Tuesday 19/10/04

Today started so well, weatherwise. Me off to Portree at 10 o'clock (another dud ticket, silly me) to buy a mapcase and some new mitts. Then picked up my Skye Rover (I thought) but the driver said that the Nevis 'n' Coe was invalid. So a separate ticket to Luib was required. It was meanwhile pissing down with rain on the journey through Varragill Glen, past Sligachan and Ainort. Got off at Luib and went down the 'village' high street (about 5 houses) and on to the ancient Broadford to Portree road. It was bucketing down. As in, huge drops, continuous. Driven on by an ice cold wind, it was a case of head down and keep on trudging. Lots of water on the path. The trail leads on the other side of a hill compared to the current A87, but at An Dunan, the path comes within sight of Loch na Cairidh (the channel between Scalpay and Skye). I sat down at 1 o'clock with the intention of eating my sandwiches, but they practically washed away in the driving rain. So I went on my way again, decided not to pursue my initial plan to go to Torrin over the mountains. Instead, I carried on straight ahead to Strollamus and the A87. From Strollamus it was a case of road hogging. Fortunately, there was not much traffic about. At around 3 o'clock, I reached Broadford. First I went to the supermarket, then to the library for Internet access. It continued to pour with rain.