was quite the character. He had an amazing sense of humor and he was actually wearing a kilt. So awesome. Right off the bat I knew this was going to be a great trip because of him.

First stop -Wallace Monument. We stayed for about 30 minutes and hiked halfway up. We didn't have enough time to hike all the way up but I was okay with that because it was a difficult hike due to the altitude and my stuffy nose.

Second stop - View of Stirling Castle. We stopped on the side of the rode for a great view of Stirling Castle to take pictures. Danny told us some Scottish history during the bus ride.

Third stop - Doune Castle. We stopped here to take pictures of Doune castle which was featured in the movie Monty Python and the Holy Grail.

Fourth stop - Trossachs Woolen Mill. We stopped here to feed some cute highland cows or coos as the Scottish say. Before we knew where we were going Danny asked us to give him some Scottish stereotypes and what we came up with was that Scottish men are big, burly, smelly, and have red hair. When we pulled up to the cows he pointed to the cows and said there you go! It was quite funny! The big cow's name was Hamish and the girl cow's name was Honey. They were so cute!

Fifth stop - Glen. We stopped to eat lunch at a cute little town called Glen. We had about an hour to go off on our own to eat and explore. Kyle and I went to a local restaurant where I had A baked potato, crisps (chips), and a salad. Baked potatoes are really big here so I decided to have one and it was delicious. I then got strawberry ice-cream for dessert. After lunch we walked around to take pictures for about 10 minutes.

Our unexpected stop... After lunch we headed back on the road for our 6th stop in Glencoe. About 30 minutes on the road we were accompanied by a gang of motorcyclists. The road is one way and these guys were going so fast so they would pass us by going on the other side of the road when they got a chance. A bunch of them had just passed us and then there was one last guy who was lagging behind and did the same. I was watching him pass when all of a sudden he went off the road a little bit, on the grass and mud, and lost control. He was right beside our bus when this happened and I watched the entire thing happen. His bike spun in the air and he flew off, somersaulting forward. When this happened, the bike caused rocks and mud to fly on the side of our bus hitting my window and the window in front of mine. I screamed and ducked as the glass shattered thinking rocks and glass would come through the window. Luckily, the window was double paned so only the outside glass was shattered leaving me unharmed, besides being totally freaked out. At first I thought the mud was blood which is the main reason why I screamed and stared shaking. Thank God that wasn't the case. Of course we had to pull over right away. Danny told us to stay there and be calm while he went over to the scene of the accident. Everyone was so scared and worried for the motorcyclist. When Danny finally arrived he said we had to wait there until the ambulance and police came since we were witnesses to the accident and it would be illegal to drive off. So we got of the bus for some much needed fresh air. Fortunately it was sunny and the place we pulled over had a beautiful view. Traffic started to back up when the ambulance arrived so I had to explain to several people what happened. Looking at the bright side of this, I was able to talk to some local Scots which was nice. When Danny came back after the ambulance arrived he said the guy was alive and very fortunate things weren't worse. He of course had several broken bones, but at least he was alive. It was about 2 and a half hours until we were finally able to leave. But of course we weren't so lucky because when Danny started the bus, the battery wouldn't start. So everyone got off and had to push it while Danny steered. Oh man, we just couldn't catch a break that day! The bus finally started working again shortly after we began pushing it so we all had to run and jump back on the bus so it wouldn't run out of battery again!

Danny and his kilt walking to the accident

This is where we pulled over after the accident

The ambulance

We had to pull into a rest stop so Danny could break the glass

View from the rest stop

Sixth stop - Glencoe. Since we were already very late on schedule, so we could only stop in Glencoe for a bathroom break.

Seventh stop - Fort William. We had to stop in Fort William for groceries because the town that the hostel was in didn't have any stores at all. Danny bought all the ingredients for spaghetti, bread, and salad so the group could cook it at the hostel. 

Eighth stop - Commando Memorial Site - We stopped here for pictures and a quick history lesson on the Commandos. They were a military force in World War II. Their training techniques were ridiculous. For example, they were given 2 days supply of food and water then forced to go out in the woods and mountains to survive for 2-8 weeks. As if this wasn't enough, they were also being hunted by the locals of the nearby city.

Ninth stop - Loch in the shape of Scotland. 

Tenth Stop - Eilean Donan Castle. This is the most photographed castle in Scottland.

The Hostel - The hostel we stayed at was called The Station Master's hostel in Stromeferry. I didn't expect it to be as nice as it was. It was so cute and right on the water. The view was so beautiful from our bedroom window! At a hostel, you pay a small price to sleep there because you pay the owners back by cleaning up after yourself and making your own meals out of food you buy. Our tour included dinner and breakfast in the price so Danny picked up food at the grocery store for us the first night and then bought us fish and chips the next night. For breakfast, toast and cereal was provided. There was one other group staying at the hostel. They were 2 older (in their 60s) British couples. We were able to mingle with them in the living and dining room each night and morning. Like I said, the hostel was incredibly nice, way better than the flat I'm staying in at Stirling!