An early morning walk along a path near Lealt Falls.

3 May 2016 – Being swept off your feet might seem a romantic notion, unless you happen to be standing near the edge of a cliff and the one doing the sweeping happens to be the wind…

Having been spurned by the Old Man of Storr earlier that morning (as shared in an earlier post), my wife and I continued on our drive along the A855 towards the village of Staffin, located on the northeast of the Isle of Skye. On the way, we decided to make a quick stop at Lealt Gorge to check out the walk there, which runs along the edge of a cliff overlooking River Lealt (also known as Abhainn An Lethuillt in Scottish Gaelic).

In hindsight, it probably wasn’t the best occasion to attempt the walk given the weather conditions, though the rain had eased and the wind didn’t seem particularly strong at the time we parked the car. However, as those of you who have been to the isle would know, things can change in an instant. Halfway down the path my wife decided to turn around, her fear of heights (and getting blown over) getting the better of her (photo above).

I decided to continue alone. ‘Won’t be long,’ I said, though she probably didn’t hear me through the howling of the wind. Making it to a nearby lookout point, I managed to spend a few precious moments admiring the stunning landscape before wisdom and common sense returned, urging me to return to the car as the icy, tear-inducing wind started to pick up again.

A beach near Abhainn An Lethuillt.
Pastel skies above a beach at the mouth of River Lealt (Abhainn An Lethuillt), with the remains of an old industrial site in the foreground.

Cuteness.

While heading back I spotted some sheep, who appeared to be mocking me for my lack of endurance. I couldn’t help but return their gaze, marvelling at their incredible rock climbing abilities.

Rock climbing, gravity defying sheep.

It was quite a relief to make it back to the warmth and comfort of our car, and we spent the rest of the morning exploring the northern part of the isle on wheels…more about that in a future post!

House at Staffin.
A spotty house at Staffin.

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