Day 234 - Come rain or shine, we'll be back

Time to leave Skye. We've had a truly relaxing time is this magical and stunningly beautiful place. The icing on the cake has been two weeks of no rain. Unbelievable!! However, as seems fitting, as we stepped out of the cottage with our luggage for the walk to the ferry, it began to rain. Truly. We popped up our umbrellas, and I have to tell you that the fresh smell was welcome and invigorating. By the time we reached the bottom of the hill, the rain had stopped. Just a few tears shed by the clouds for our leaving...or so we like to think.

The first of the rain on our trip to Skye also brought this spectacular sunbeam-filled sky as
we crossed on the ferry to Mallaig.

The Shed (a small cafe at the ferry port) was open for all those getting on the first ferry of the day. We took the chance to have a bacon bap and coffee for breakfast as it would be a long day back on the train. But I must admit, I was really looking forward to taking the train journey again.

The port in Mallaig prepares for another day of fishing.

As I've already written about this beautiful journey in an earlier post, I thought that today I would share some of the spookier stories that abound about Rannoch Moor. I was going to tell you the details of the Unknown Man whose body was found on the top of Ben Alder shot through the heart with a old-fashioned lead ball bullet. It took months to identify him and the story behind his death included knights, mysterious Algerians, and role playing. I thought it would provide an entertaining glimpse into the spooky nature of the moor.

But as I discovered more about the young man, my heart grew heavy. I learned of his pain before his disappearance and the heartbreak felt by his parents as they searched for him. He became a person, not a ghost story, and really shouldn't be left to be thought of as a tall tale. Writer Jean Rafferty of The Guardian has written a wonderful piece called "Death of a knight errant," and I cannot tell it better, so recommend giving it a read.

Goodbye Skye. We'll see you again soon.